Action and reflection: a guide for monitoring and evaluating participatory research

This paper from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) was designed to support those involved in participatory research and development projects with monitoring and evaluation strategies.

Excerpt

"The guide is not a blue-print, but addresses issues that are at the heart of making an art of monitoring and evaluating participatory research.2 The guide is organized around six basic, interrelated questions that need to be answered when doing monitoring and evaluation. These questions are:

- WHY do we monitor and evaluate participatory research? (Chapter 2)

- FOR WHOM will we monitor and evaluate? (Chapter 3)

- WHAT will we monitor and evaluate? (Chapter 4)

- WHO will monitor and evaluate? (Chapter 5)

- WHEN will we monitor and evaluate? (Chapter 6)

- HOW will we do it? (Chapter 7)." (McAllister & Vernooy, 2005)

Contents

  • Introduction: six basic questions
  • How to use this guide 
  • 1. Issues which influence participatory research
  • 1.1 About participatory research
  • 1.2  The nature of knowledge and information
  • 1.3  Types of participation
  • 1.4   Influences on the results of participatory research 
  • 2.  WHY do we monitor and evaluate?
  • 2.1 Objectives 
  • 2.2  Efficiency, effectiveness and relevance 
  • 2.3  Accountability and causality 
  • 3.  FOR WHOM do we monitor and evaluate?
  • 4. WHAT do we monitor and evaluate?
  • 4.1 Basic concepts: introduction
  • 4.2 Participatory baseline analysis 
  • 4.3  Outputs
  • 4.4  Process and methods
  • 4.5  Outcomes (short term impacts) and impacts
  • 4.6  Reach
  • 5. WHO monitors and evaluates?
  • 5.1  Role of researchers 
  • 5.2  Role of the community
  • 5.3  Role of external evaluators
  • 6.  WHEN do we monitor and evaluate? (the project cycle) 
  • 6.1  Pre-project phase: proposal development stage 
  • 6.2  In-project phase 
  • 6.3  Post-project phase
  • 7. HOW we monitor and evaluate
  • 7.1  Selecting tools
  • 7.2  References: Selected readings 
  • 7.3 Other sources 
  • Annex 1.  Glossary
  • Annex 2. About indicators
  • Bibliography 

Sources

McAllister, K., & Vernooy, R. International Development Research Centre, (2005). Action and reflection: A guide for monitoring and evaluating participatory research (Working Paper 3, Rural Poverty and the Environment Working Paper Series). Retrieved from website: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277213689_Participatory_monitoring_and_evaluation_readings_and_resources