Promoting Cultural Competency in Public Administration and Public Service Delivery: Utilizing Self-assessment Tools and Performance Measures

Abstract

Demographic changes and growing cultural diversity in the U.S. population have resulted in a greater possibility that, during a service delivery encounter between client and public agency provider, there will occur an exchange involving different cultural backgrounds, material realities, beliefs, practices, behaviors, and language. This increasing cultural diversity raises several important questions about the future role of public administration and the delivery of culturally appropriate and culturally responsive public services. These questions, which focus on the central issue of cultural competency in public administration and public service delivery, include What is cultural competency in public administration and public service delivery? Can public agencies become culturally competent organizations? What self-assessment tools and performance measures will improve an agency’s ability to provide culturally appropriate and responsive services? This paper addresses these questions by providing a definition of cultural competency in public administration and public service delivery and by identifying self-assessment tools and performance measures that can assist public agencies in moving toward cultural competency in delivering public services and programs.