The RWJF Evaluation Fellowship Program’s learning goal is centered on increasing capacities to conduct just and culturally responsive evaluations. The fellows will learn about and recognize the importance of the cultural context and of social justice in evaluation, and to develop knowledge and skills that prepare them to carry out evaluations in a culturally competent manner.

All the basic skills and knowledge that evaluators draw on for project and program evaluation are studied and practiced with an emphasis on application in a cross-cultural or multi-cultural context. The defining characteristic of the Robert Wood Johnson Evaluation Fellowship Program is to improve evaluation of programs serving underrepresented groups and to include underrepresented population groups in program and project evaluation. To be truly inclusive, the RWJF Evaluation Fellowship Program recruits fellows from groups that are underrepresented in evaluation, and seeks to hone skills in the fellows that will allow them to work meaningfully with members of underrepresented communities.

To ensure a learning environment consistent with the RWJF Evaluation Fellowship Program’s goals, fellows are placed at agencies that work with underrepresented population groups. Each RWJF Evaluation Fellow works in a different organization, and is provided a direct supervisor and mentor to support their learning. Peer learning exchanges take place at several workshops during which the fellows meet as a group. The fellows also have access to technology that allows them to develop an Online Learning Community, for the exchange of ideas and resources with one another. Furthermore, Fellows learn while working on authentic problems as part of their work assignments at their placement sites.