Resources
The Adaptive Toolkit for Living Projects by Aidai Algozhoeva and Jazgul Ibraimova (Kyrgyzstan), created as part of their FIME project output, reimagines evaluation as a human-centered and collaborative process rather than a rigid reporting exercise. It aims to move away from rigid "assembly line" reporting toward a living process of reflection. Designed for young professionals and activists in Kyrgyzstan, it focuses on identifying local strengths and adapting projects to the real needs of communities.
This resource was created as one of six innovative projects developed by Feminist Innovation in Monitoring and Evaluation (FIME) awardees. Read more about the FIME award and project outputs here.
What are the key features of this resource?
Drawing on feminist and decolonial perspectives, the toolkit helps teams explore how social projects evolve over time and how communities experience change, encouraging reflection, learning, and collective decision-making. It shifts evaluation away from deficit-based thinking toward recognizing local strengths and community knowledge.
It includes five core sections (Context, Idea, Plan, Process, Reflection), a reflection journal, and case studies following a central character to illustrate lessons.
What contribution does the resource make to the Feminist Evaluation?
It challenges colonial narratives and promotes a "strengths-based" approach, helping evaluators see local potential rather than just "deficits." The project provides a human-centered MEL approach that avoids the "external control" feel of traditional evaluation, ensuring projects remain "alive" and meaningful.
How can other people use this resource?
This resource is written in plain language accessible to non-evaluators. This resource would benefit program teams, evaluators, civil society organizations, and community activists working in social development, civic engagement, and grassroots initiatives. Teams can use the checklists and reflection exercises during project planning and implementation to foster collective growth and adapt to changing contexts.