Chapter 5: Making Sense of Research on Participatory Evaluation: A Thematic Discussion

Our analysis and synthesis of the empirical literature has enabled us to develop several themes that we believe help to capture the dynamic complexity of the participatory evaluation context, with a specific focus on the relational, conceptual and structural dimensions within the program and evaluation setting. Many of these themes, while specific to participatory evaluation, also apply more broadly to other evaluation approaches that include some level of stakeholder involvement. The seven themes we have identified are (1) training leading to meaningful participation, (2) relational processes and dimensions of voice, (3) dealing with multidimensional contexts, (4) evolution of evaluator identity, role and positionality, (5) stakeholder selection and consequences of participation, (6) learning as a basis for practice and change, and (7) locations of power. The themes are interrelated. In what follows we develop each theme by discussing our reading of the empirical literature in relation to the broader theoretical literature on participatory evaluation. This thematic analysis, we believe, enhances our understanding of the practice of participatory evaluation, the antecedent conditions and factors that shape it and the effects it can be expected to have.