Participatory Evaluation

Presented by: : Lauren Kofchak EPS 654- Program Evaluation

What is Participatory Evaluation?

“ Applied social research that involves a partnership between trained evaluation personnel and practice-based decision makers, organization members with program responsibilities, or individuals with a vital interest in the program.” (Cousins & Whitmore, 1998).

Historical Context

In the 1960s: Growing concern about the mechanistic and insensitive approaches of evaluation.

Mid-1970s : The National Institute of Education developed the practice of stakeholder evaluation.

This model stressed the importance of involving stakeholders with first hand experience with the evaluand in the evaluation process.

Participatory Evaluation is viewed as an extension to the conventional stakeholder evaluation model.

Two Forms of Participatory Evaluation

Two forms of Participatory Evaluation which are differentiated by the rationale behind them.

Practical Participatory Evaluation

Transformative Participatory Evaluation

Practical Participatory Evaluation

Engages stakeholders in the “Nuts and Bolts”

Relatively small number of primary users

Evaluator’s role: technical support, training, and quality control

Ideally, organizations develop technical knowledge and skills to take on coordinating role in the future. Evaluator serves strictly as a consultant.

Characteristics of Methods(Cousins & Whitmore, 1998)

Stakeholder Practical Transformative

Principal Authors

Bryk, Mark & Shotland

Ayers, Cousins & Earl

Tardon & Fernandes, Fals-Borda, Gaventa

Primary Goals Evaluation utilization; some emphasis on political aspects

Program decision making and problem solving, evaluation utilization

Empowerment, emancipation, social justice

Decision Makers

Evaluator: coordinator of activities and technical aspects

Partnership between evaluator and participants

Partnership but ultimately participants control decisions

Participants All legitimate groups

Primary Users: sponsors, managers, developers

All legitimate groups especially beneficiaries

Depth of Participation

Limited- consulted for planning and interpretation

Extensive– involved in all phases of evaluation

Extensive- involved in all phases of evaluation

Transformative Participatory Evaluation

Emerged primarily in the developing world in the 1970s

Philosophical foundations derived from Paolo Freire

Empowers staff through participation

Encourages continuous collective critical thinking

Evaluator guards against self-serving interests

Challenge: risk of lack of consensus on program goals

When Should Participatory Evaluation Be Used?

Best suited for formative evaluation

To build internal evaluation capacity

To increase utility of evaluation findings

To obtain “buy-in” and involvement of stakeholders

Organizational Requirements for Participatory Evaluation

Value evaluation

Provide the necessary time and resources

Organizational learning as a route to improvement

Motivated to engage in the evaluation

Ability to learn given the appropriate training

Evaluator Requirements for Participatory Evaluation

Training and expertise concerning technical skills

Accessible to organizations

Provide resources for the research process

Pedagogical role

Motivated to participate in the evaluation

Tolerance for imperfection

Benefits of Stakeholder Involvement

Enhances social discourse

Individual and group reflection

Enhances organizational learning

Better informed decision-making

Builds confidence and pride in organization

Challenges to Participatory Evaluation

Power struggle Who is in charge? How do individuals with varying degrees of authority/power

collaborate on an “even playing field” in the evaluation process?

How much should the evaluator mediate these situations?

Ethics Who owns findings? Who decides what data will be included and to what extent? Is the data being manipulated?

Participation Who identifies primary stakeholders and determines who will

participate?

References Cousins, J. B. & Earl, L. M. (1992, Winter). The Case for Participatory Evaluation.

Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 14(4), 397-418. doi: 10.3102/01623737014004397

Cousins, J. B. & Earl, L. M. (1995). Participatory evaluation: enhancing evaluation use and organizational learning capacity. The Evaluation Exchange. 1(3/4). Harvard Family Research Project.

Cousins, J. B. & Whitmore, E. (1998, Winter). Framing participatory evaluation. New Directions for Evaluation, 1998(80), 5-23. doi: 10.1002/ev.1114.

Russ-Eft, D.(2009). Evaluation in organizations: A systematic approach to enhancing learning, performance, and change (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: Basic Books.

Upshur, C. C. & Barreto-Cortez, E. (1995). What is participatory evaluation? What are its roots?. The Evaluation Exchange. 1(3/4). Harvard Family Research Project.

Zukoski, A. & Luluquisen, M. (2002, Apr.). Participatory evaluation. What is it? Why do it? What are the challenges? Community based public health policy & practice., 5, The California Endowment and Public Health Institute.