This chapter truces the history and philosophical roots of participatory evaluation and examines some current debates in the field.
The History of Participatory Evaluation and Current Debates in the FieldSharon BrisoluraParticipatory evaluation (PE), a relatively recent addition to the program evaluator's list of resources, has been both held suspect and revered. As a model, PE combines ideas and practices that are still being debated in the field with those that have been formulated over so many years of contentiousness that they are now considered unremarkable. Many of these assumptions are well known to readers of this volume: the process of the evaluation (and what is learned throughout the process) is an important outcome of the project; stakeholders hold critical, sometimes elusive, knowledge about the dynamics of the program and the needs rhat the program is intended to fulfill; stakeholders can make valuable contributions at various stages of the evaluation process; dialogue among diverse voices is a means of approaching a holistic understanding of a program; the evaluator assumes nontraditional roles (facilitator, change agent, educator) in the interest of promoting collaboration; and the research process commits to actively applylng what is learned in the service of people affected by the program.J. Bradley Cousins and Elizabeth Whitmore (see Chapter One) have followed others in categorizing participatory models of evaluation as broadly reflecting either practical or transformative rationales. Tn rhe interest of consistency in this volume, this chapter will present the primary theoretical and practical antecedents of each strand of PE. Despite complaints LO the contrary, PE draws from a rich history of exploration into the nature and role of social inquiry and of social inquirers. This chapter briefly reviews the philosophical antecedents, historical events, and evaluation models that have contributed to and interacted with the development of practical and transformative PE practice. These strands of PE need not be viewed as rival models of evaluation: both are participatory models that share a commitment to participation (some NEW
This chapter is the fruit of discussions among several evaluators with feminist inclinations. The authors explore numerous ideas or guidelines pertinent to feminist inquiry and begin the conversation that continues throughout this volume.
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