The initiative was born in 2019. Since then it has developed multiple activities aimed at creating and consolidating this community of practice and learning with special attention to participatory evaluation. Building on this solid foundation, we now seek to expand our reach both regionally and thematically. Under the conceptual umbrella of inclusive approaches, we want to explore and deepen other perspectives and methodologies that promote the participation of different actors and the integration of diverse perspectives. This opens spaces for participation and representation of historically marginalized groups. EvalParticipativa works on four main thematic areas, which we detail below. These areas form the basis on which the community seeks to research experiences of inclusive evaluations in different regions and share valuable practical examples.

Of course, proposals for new activities arising from the collective linked to these topics are more than welcome.

1. Experiences of Participatory and Inclusive Evaluation Approaches

In the field of program and project evaluation in different regions, there are numerous experiences that – with different nuances and tools – have sought to value and understand their interventions from a participatory and inclusive approach. Although many promotion teams, beneficiary organizations and development support agencies frequently reflect on these evaluative practices, their advantages and limitations, their contributions and possibilities of being replicated, among other aspects, this knowledge is rarely documented, analyzed, formalized and systematically shared in order to transcend the practical and local level to enrich a deeper and regional reflection on this type of evaluations.

EvalParticipativa had as one of its first activities an open call to the entire Latin American and Caribbean region to identify documented participatory evaluation experiences, which we have been sharing within the framework of the Community of Practice and Learning. We have carried out a review of the identified experiences through their reports, written and audiovisual materials; we have paid special attention to the use of results and effects on the intervening organizations; and we have interviewed the key actors of these processes. We are learning from these experiences, which we are documenting and sharing in the EXPERIENCES and , MEANINGFUL LESSONS section in the RESOURCES menu of our page.

We have also held the first Latin American and Caribbean Retreat of Participatory Evaluation Experiences. Its purpose was to share experiences, identify common success factors and recurring problems in the methodology, build shared learning around facilitation processes, in order to document all these processes, often invisible to the group of evaluators in the region. The meeting had the participation of colleagues who were strongly linked to the management of valuable participatory evaluation experiences.

2. Manual and DOCUMENTARY SERIES on Participatory Evaluation

One of the central activities of the project was the publication of a book, in manual format, on participatory evaluation that represents a key approach aimed at guaranteeing the participation and inclusion of multiple actors in the evaluative process. For this, we have used previous work by the team and third parties that have already been published, as well as contributions and reflections from those who participated in the experience meeting held in 2019. The idea was to generate a useful manual for the region, representing the collective thinking, feeling and learning of so many colleagues who have been working on the subject.

This manual includes the following sections: 1. What is participatory evaluation? Principles, concepts, typology of evaluation approaches with social participation, etc. 2. How to implement Participatory Evaluation processes? The process/method, variants according to type of intervention, time and available resources, etc. 3. The role of facilitation in participatory evaluation. This has to do with how to accompany participatory evaluation processes: guidelines and strategies for facilitating participatory evaluation. 4. Tools for participatory evaluation, highlighting not only the type of tools that can be used, but the selection criteria, advantages and disadvantages according to different contexts, etc.

The manual is accompanied by the Documentary Series SOWING AND HARVESTING. Through five chapters, based on experiences from Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia and Chile, this documentary makes visible the lessons learned from participatory monitoring and evaluation practices developed by different organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

We are interested in having the ‘experiences’ through their protagonists speak about participatory evaluation, generating interest in deepening and learning more about the subject. We have called on different people linked to different interventions and their respective evaluations, from people who were beneficiaries of a program or project, technicians or program members, officials in charge of it, and of course those who have facilitated the evaluation. Thus, in each chapter and from different contexts and realities, the protagonists tell their evaluative experiences, their learnings, achievements and difficulties.

Also, and accompanying the content of the SOWING AND HARVESTING manual, we have generated new didactic material. It is a set of five brief videos, one for each central chapter of the manual, made in Whiteboard-animation format. The logic of this tool is to tell an illustrated story, simulating that it unfolds and develops on a whiteboard. The animations are accompanied by scripted narration with the purpose of explaining, in an entertaining and simple way, concepts that, explained in another way, would not be easy to grasp in a few minutes.

3.TRAINING ON PARTICIPATORY AND INCLUSIVE APPROACHES

Since 2020 we have been developing the course-workshop Participatory evaluation: concepts, method and practical experiences. The design of this course has a dual purpose. On the one hand, to systematically introduce the content and style of the manual, which we hope will enhance its implementation through facilitators imbued with its orientation and conception. On the other hand, it seeks to strengthen a pedagogical proposal for dialogical learning, and is aimed at different organizations interested in the subject. The course is oriented to evaluation referents, and contemplates aspects such as basic principles, concepts and concrete tools to be used in participatory evaluation processes.

The course has been developed in different countries, combining face-to-face and distance modalities, with different durations and groups of participants, both from the public and private sectors, NGOs and Civil Society organizations. This video briefly explains the course format.

Of course, proposals for new activities aimed at strengthening capacities on participatory and inclusive evaluation approaches are more than welcome.

4. Repository on Participatory and Inclusive Evaluation Approaches

One of the basic purposes of any community is “sharing.” There is a wide spectrum of publications around these topics, from scientific journals and popular books to manuals, guides and toolkits that can favor these processes. There is also a valuable set of documented cases and experiences on the use of methodologies for participatory and inclusive evaluation.

With this activity we want to enhance the solidarity of colleagues in the regions, by making the platform available to share and socialize materials that are produced on the subject and are useful and applicable to our context.

The repository or document bank is constantly updated, enriched with contributions from all involved people and organizations that have and want to offer materials. This repository relies on open access publications (GUIDES AND MANUALS as well as TOOLS). It also has an EXPERIENCES and CASE STUDIES section and another for MEANINGFUL LESSONS. We have recently added a new section with TESTIMONIAL VIDEOS from members of the community of practice, and two with audiovisual materials: the DOCUMENTARY SERIES “SOWING AND HARVESTING” and the WHITEBOARD-ANIMATION TRAINING SET.