PAN has used participatory evaluation (PE) in many of its evaluations and learned how this approach works in practice. We are excited to have a Practice Note in the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation published, and we are happy to share some of our insights here with you.
Participatory evaluation (PE) approach reflects the best practices of:
- ensuring meaningful engagement and participation the people most impacted by an evaluation in the evaluation,
- accountability,
- transparency, and
- equity
PE invites non-evaluator partners to join different aspect of evaluation – from evaluation leadership to design to data analysis and reporting. Some of the benefits of PE include a sense of ownership of the evaluation among people involved and increased credibility and trust in the process. However, despite all the benefits of this approach, the PE’s application is not without challenges.
Based on our experience of conducting the Positive Leadership Development Institute (PLDI), a program that provides leadership training for people with HIV/AIDS in three provinces, we wanted to reflect on what PE looks like in practice. The Practice Note published in the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation provides an overview of the PE principles, describes the context of the PLDI program, reflects on the challenges of adopting a PE approach to evaluation, and provides several recommendations for an active and a meaningful engagement of program participants and key partners in evaluation.
In fact, PE is not possible without such engagement. Greater Involvement and Meaningful Engagement of People Living with HIV (GIPA/MEPA) “aims to realize the rights and responsibilities of people living with HIV, including their right to self-determination and participation in decision-making processes that affect their lives.” GIPA/MEPA can be a guiding principle for engaging people with a lived and living experiences more generally. One of the important components of developing PE is to adopt GIPA/MEPA in different areas of work to make its adoption in evaluation easier.
The key recommendations for a successful participatory evaluation discussed in the Practice Note include:
- Account for necessary resources from the start
- Establish trust and relationships
- Adopt ‘just-in-time’ training
- Fairly compensate all partners who are not paid staff
- Ensure partner diversity
- Focus on capacity-bridging
- Clearly define roles and encourage open communication
- Be flexible and trust in the organic participatory evaluation process
There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to participatory evaluation, but we hope that these lessons learned will help you avoid similar mistakes.
Check out additional PAN Resources:
Interpreting Data in Participatory Research and Evaluation Projects
Participatory Evaluation Whiteboard Video
Peer Evaluator Training Manual
PAN Presents at the 2018 CESBC Conference on Participatory Approaches to Evaluation
Here are some great non-PAN resources:
Better Evaluation. Participatory Evaluation
Community Tool Box. Participatory Evaluation.
The Case for Participatory Evaluation in an Era of Accountability
This post was prepared for PAN’s Research and Evaluation Treehouse by Alfiya Battalova
Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!
Joanna Mendell, Director of Research and Evaluation
[email protected]
