Three case studies on PPMEL
The power to learn together
This blog focuses on the experiences of three organizations from Asia and Africa supported by Wilde Ganzen: Macheo Children’s Organization, Inua Village to Global Foundation, and the Disabled Rehabilitation and Research Association (DRRA).
These organizations followed a comprehensive training and coaching session on participatory evaluation between October 2023 and February 2024. This blogpost looks into their experiences, which offer valuable insights into the successes and challenges that come with the implementation of PPMEL.
Case study 1
“Participatory evaluation enhances community participation and downward accountability ”
The Macheo Children’s Organization is an organization based in Kenya supporting vulnerable children in urban slums and rural areas around Thika, Kenya. They have implemented a participatory evaluation approach, involving the families and children who are directly affected by their programs in the evaluation process. In order to do so, they adopted the Family Needs-Based Model (FNBM) [add link to article]. Using this model, they are able to specify the needs of each family, identify sources of support and resources for the family to meet these needs, and they are able to specify staff roles in helping families access resources from their support networks.
By implementing participatory evaluation, they have addressed the power imbalances between the evaluators and the families and children. This enhances transparency, accountability, and opportunities for learning, and ensures that the community is actively involved in the evaluation process. Another valuable insight is that participatory evaluation is not just about assessing outcomes, but also about the process and the lessons learned from it. By embracing this approach, organizations are able to create a more holistic understanding of their impact, foster collaboration, and promote positive change.
Case study 2
“The power of PPMEL to support collective learning ”
Inua Village to Global Foundation works to solve various social and economic development challenges for rural communities in Kenya. They have implemented participatory evaluation, portraying a holistic approach to strengthening community economic growth through learning by doing.
They prioritize community engagement to ensure the economic sustainability of the programs. In doing so, they empower the community by fostering local ownership and enhancing their decision-making power.
Participatory evaluation is done through regular consultations, feedback sessions, and participatory workshops. In this way, diverse perspectives and insights from different stakeholders are gathered. By involving all stakeholders in the evaluation process, Inua Village to Global Foundation is able to gain a deeper understanding of the needs, priorities, and experiences of those involved in the program.
The use of participatory evaluation has led to a more holistic and accurate assessment of the impact of the program. Participatory evaluation contributes to the improvement of program outcomes, increased community ownership and empowerment, and stronger partnerships with local organizations.
Case study 3
“Participatory evaluation creates inclusive decision-making ”
The Disabled Rehabilitation and Research Association (DRRA) is located in Bangladesh and works towards creating a more inclusive society for children with a disability. They have adopted the participatory evaluation approach at the AmarJoti Special School.
Their experiences with participatory evaluation highlight the importance of increasing the decision-making power to the community. Because of the adoption of PPMEL, the voices of the community were heard, and their concerns and priorities were picked up on.
This led to the integration of reproductive health education and the enhancement of the school’s healthcare practices after concerns about these topics were raised by the community.
By implementing PPMEL, parents and stakeholders transitioned from passive observers to active contributors to the planning, designing, and implementation of school programs.
This has led to the enhancement of the quality of education and the strengthening of relationships with the community. This has created a more supportive, effective, and dynamic educational environment for all stakeholders.
Challenges that were identified
Although PPMEL proves to be very valuable within organizations, it also comes with challenges. It takes time and resources to effectively engage all relevant stakeholders, which may strain organizational capacity and budgets. In addition, there is a need for ongoing capacity building and training to build the skills and capacity of staff and stakeholders who are involved in the evaluation process.
Furthermore, there is the potential for conflicting perspectives and interests among stakeholders. These need to be navigated to ensure positive outcomes for all. Lastly, there might be some resistance towards internal evaluation by some stakeholders, as external evaluations can be perceived as more objective and credible.
According to DRRA, addressing these challenges requires clear communication, stakeholder engagement, and a commitment to demonstrating the value and rigour of participatory approach in evaluation. In addition, it is important to remember that mistakes should not be considered failures, but opportunities to deepen learning to understand what when wrong and why this went wrong.
In conclusion, these three case studies have shown how PPMEL has contributed to their organizations. Although the implementation of PPMEL comes with its challenges, it is also a powerful approach to enhance stakeholder engagement and program effectiveness.
The case studies show that PPMEL is not just a goal in itself, but also a means to reach deeper goals, such as community empowerment, (downward) accountability and transparency, and learning. Effective evaluations go hand in hand with the willingness to learn.