Participatory evaluation is the sea eagle looking “long way wide eyed”
| Published date | 01 June 2018 |
| Date | 01 June 2018 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1035719X18778712 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1035719X18778712
Evaluation Journal of Australasia
2018, Vol. 18(2) 78 –98
© The Author(s) 2018
Reprints and permissions:
sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
DOI: 10.1177/1035719X18778712
journals.sagepub.com/home/evj
Participatory evaluation is
the sea eagle looking “long
way wide eyed”
Alison Rogers
Centre for Program Evaluation, The University of Melbourne, Australia
Nea Harrison
Pandanus Evaluation, Australia
Therese Puruntatameri and Alberta
Puruntatameri
Tiwi Islands, Australia
Joan Meredith
Australian Red Cross, Australia
Rachel Dunne
Program Planning and Evaluation, Australia
Abstract
Participatory evaluation can be embedded in programs to support good governance
and facilitate informed decision making in Aboriginal communities in remote and
urban contexts. An Aboriginal Elder from the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory
of Australia described participatory evaluation as a sea eagle looking “long way
wide eyed.” The metaphor refers to the long-term and broad approach undertaken
when a complex community development program used participatory processes
to build evaluation capacity and solve problems. The evaluation approach ensured
the program was inclusive, responsive, empowering, and resulted in direct benefits
for the communities. This article addresses the lack of literature on applying
developmental and empowerment evaluation approaches in practice by describing
Corresponding author:
Alison Rogers, Centre for Program Evaluation, The University of Melbourne, 100 Leicester Street,
Victoria 3010, Australia.
Email: Arogers1@student.unimelb.edu.au
778712EVJ0010.1177/1035719X18778712Evaluation Journal of AustralasiaRogers et al.
research-article2018
Article
Rogers et al. 79
the methods, tools, and use of evaluation findings. The value of participating for
the community members and partner organizations is shared and the benefits and
implications for participants and the evaluator are discussed. The authors hope this
article inspires practitioners and evaluators to consider participatory ways of working
with communities to support community directed action and social change.
Keywords
developmental, empowerment, participatory evaluation, community development
Introduction
The Australian Government funded the Communities for Children Program in two
Northern Territory communities and the evaluation undertaken between 2010 and
2014 is the subject of this article. The program functioned principally as a brokerage
model, with the facilitating organization contracted to receive annual funds over a
specific funding cycle. The facilitating organization in this case was Australian Red
Cross—Northern Territory based in Darwin and servicing the Tiwi Islands and
Palmerston. Red Cross then contracted local service providers (partner organizations)
to deliver a range of activities designed to address the needs of the communities with
a focus on supporting families with children aged 0–12 years.
The program operated in two diverse locations, an urban and a remote setting.
Palmerston is an urban satellite city 20 km south of Darwin. It has a population of
approximately 34,000 residents with 3700 or 11% identifying as Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander people (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016a). The remote Tiwi
Islands, accessible only by air or boat, are 80 km north of Darwin. The focus was on
three communities, Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island and Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti
on Melville Island. Approximately 2000 or 89% of the population, of the 2400 total
population, identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people (Australian
Bureau of Statistics, 2016b).
In 2010, Red Cross contracted an external evaluator to support a participatory eval-
uation of the program. The evaluation aimed to:
Increase key stakeholders and community members’ understanding of the
activities
Increase local committee members and participating organizations’ evaluation
knowledge and skills
Engage community members and community leaders as participants in, and
advocates for, the evaluation
Develop fit-for-purpose and strengths-based evaluation design, data collection,
and reporting
Provide useful and timely information about outcomes
Support decision making and strengthen the governance model
Improve accountability to community members and quality of service delivery
To continue reading
Request your trial