Evaluation and Redefinition in Community Action Projects
Evaluating and Redefining the Collective
Evaluation is a form of observation and analysis of the performance of an action, its design, and its results. It aims to determine its ability to achieve objectives and propose redefinitions or adjustments for future evaluations. Evaluation, as we understand it, is a tool that enhances the participants’ engagement. It promotes intellectual appropriation of their experience, allowing them to gain a clear awareness of actions and results, converting them into meaningful learning experiences.
The intention of assessment is, firstly, to examine the results, and secondly, to establish links with the project’s effective development (the actual intervention process), the social context of the problems addressed (and the actions themselves), and our intentions (which are made explicit in the project regarding the intervention).
The ultimate goal of an evaluation is to comprehensively relate the practical experience and initial definitions of the intervention. This creates a narrative of what happened, both positive and negative. In addition to finding reasons for what occurred, it’s a reflection open to new hypotheses on how to improve the intervention or correct unsatisfactory results. Often, evaluation is considered an operation that takes place at the end of the intervention. However, it is most useful when it develops throughout the intervention and is designed in parallel with the project’s definition (helping to draft a more meticulous definition).
Key Aspects to Observe During Evaluation:
Nothing in the plan should be taken for granted during actual operation. Observe the following:
- Characteristics of the action’s context: As we act, these become more explicit (the nature of the issues addressed by the project, the institutional and local context, target groups).
- Ability to achieve results: And their relation to the objectives, methods, and activities taking place.
- Relationship as planned: The mode of operation, organization, and management actually established, its relationship with the plan, and the factors explaining any changes.
- Participation: Of recipients, groups, and professionals.
- Integration of actions: In various areas, interconnected networks and their interest, the extent of learning and dissemination, resources, funding, etc.
Promoting Participatory Evaluations:
Within a class action, assessments should seek the widest possible participation. Therefore, we favor those that incorporate certain qualities: as far as possible, they should be qualitative assessments, soft, allowing the participation of non-experts, contributing to learning (training), and promoting the construction of common criteria and interpretations among project stakeholders (cultural), focusing on the process (methodologies and community action as significant experience).
Tools and Techniques for Participatory Evaluation:
- The story of community action
- The field journal
- Self-analysis
- The booklet reviews
- The evaluative interpellation
- The community action file