Evaluator Cultural Competence in International Development Evaluation Practices

"The study results include the following. Ten cultural factors---gender, age, status, language, style of communication, value of ""face,"" manner and custom, trust and confidence, attitude toward time, and religious beliefs---were identified as important factors that have an impact on the effectiveness of international development evaluation. Impacts were identified in specific aspects of the evaluation process, notably, gaining cooperation from local populations, gaining access to data, selecting data collection methods, understanding and interpreting data, addressing evaluation issues, and planning evaluation activities. The findings further revealed three clusters of barriers in the evaluation process that could be attributed to a lack of cultural difference awareness: barriers to data access, data collection, and evaluation reporting. Finally, the evaluator respondents discussed three different but overlapping approaches that they use to overcome those barriers---culture-oriented approach, methodology-oriented approach, and subject-matter approach. The study concluded that overcoming cultural barriers is required if international development evaluation is to contribute to more effective international development practice, that is, development programs that are more likely to meaningfully alleviate human suffering and inequities."

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Kulsamrit, Wipawan

Contributors dc:contributor

• Greene, Jennifer C.

• Education, Educational Psychology

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3130962

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/79781