Feminist Evaluation?

When using a feminist approach, how do we empower program staff and participants while meeting the
federal grant evaluation criteria
(e.g., showing impacts/outcomes using quantitative methods)?

Current Challenges

  • Searching for common threads between projects
  • Overcoming resistance to evaluation
  • Conducting an evaluation across two unique settings
  • Building trust and cross-cultural understanding

 
 
Responding to Challenges
  • Forming advisory committees with trusted community members
  • Adjusting timeline to allow for relationship building
  • Using a utilization-focused participatory research design that promotes program development
  • Becoming culturally competent and understanding dynamics of difference
  • Using qualitative methods
    • Native American talking circles
    • Story telling with photos of program activities
  • Employing community-based facilitators to lead dialogues and guide efforts
 

Policy Paradox?
 

Our grantor’s policies were flexible enough to allow for a feminist approach to community building; however, their outcome evaluation requirement leaves us pulling the evaluative strings…

Can we pursue seemingly contradictory goals – those of a feminist approach (program empowerment) and those of our grantors (outcome evaluation) – at the same time?

What is the solution to this paradox?
 
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