Evaluation

Evaluation is an assessment process to learn from an experience. By evaluating an experience, your learnings contribute to improvements in current and/or future activities.  Inclusiveness of participants in evaluation activities provides an opportunity for people’s collective discovery and affirmation of their direct and indirect contributions to results.  Here the underlying assumption is that from people’s analysis and subsequent recognition of not only what they accomplished but also how they worked (i.e., identifying, valuing, protecting, using, reproducing and sharing their assets), there will come a continuation of growth in people’s sense of collective responsibility, collective dreaming and collective actions.     

Participatory evaluation activities give people a greater sense of awareness (self-recognition and self-affirmation) as to the value of their contributions to project processes and outcomes (impacts).   Suggested categories of Participatory Tools that could be used to include and/or transfer evaluation activities to participant groups include:

• Mapping & Data Collection exercises that document how people used assets.
• Learning, Analysis & Decision-making exercises that actively engage people’s skills for independent and joint assessment and learning.
• Celebrations that recognize and affirm people’s individual and collective contributions and results.