Evaluation as Work In Progress: Stories of Shared Learning and Development Dr Gillian Fletcher Dr Sue Dyson

Background Gillian: Journalist & photographer European International development Applied linguistics 2 Sue: Nurse Australian Sexuality education Women’s studies

Same values, same epistemology Commitment to: –Social justice –Principles of transformative learning Share an epistemology in which there is no one objective truth to be found when one is involved in attempting to interpret human experience 3 We do NOT expect to find

Which brings us to... 4 th generation evaluation suggests that: ‘…the findings of a study exist precisely because there is an interaction between observer and observed that literally creates what emerges from that inquiry’ Guba and Lincoln (1989: 43) 4 Topology of the Internet, Tallinn University intronm/Systems.html

5 Collaborative evaluation

Fair Game Respect Matters Evaluation focus (year one): AFL Victoria (Head Office) One community league (regional office) 44 member community football clubs 6 Long term goal: to prevent violence against women through changing cultures of disrespect that foster or support violence and abuse

Fair Go, Sport! 7 Project Aim To increase awareness of sexual and gender diversity in hockey and promote safe and inclusive environments, and To develop a flexible model of engagement that can be adapted for other sporting codes and their governing bodies

Shared challenges 8 Relationships

Conclusion Collaborative evaluation has contributed to: –higher levels of accountability within the project team –stronger inter-project relationships –increased knowledge sharing within (and outside of) the project –stronger outcomes than if the evaluation findings were presented only at the end of the project cycle It has also provided particular challenges for the evaluators: –reflexivity required to evaluate one’s own participation in the learning process –maintenance of role boundaries and management of one’s own, and other people’s, expectations 9

Conclusion 10 For practitioners and researchers who want to undertake collaborative evaluation: –Be aware of the potential personal and professional pitfalls of having close relationships with those working on programs that you are evaluating –Consider the use of debriefing and reflection sessions as part of the evaluation process Be ready for ‘a journey into ambiguity and uncertainty’, and be willing to ‘let go of the reassuring prospect of eternal truth’ Brookfield (1994: 209) Thank you