Applying the Principles of Multicultural Evaluation to The

California Endowment’s Hmong Resettlement Health Project

Rhonda OrtizThe CA Endowment Traci Endo Inouye

Social Policy Research Associates

Hmong Resettlement Health ProjectHmong Resettlement Health Project

• Approximately 5,000 Hmong refugees were anticipated to arrive in California by the end of 2004

• TCE funded a program ensuring access and utilization of health services for Hmong refugees resettling in California’s Central Valley

Social Policy Research Associates Evaluation Social Policy Research Associates Evaluation

• What was TCE looking for in an evaluator?– Knowledge of U.S. refugee resettlement

process, especially with Hmong– Knowledge of history and culture of

Hmong– Experience with health providers serving

Hmong and/or other refugee populations

Social Policy Research Associates Evaluation Social Policy Research Associates Evaluation

• Aspects of the design conveyed in SPRs proposal that reflected a multicultural approach– Ideas presented through proposal

reflected thoughtfulness in considering cultural aspect of design

– Flexibility in ensuring that evaluation honors asset-based approaches

Social Policy Research Associates Evaluation Social Policy Research Associates Evaluation

• SPRs values and philosophy were a match– Acknowledge they are “outsiders”– Negotiate cultural access– Build trust– Involve community early– Diverse and culturally competent staff

Guiding Principles for MCEGuiding Principles for MCE

• Inclusion in Design and Implementation

• Acknowledgement and Infusion of Multiple World Views

• Cultural and Systems Analysis

Inclusion in Design & Implementation

Inclusion in Design & Implementation

• Included a Hmong advisor to the evaluation to access community leaders

• Included local Hmong “community hosts”

Infusion of Multiple World ViewsInfusion of Multiple World Views

• Challenging assumptions of who holds the “expertise”

• Strong awareness of whose perspective is represented and/or missing

• Triangulation feedback across multiple sources

Cultural and Systems AnalysisCultural and Systems Analysis

• Multi-level conceptual framework that considers impact at individual, organizational, community, and systems

• Power analysis within evaluation of regional access and utilization of health services

• Challenging the Foundation to consider “what it will take to achieve sustainable health outcomes for Hmong refugees