Participatory Evaluation

1. Participatory Evaluation Presented by: : Lauren Kofchak EPS 654- Program Evaluation

2. 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).

3. 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.

4. Two Forms of Participatory Evaluation • Two forms of Participatory Evaluation which are differentiated by the rationale behind them. • Practical Participatory Evaluation • Transformative Participatory Evaluation

5. 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.

6. Characteristics of Methods(Cousins & Whitmore, 1998)

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. Benefits of Stakeholder Involvement • Enhances social discourse • Individual and group reflection • Enhances organizational learning • Better informed decision-making • Builds confidence and pride in organization

12. 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?

13. 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.