DEIAB in Evaluation Practices
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIAB) are critical concepts for all organizations, including those that receive government grants. DEIAB is about creating an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and has the opportunity to succeed. It is also about ensuring that all programs and activities are accessible and inclusive.
Evaluation practices should take into account DEIAB in order to ensure that programs and activities are meeting the needs of all populations, including underserved communities. This can be done by:
- Collecting data on DEIAB factors. This could include data on the demographics of program participants, the accessibility of program activities, and the satisfaction of program participants with the program’s DEIAB efforts.
- Analyzing data for disparities. Once DEIAB data has been collected, it should be analyzed for disparities. This means looking for differences in outcomes between different groups of people. For example, evaluators might look for differences in program participation rates, program completion rates, or program satisfaction rates between different racial and ethnic groups.
- Identifying areas for improvement. Once disparities have been identified, evaluators can work with program staff to identify areas for improvement. This could involve developing new strategies to reach underserved populations, making program activities more accessible, or providing additional support to program participants from underserved communities.
- Reporting on DEIAB findings. Evaluation reports should include information on the program’s DEIAB efforts and findings. This information can be used to improve the program and to demonstrate the program’s commitment to DEIAB.
Here are some specific examples of what we do as evaluators taking into account DEIAB in our work:
- When developing evaluation tools and surveys, evaluators should make sure that the tools and surveys are culturally sensitive and inclusive. This means avoiding language that could be offensive or alienating to certain groups of people. It also means making sure that the tools and surveys are accessible to people with disabilities.
- When collecting data, evaluators should make sure that they are collecting data from a diverse range of people. This means reaching out to underserved populations and ensuring that their voices are heard.
- When analyzing data, evaluators should disaggregate the data by race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, and other relevant factors. This will help to identify disparities between different groups of people.
- When reporting on findings, evaluators should make sure that they are reporting on DEIAB factors. This information can be used to improve the program and to demonstrate the program’s commitment to DEIAB.
By taking into account DEIAB in their work, evaluators can help to ensure that programs and activities are meeting the needs of all populations, including underserved communities.
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