Date: Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Hello, AEA365 community! Liz DiLuzio here, Lead Curator of the blog. This week is Individuals Week, which means we take a break from our themed weeks and spotlight the Hot Tips, Cool Tricks, Rad Resources and Lessons Learned from any evaluator interested in sharing. Would you like to contribute to future individuals weeks? Email me at AEA365@eval.org with an idea or a draft and we will make it happen.
Hi, I’m Rene Canady, CEO of Equity Systems Consulting. I’m a sociologist and biomedical engineer who works at the intersection of inclusive innovation, public health, and impact evaluation. With experience in clinical research, community-centered design, and systems strategy, I help institutions embed equity and justice into their evaluation practices.
Political shifts are reshaping what questions evaluators are allowed to ask—especially in hospitals, biomedical research, and public health. Topics like race, gender identity, and structural inequity are increasingly taboo in data collection, yet they remain central to ethical evaluation.
When direct inquiry is discouraged, evaluators don’t have to stop equity work—they just have to get smarter about how they do it.
Here are five ways to keep equity in the frame, even under pressure:
1. Use Proxy Indicators. When you can’t collect race or income data, look for indirect signals. Zip codes, language preference, insurance status, or missed appointment rates can reveal patterns of exclusion. These proxy indicators aren’t perfect, but they can maintain visibility into systemic disparities when direct data is blocked.
2. Lean on Participatory Methods. Participatory methods—like informal interviews, group reflections, or photo-based storytelling—can surface equity insights without triggering institutional pushback. They’re often exempt from strict IRB oversight and harder to censor, since they don’t rely on standardized questions. When traditional surveys become politically risky, these creative methods keep real voices in the room.
3. Practice Strategic Ambiguity. Reframe your questions. Terms like “barriers to access,” “service utilization,” or “engagement gaps” can flag disparities without using politicized language. This isn’t about watering down intent—it’s about using institutional language as a protective layer, so you can continue to surface equity issues under the radar.
4. Document the Constraints. When equity questions are denied or edited, keep a record. Internal memos, redlined drafts, or meeting notes can create an audit trail that shows how decisions were made—and who made them. This documentation helps protect evaluators and may inform future advocacy when the environment shifts.
5. Build Internal Allies. Find your people. Whether it’s a data analyst sympathetic to the cause, a progressive compliance officer, or a health equity lead, internal allies can help you push boundaries from within. You’re not alone—even in politically constrained settings, there are others committed to the same values.
Equity-focused evaluation isn’t static—it adapts. And adaptation isn’t retreat. It’s a form of resistance.
Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org . aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators. The views and opinions expressed on the AEA365 blog are solely those of the original authors and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the American Evaluation Association, and/or any/all contributors to this site.