Promoting child-centred community development through participatory evaluation

This paper reflects on issues related to participatory evaluation in the context of child-centred community development and raises questions that it believes community development organisations need to consider. In reflecting on these questions it draws upon the author's experience as technical manager of PLAN International. The focus of the work was mainstreaming the participation of children of different ages into development processes. The paper details basic considerations to guide evaluation and looks at missed opportunities and the importance of shared values. It goes on to consider how evaluation should be built into a project from the beginning and not just considered at the end, and also looks at how to engage all partners and the risk of unintended consequences. Examples are given from Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, El Salvador and India.