Using Technology to Improve Diversity and Inclusion in Evaluation

Abstract: This presentation will focus on how advances in technology can help evaluators better reach and more accurately reflect the experiences of groups that have traditionally been marginalized. New technologies allow evaluators to add tools in their repertoire and may benefit a wide range of populations. Examples of new technologies and how they were employed in various evaluations will be presented. In terms of reaching audiences, newer technologies remove common barriers such a region, housing situation, low literacy, etc. They also provide different types of data (e.g. photos, videos, hashtags, etc.). Finally, examples of methods for accurately representing complex program stories will also be presented. This includes coverage of data analytics to capture intersectionality, interactive data displays to support decision-making and other data visualization techniques.