Critical Reflective Practice to Health Equity: Reflecting for Change at Every Step

Abstract Information: Program evaluators are expected to routinely engage in reflective practice and recognize their position and power within the evaluand (American Evaluation Association Evaluator Competencies, 2018). Critical reflection is a type of reflective practice in which individuals are encouraged to reflect on their positionality, biases, and contextualize the relations of power in which they live and work. While research in evaluation has highlighted the importance of critical reflection in doing equity-aligned research (Boyce et al. 2022), there is a dearth of research that emphasizes how evaluators can employ their critical reflective practice to address health equity (a state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health). This is especially critical since evaluators often lack formal training in reflective practice (Tovey and Skolits 2021). Critical reflection is a tool for evaluators to reflect on the mechanisms of systems which perpetuate inequalities. Further, grounding this critically reflective work in every step of the evaluative process can usher in notions of change to the practice of evaluation through consistent conscientious attention to power dynamics in the conduct and contexts of evaluation. In this session we will ask attendees to consider how we can employ critical reflective practice to make space for other voices in evaluation—something we consider essential to recognizing and addressing biases that perpetuate health inequities. Further, how do we systematically employ critical reflective practices, individually or in community, to amplify these diverse voices for systemic change? If we do amplify these voices, can this be a means to advancing health equity, one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) priorities? Using the CDC’s National Asthma Control Program’s (NACP) Enhanced Evaluation Framework and other supplementary materials prepared by the NACP evaluation team, this session will promote discussion on critically reflective strategies evaluators can employ at every step of an evaluation to advance health equity within their work. The findings and conclusions in this presentation have not been formally disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy. Citations: American Evaluation Association (2018). AEA Evaluator Competencies. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.eval.org/About/Competencies-Standards/AEA-Evaluator-Competencies Boyce, A. S., Tovey, T. L. S., Onwuka, O., Moller, J. R., Clark, T., & Smith, A. (2022). Exploring NSF-Funded Evaluators’ and Principal Investigators’ Definitions and Measurement of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. American Journal of Evaluation, 44(1), 50-73. https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140221108662 Tovey, T. L. S., & Skolits, G. J. (2021). Conceptualizing and Engaging in Reflective Practice: Experienced Evaluators’ Perspectives. American Journal of Evaluation, 43(1), 5-25. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214020983926