43: Some Tips and Strategies for Culturally Responsive Evaluation (CRE) in the Context of 21st Century's Extension

Extension system is getting diverse in the contemporary period demanding for Culturally Responsive Evaluation (CRE) as a pertinent evaluation technique. Some basic tips for practically applying CRE in the context of 21st century’s Extension are: engaging all the program stakeholders throughout the program planning, implementation & evaluation phases; creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all the stakeholders; framing culturally responsive evaluation questions considering the perspectives of all the stakeholders; using mixed method evaluation design; adapting evaluation instruments to validate their use in a culturally-specific context; adopting more investigative approaches for analyzing the evaluation data; selecting multiple audience-specific communication formats for disseminating the evaluation results; disseminating the evaluation findings with a wide range of stakeholders for social betterment and positive change etc. CRE approach would help the Extension professionals to conduct meaningful and effective evaluation for extension-based educational programs alongside upholding the multicultural validity and rigor of the evaluation process.