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Las organizaciones promotoras del desarrollo necesitan saber qué tan efectivos han sido sus esfuerzos. Pero quién debe hacer estos juicios, y con qué fundamentos? Normalmente son los expertos externos los que se encargan de esta misión. El seguimiento y evaluación participativos (SEP) es un enfoque metodológico diferente que implica que los pobladores locales, los organismos de desarrollo y los tomadores de decisiones se reúnan para decidir juntos cómo se debe medir el progreso, y qué acción se debe tomar a partir de los resultados de una evaluación. El SEP puede mostrar valiosas lecciones y mejorar la legitimidad de los proyectos de desarrollo. Sin embargo, es un proceso que implica muchos retos para todos los actores implicados, ya que conmina a la gente a examinar sus suposiciones sobre lo que significa el progreso y a enfrentar las contradicciones y los conflictos que surjan al hacerlo.

This study is part of a global research effort entitled Consultations with the Poor, designed to inform the World Development Report 2000/1 on Poverty and Development. The research has used participatory methods to involve and give a voice to poor people in twenty-three countries around the world. This report is from Argentina, from sites selected to give a rural/urban balance. The study focuses on four main topics, each with a set of key themes, as follows: Exploring well-being À How do people define their quality of life, their ill-being or well-being? How have these changed over time? À How do people perceive security, risk, vulnerability, opportunities, social exclusion and crime and conflict, and how have these perceptions changed over time? À How do households and individuals cope with a decline in well being and how do these strategies affect their lives? Priorities of the poor À Listing of problems faced by different groups within the community and identifying problems faced by the poor. À Prioritisation of problems, in terms of the most pressing needs of the different groups. À Have these problems changed over time? What are people's hopes and fears for the future? Institutional analysis À Which institutions are important in people's lives? À How do people rate these institutions? À Do people feel that they have any control or influence over these institutions? À Which institutions support people in coping with crisis? Gender relations À What are the existing gender relations within the household? What is women's relative position today as compared with the past, and to men? À What are the existing gender relations within the community? À Are there differences in gender relations among different groups within the community?