Cultural Competence Self-Assessment for mentorship participants and anyone wanting to evaluate cultural competence skills.
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2024
CULTURAL COMPETENCE
SELF-ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST
This self-assessment tool is designed to help you explore your individual cultural competence.
Its purpose is to help you consider your own skills, knowledge, and awareness in your
interactions with others, and recognize what you can do to become more effective working
and living in diverse environments.
The term “culture” includes not only race, ethnicity, and ancestry, but also the culture
(e.g. beliefs, common experiences and ways of being in the world) shared by people with
characteristics in common, including, but not limited to: people who are Lesbian, Bisexual,
Gay and Transgender (LGBT), people with disabilities, members of faith and spiritual
communities, and people within various socio-economic classes. For this tool, the focus is
primarily on race and ethnicity.
Read each entry in the Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills sections. Place a check mark in the
appropriate column which follows. At the end of each section add up the number of times
you have checked that column. Multiply the number of times you have checked “Never” by 1,
“Sometimes/Occasionally” by 2, “Fairly Often/Pretty Well” by 3 and “Always/Very Well” by
4. The more points you have, the more culturally competent you are becoming.
This is simply a tool. This is not a test. The rating scale is intended to help you identify areas
of strength and opportunities for ongoing personal and professional development.
Awareness
Never
Value diversity
I view human difference as positive
and a cause for celebration.
Know myself
I have a clear sense of my own
ethnic, cultural, and racial identity
and how that is viewed by others
with whom I differ.
Share my culture
I am aware that in order to learn
more about others I need to
understand and be prepared to
share my own culture.
Sometimes/
Occasionally
Fairly Often/
Pretty Well
2 pt x
3 pt x
Always/
Very Well
Be aware of areas I am aware of my discomfort
of discomfort
when I encounter differences in
race, religion, sexual orientation,
language, and/or ethnicity.
Check my
assumptions
I am aware of the assumptions that
I hold about people of cultures
different from my own.
Challenge my
stereotypes
I am aware of the stereotypes I hold
as they arise and have developed
personal strategies for reducing the
harm they cause.
Reflect on
how my culture
informs my
judgement
I am aware of how my cultural
perspective influences my
judgement about what I deem
to be ‘appropriate’, ‘normal’, or
‘superior’ behaviors, values, and
communication styles.
Accept ambiguity I accept that in cross-cultural
situations there can be uncertainty
and that I might feel uncomfortable
as a result. I accept that discomfort
is part of my growth process
Be curious
I intentionally make opportunities
to put myself in places where I
can learn about difference and
establish diverse connections.
Be aware of
my privilege
If I am a white person working with
members of BIPOC communities,
I recognize that I have inherently
benefited from racial privilege, and
may not be seen as safe, ‘unbiased,’
or as an ally.
Be aware
of social
justice issues
I’m aware of the impact of social
context on the lives of culturally
diverse populations, and how
power, privilege, and social
oppression influence their lives.
1 pt x
2 | Cultural competence self-assessment checklist
Adapted with permission from the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society
4 pt x
Knowledge
Never
Gain from
my mistakes
I make mistakes and choose to
learn from them.
Assess the limits
of my knowledge
I recognize that my knowledge of
certain cultural groups is limited.
I make an ongoing commitment
to learn more through the lens of
cultural groups that differ from
my own.
Ask questions
I listen fully to answers and
make the time to advance my
knowledge from a variety of
existing culturally diverse resources
before asking additional questions.
I do this so that I don’t unduly
burden members of marginalized
communities with addressing gaps
in my cultural knowledge.
Acknowledge
the importance
of difference
I know that differences in race,
culture, ethnicity etc. are important
and valued parts of an individual’s
identity—I do not hide behind the
claim of “color blindness.”
Know the
historical
and current
experiences of
those I label
as ‘others’
I am knowledgeable about
historical incidents and current day
practices that demonstrate racism
and exclusion towards those I label
as ‘others.’
Understand the
influence culture
can have
I recognize that cultures change
over time and can vary from person
to person, as does attachment
to culture.
Commit to
life-long learning
I recognize that achieving cultural
competence and cultural humility
involves a commitment to learning
over a lifetime. I consistently
demonstrate my commitment to
this process.
Understand
the impact of
racism, sexism,
homophobia, and
other prejudices
I recognize that stereotypical
attitudes and discriminatory actions
can dehumanize, even encourage
violence against individuals
because of their membership in
groups that are different from mine.
Know my own
family history
I know my family’s story of
immigration and assimilation.
Know my
limitations
I continue to develop my capacity
for assessing areas where there are
gaps in my knowledge.
Sometimes/
Occasionally
Fairly Often/
Pretty Well
Always/
Very Well
continued on next page
3 | Cultural competence self-assessment checklist
Adapted with permission from the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society
Knowledge continued
Be aware of
multiple social
identities
I recognize that people have
intersecting multiple identities
drawn from race, gender identity,
sexual orientation, religion,
ethnicity, etc., and the potential
influence of each of these identities
varies from person to person.
Acknowledge
inter-cultural
and intracultural
differences
I acknowledge both inter-cultural
and intracultural differences.
Understand point
of reference
to assess
appropriate
behavior
I’m aware that everyone has a
“culture” and my own “culture” is
not to be regarded as the singular
or best point of reference to assess
which behaviors are appropriate
or inappropriate.
Never
1 pt x
Sometimes/
Occasionally
Fairly Often/
Pretty Well
2 pt x
3 pt x
4 | Cultural competence self-assessment checklist
Adapted with permission from the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society
Always/
Very Well
4 pt x
Skills
Never
Adapt to
different
situations
I develop ways to interact
respectfully and effectively with
individuals and groups that may
differ from me.
Challenge
discriminatory
and/or racist
behavior
I effectively and consistently
intervene when I observe others
behaving in a racist and/or
discriminatory manner.
Communicate
across cultures
I adapt my communication style
to effectively interact with people
who communicate in ways that are
different from my own.
Seek out
situations to
expand my skills
I consistently seek out people who
challenge me to increase my crosscultural skills.
Become engaged
I am actively involved in initiatives,
small or big, that promote
interaction and understanding
among members of diverse groups.
Act respectfully
in cross-cultural
situations
I consistently act in ways that
demonstrate respect for the culture
and beliefs of others.
Practice cultural
protocols
I learn about and put into practice
the specific cultural protocols
and practices that make me more
effective in my work with diverse
individuals and groups.
Act as an ally
My colleagues who are Black, Asian,
Latinx, and Indigenous consider me
an ally and know that I will support
them in culturally appropriate ways.
Be flexible
I work hard to understand the
perspectives of others and consult
with diverse colleagues and
diverse resources about culturally
respectful and appropriate courses
of action.
Be adaptive
I know and use a variety of
relationship building skills to create
connections with people from
whom I differ.
Recognize my
own cultural
biases
I recognize my own cultural biases
in a given situation and I’m aware
not to act out based on my biases.
Be aware of
within-group
differences
I’m aware of within-group
differences and I do not generalize
a specific behavior presented by
an individual to the entire cultural
community.
1 pt x
Sometimes/
Occasionally
Fairly Often/
Pretty Well
2 pt x
3 pt x
5 | Cultural competence self-assessment checklist
Adapted with permission from the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society
Always/
Very Well
4 pt x