Capturing changes in women’s lives: the experiences of Oxfam Canada in applying feminist evaluation principles to monitoring and evaluation practice

This article describes Oxfam Canada’s efforts to develop a mixed-methods approach to monitoring, evaluation, and learning rooted in feminist evaluation principles, for Engendering Change, a multi-year, donor co-funded ‘standalone’ women’s rights programme. The approach was shaped by the external aid environment with its results orientation, as well as by aspirations to bring feminist principles to monitoring and evaluation practice.

The information provided was supplied by Donna Podems, Director, OtherWISE: Research and Evaluation, and Svetlana Negroustoueva, Evaluation specialist. 

Authors and their affiliation

Carol Miller, Knowledge Strategist at GenderatWork, and Laura Haylock, Oxfam Canada

Year of publication 

2014

Type of resource

Guide

Key features

The article describes Oxfam Canada’s understanding of feminist evaluation and what was believed had a potential to strengthen monitoring and evaluation approach.

Three examples of evaluative exercises used in the Engendering Change programme are provided to demonstrate how to bring the principles of feminist evaluation into practice.

Who is this resource useful for?

• Commissioners/managers of evaluation

• Evaluators
• Evaluation users

How have you used or intend on using this resource?

The resource responds to the gaps in the literature around effectively evaluating gender equality and women’s rights programmes, which is still challenging in the current aid environment. The suggested M&E approach, with concrete examples, helps to capture and tell the complex story of how gender power relationships are challenged and changed.

Why would you recommend it to other people?

This is a practical tool, based on real-life examples.