Evaluation for a Better Future: Bridging Decolonizing Evaluation and Equity-Focused Evaluation Approaches
Roundtable | Online
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Organized by:
Claremont Evaluation Center
About the Event
While both decolonizing evaluation and equity-focused evaluations aim to contribute to social betterment, this session explores how integrating decolonizing evaluation principles into equity-focused evaluation can strengthen our commitment to sustainability, inclusivity, and justice. It will share a conceptual mapping of their intersections, and discussions will be held on the potential opportunities and challenges of applying these approaches. Participants will leave with actionable insights into applying these principles intersectionally in evaluation practice.
Speakers
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Minji Cho | Independent Evaluator | Minji Cho is a program and policy evaluator with a Ph.D. in Evaluation and Applied Research Methods. She has a background in social work and international development, specializing in decolonizing international development program evaluation and locally driven methodologies. |
| Portia Ofosu-Addo | Evaluation Associate | Portia Ofosu-Addo is a Ph.D. student studying Evaluation and Applied Research Methods. Given her background in development planning and public administration, she is passionate about evaluation as a tool for advocacy, social change and betterment, especially using transformative approaches. |
Moderators
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Stewart I. Donaldson | Distinguished University Professor | Stewart I. Donaldson, Ph.D. is Distinguished University Professor and Executive Director of the Claremont Evaluation Center (CEC) and The Evaluators’ Institute (TEI) at Claremont Graduate University, and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Health & Well-Being Science at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. He is deeply committed to improving lives through research, evaluation, program design and re-design, designing culturally responsive well-being interventions and programs, and by designing research and programs to better understand and promote DEI and reduce bias, prejudice, and discrimination. He has taught and mentored hundreds of graduate students and professional applied researchers and evaluators, and has published more that 200 peer reviewed scientific articles, chapters, and evaluation reports, and more than 20 books. |
| Jennifer P. Villalobos | Assistant Professor | Jennifer P. Villalobos is an Assistant Professor of Evaluation Practice and chair of the Doctorate of Evaluation Practice (D.Eval) program at Claremont Graduate University. She also is a program evaluator, organizational psychologist, scholar, and researcher. She has a Ph.D. and master’s degree in Evaluation and Applied Research Methods with a co-concentration in Positive Organizational Psychology from Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and History from USC. Her primary academic interests focus on positive organizational interventions, transformative and social justice-oriented approaches to evaluation, and organizational initiatives focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). With over 20 years of experience, she runs a consulting practice that engages local, national, and international organizations, spanning multiple industries, emphasizing workplace well-being, social justice, DEI, leadership, and Evaluation Capacity Building. As a proud Mexican American, she is passionate about fairness and equity and strives to be a positive model for her children and the Latinx community. |