NZAID Tools Activity Cycle Tools 

Evaluation Series | Participatory Evaluation

Participation Throughout the Life Cycle of the Intervention

Participatory evaluations are most appropriate in circumstances where there has been on-going involvement of local stakeholders in the initial planning and monitoring of the intervention. In these circumstances local people have a higher stake in the work and are therefore often willingly to give up their time to reflect on the worth of the programme. In circumstances where this has not been the case, primary stakeholders can be reluctant to engage. They are often mistrustful of processes which are asking for their involvement only in the final analysis. In these circumstances, participatory evaluation is not impossible but good facilitation is essential. Local people must be reassured that their opinions really do count. Their voices will be heard and that their views can help shape the on-going nature of the intervention. Remember, people will only be involved if they see that their input is valued.

Programme identification, design & appraisal

Working from the beginning to lay a foundation of trust influences the likelihood of success of the entire process. Jointly designing the process is an important start to ensure that those whose lives will be affected can be involved. Primary stakeholders should be meaningfully involved in:

  • Identifying their problems, opportunities, strengths, weaknesses
  • Deciding about relevant & feasible solutions
  • Helping establish baseline information against which they can assess the programme’s future progress.

Implementation and monitoring

The people whom the initiative is designed to help should be centrally involved in monitoring its effectiveness (participatory monitoring). From time to time they should be involved in processes of looking back at what has been achieved.

Annual reflection processes should involve stakeholder groups in assessing change against their own expectations.

Programmes should be learning from their monitoring and adjusting plans in order to increase impact.

Participatory review and evaluation

The groups with whom NZAID and its partners work, should play a central role in reviewing interventions. Looking back on overall achievements includes knowing what the intervention has cost and making qualitative assessments of what has been achieved. Who has benefited (or not) and in what ways? What learning should influence future NZAID work?