An Evaluation Journey: 7 Stops to a more transformative, equitable, and harm reduction evaluation process (Collaboratively Planning)

Abstract Information: Have you been trying to figure out the best ways to build trusting, equitable relationships in evaluation with diverse communities and foster an inclusive environment where all voices are valued? Have you felt your approaches to evaluation have gone under-recognized or under-valued? So, which approach should you use and when? Anti-oppression and Decolonizing Evaluation; Collaborative or Participatory Evaluation; Culturally Responsive and Equitable Evaluation; Culturally Responsive and Racially Equitable Evaluation; Equitable Evaluation: Feminist Evaluation; Gender Responsive Evaluation; Indigenous Evaluation; Transformative Evaluation; Trauma-Sensitive Evaluation; Systems Thinking and Evaluation; or Youth-Focused Evaluation. In this roundtable, Jude and Julie will briefly summarize the various evaluation approaches and their intersecting values and practices. We will also share our “Evaluation Journey'' designed to inspire a more transformative, equitable, and harm-reduction process at each of its seven stops: (1) Preliminary Understanding of Project Needs, (2) Defining and Contextualizing the Evaluation Project, (3) Collaboratively Planning, (4) Gathering Information, (5) Making Meaning of the Information Gathered, (6) Taking Action, and (7) Post Evaluation Project Reflections and Assessment. With our roundtable colleagues, we will focus our conversation and mutual exploration on stop # 3: “Collaboratively Planning.” That is, the collaborative development of an evaluation plan (MEL, MEAL, PMEAL) with relevant people, communities and context-specific experts. Drawing from our own and our colleagues’ experiences, we’ll explore questions on how to prioritize diverse perspectives in evaluation plans, build mentorship and leadership opportunities for new or emerging evaluators, including young evaluators, and collaboratively design people, community, and context-relevant and responsive tools and protocols. Colleagues will leave the roundtable with user-friendly materials for practical application of the “Evaluation Journey” and a list of external resources from emerging and underrepresented voices to support their equity and harm-reduction approach to evaluation across all stops.