Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
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.
Welcome! I’m Dr. Ciara C. Knight (she/her), a Black Senior Evaluation Officer at Sankofa Consulting, Events Officer for the Seattle Evaluation Association (SEA), Outgoing 2026 Chair for the STEM Education and Training Topical Interest Group (TIG), and member of the Advancing Culturally-responsive Evaluation (ACE) Network. Below are tips and rad resources for mitigating negative bias in your evaluation projects.
Building a deep understanding of communities and managing personal bias is an ongoing process, rather than a one-time task completed when preparing for a specific evaluation. Since culture and context are fluid, ethical practice requires a continuous evolution of your worldview. To support this growth, the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Evaluator Competencies and Statement On Cultural Competence In Evaluation, require evaluators to assess strengths, pursue continuous learning, and listen to diverse perspectives. This commitment honors the principle of “do no harm” while demonstrating integrity and respect.
Here are hot tips and rad resources to help you with this process:
Before engaging others, understand the lens through which you see the world by examining how personal values, beliefs, and assumptions shape your perspective about different communities. One resource to help identify your bias is with the Implicit Association Test through Harvard University.
Take initiative to learn the history and perspectives of others without placing the “burden of teaching” on community members.
Commit to a regular presence in authentic, community-led spaces. This requires showing up respectfully, seeking permission where appropriate, and honoring all local protocols for engagement.
Transition from a spectator to a consistent, helpful presence. Shifting from observation to “active learning” through volunteering or pro bono service builds long-term trust. This side-by-side engagement replaces assumptions with lived insights, transforming you into a partner who honors and navigates the community’s true strengths and nuances.
Integrating these practices into regular professional development moves your work beyond mere compliance with AEA standards. It fosters a transformative, ethical approach that honors the dignity and lived experiences of the communities impacted by evaluators and evaluations. Ultimately, this journey is about moving from being an observer to becoming a principled collaborator, ensuring our practices are as respectful as they are rigorous.
Photo: Dr. Ciara C. Knight (right) volunteering for Maya Milton’s (left) exhibit at the Northwest African American Museum during Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 19, 2026.
Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this AEA365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post 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.