Progress on racial and other forms of equity can be made only when the strategies designed to effect systems change and shift power are appropriate and effective. Evaluations are only as good as the strategies being evaluated regardless of what evaluation approach we take. Changing communities and systems and shifting power to have more equity requires an ongoing learning process that focuses on collaborative learning, adjustment, and monitoring, and that intentionally shines the light on assumptions, policies, practices, and norms that perpetuate—deliberately or inadvertently—inequity.
Evaluation is no longer just about identifying measures, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting the findings. It is also about helping stakeholders confront the complexities of intersecting systems and dichotomous thinking, have difficult and uncomfortable conversations, be realistic about their expectations, be reflective and learn, and be open to new ways of thinking about scientific rigor and evaluation. This webinar will begin with a framework for understanding this process of continuous strategy improvement, followed by a discussion among panelists and responses to audience questions.