What is CREE?
Culturally Responsive and Equitable Evaluation (CREE) is an approach to evaluation that centers diversity, inclusion, and equity. This approach prioritizes working with members of the communities being served, empowering them to actively participate in the evaluation.
Why is CREE important?
By listening to the diverse voices of program participants, evaluators can ensure that their studies are both respectful and relevant to the lived experiences of those who are most impacted by these programs, particularly for populations who have been systemically excluded or marginalized (such as Black, Indigenous, and people of color; individuals who identify as LGBTQ+; and families whose incomes are below the federal poverty threshold).
Additionally, culturally responsive evaluation is an area of growing interest for funders of federal programs.
How are CREE practices implemented at MER?
At Midwest Evaluation and Research, our dedication to CREE ensures that our evaluations reflect the many different voices, needs, and lived experiences of the communities we serve. Equity is not just a goal—it’s the foundation of our work.
To prioritize CREE in our evaluations, MER…
- Collaborates with those with lived experience, including historically marginalized populations, to ensure that our services are responsive to the actual needs and challenges of program participants.
- Uses equity-driven methodologies to gather feedback from a wide range of participants, emphasizing mutual respect, shared goals, and the co-design of evaluations that are culturally responsive and equitable.
- Maintains our internal CREE Committee, which oversees MER’s policies and practices related to culturally responsive evaluation within our company.
- Provides training for staff in areas such as culturally responsive evaluation, power dynamics, and implicit biases.
Contact us!
To learn more about MER’s evaluation team and how we can work with your program to conduct a culturally responsive and equitable evaluation, please contact us to set up a meeting!