How are you vetting your contractors/consultants?

As a Tribal agency or organization that has programs funded with Federal funding you may be looking or have already contracted with an external evaluator or other type of consultant to provide support. How are you vetting these outside people/agencies to ensure they are providing you with the best, most culturally competent service?

In my many years of working in the training and technical assistance space with various Tribal focused federally funded programs I have met and worked with a number of contracted evaluators and consultants. There are a few contractors who are Native American, but often these outside contractors are non-Native who have made a name for themselves in providing support to Tribal agencies and organizations. While there are several that I have had the pleasure of meeting who have not only their heart in the right place, but their values and approach as well, there are others lacking the latter.

The conversation about white saviorism has been around for some time, but it is something you may want to consider when vetting and selecting the contractors you work with. There are a number of factors that are unique to Indigenous communities, particularly around evaluation. These factors include:

• Tribal data sovereignty and data governance (LEARN MORE HERE)

• Indigenous approaches to evaluation

• Trauma informed approaches

• Cultural understanding and humility

Indigenous approaches to evaluation address the historical trauma and harmful health research and evaluation practices that disrespected and ignored cultural values. Additionally these approaches differ from the often used ill-fitting approaches that were developed in predominantly white serving/white run organizations. While an understanding of data sovereignty and some of the specific approaches that incorporate Indigenous values are possible to be taught through trainings and webinars, cultural understanding and humility are not often areas that can easily be taught.

Here is one instance of the disconnect that can happen: In a previous role I worked for an organization that had many contracts with Tribal communities to serve as the external evaluator. The organization supported an environment where "program directors" were providing much more than evaluation support, fostering an unhealthy relationship where the external contractor was making programmatic decisions and in some cases not involving the actual Tribal run program staff in decision making. Behind closed doors this contractor organization's staff would make comments about the "incompetence" of the Tribal staff and justified leaving them out of conversations because "they wouldn't understand it anyway." The "program directors" habitually, albeit likely unintentional, took advantage of the power dynamic.

This organization has built its portfolio on the connections brought in by those they have hired, attracting those individuals who have a heart for working with community based organizations and Tribal communities by toting supposed values of community empowerment and social justice, while at the same time working towards leaving behind the less lucrative work of small organizations and Tribes to adopt a corporate model and be competitive with the corporations who they claim to be different from.

It's clear the harm that this can cause and important to understand how to ensure you are vetting the outside organizations you partner with. When you are a Tribal community, agency, or organization, what are some things that would be helpful to ensure you are partnering with contractors who have the knowledge around data sovereignty and Indigenous approaches to evaluation, as well as the cultural humility and understanding?

Here are 12 areas to consider when seeking an outside contractor:

• Experience and Expertise:

  • Do they have experience evaluating projects in Tribal communities?

  • What is their expertise in Indigenous evaluation methodologies and techniques?

• Reputation and References:

  • Check their reputation in the field by reviewing client testimonials or asking for references.

  • Have they successfully completed evaluations for other Tribal organizations?

• Understanding of Working with Tribal Communities:

  • Do they have a good understanding of the specific challenges and goals of working with Tribal communities?

  • Can they demonstrate familiarity with relevant principles such as Tribal data sovereignty and trauma informed approached to evaluation?

• Alignment with Project Goals:

  • Ensure they understand the goals and objectives of your project.

  • How will they tailor their evaluation approach to meet the specific needs of your project?

• Collaborative Approach:

  • Are they willing to work collaboratively with your team and community?

  • What is their familiarity with community engaged evaluation?

• Clear Communication:

  • How do they plan to communicate evaluation findings in a clear and understandable manner?

  • Are they responsive to questions and concerns? Ask for examples.

• Data Collection and Analysis Skills:

  • Evaluate their proficiency in data collection methods, such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Ask for examples, what methods have they used? Mixed methods or qualitative data analysis is essential in Tribal communities but many evaluators are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the process.

  • Assess their ability to analyze and interpret data accurately. Do they have enough of an understanding of the community to interpret data in a relevant manner?

• Ethical and Cultural Standards:

  • Ensure they adhere to ethical guidelines and maintain confidentiality throughout the evaluation process.

  • Do they have a code of ethics or professional standards they follow?

  • Cultural humility and understanding is often lacking in outside contractors, asking specifically how familiar they are with your community or how they handle working in communities whose culture they are unfamiliar with is okay.

• Budget and Timeline:

  • Discuss their fees and ensure they fit within your project budget. Be clear on what YOUR expectations are, remember they are working for you not vice versa.

  • Agree on a realistic timeline for the evaluation process and deliverables.

• Flexibility and Adaptability:

  • Are they flexible and adaptable to changes in project scope or requirements?

  • Can they adjust their approach based on feedback or unforeseen circumstances?

• Quality Assurance:

  • Ask about their quality assurance processes to ensure accurate and reliable evaluation results.

  • How do they ensure the validity and reliability of their findings?

• Reporting and Presentation Skills:

  • Can they present findings effectively to different audiences, including Tribal leaders, community members, and potential funders?

While Bééhózin Consulting is directly available to serve as an outside contractor on evaluation your program or providing other support, we can also help you fine tune your RFP process from planning to selection.