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The
Feminist Principle of Evaluation
The feminist principle of evaluation is necessary to the long-term effectiveness
of equality-seeking organizations. Evaluation is one of the best ways
to recognize and celebrate our individual and collective efforts within
the women’s movement. The feminist principle of evaluation can help
identify our successes as well as our challenges in our ongoing efforts
toward women’s equality and inclusion.
The
feminist principle of evaluation means taking the time to reflect upon
whether we are achieving what we set out to do as well as how we are
going about it. Evaluation presents an opportunity to examine the work
that we do and the feminist principles, practices and
processes that guide and inform this work.
The
feminist principle of evaluation means collecting and analyzing information,
stories and experiences about our principles, practices, processes, advocacy
and services, and drawing conclusions about how well they are working.
This allows us to see a balanced picture of the current state of our organizations,
and set priorities and
goals for the future. We may conduct formal evaluations of our organization
such as annual and quarterly reports, or informal evaluations through
discussion and other interactions.
“At
the core of evaluation is values - e_valu_ation. We measure
and critically examine policies, programs and practices against
the values we believe to be important. Evaluation claims time
to reflect, to assess and to document which in turn results
in the opportunity to celebrate success and re-focus where
necessary. In order to seek the information we believe to
be important, we need to ensure our values are reflected in
the evaluation framework.”
~
Bobbie Boland
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We may tend to view evaluation as a task associated with lengthy, timeconsuming
reports to funders and governments. Many equality-seeking organizations
have had negative experiences of evaluation. We may have been consulted
by bureaucrats and politicians in an evaluation of policies and programs,
only to find that
our analysis or experience are minimized or omitted from the final report.
We may have been evaluated by our funders and then told that we must take
on additional responsibilities, although our budgets have not been similarly
increased. As feminists, evaluation assists us in profiling the valuable
work undertaken by our organizations. It also enables us to validate the
practices and processes which distinguish our feminist organizations from
mainstream groups. This is critical if feminist ways of working are to
influence traditional organizations and bureaucracies.
The feminist principle
of evaluation means a commitment to examining our organization’s
internal practices as well as our service and advocacy work in the community.
It is just as important to evaluate the ways in which we work, as the
actual work itself. For example, although we may evaluate our services
to provide accountability to government and community, we should also
be asking how and if our group’s members are accountable to each
other. We may be tempted to let our efforts for constructive self-examination
fall by the wayside, as we struggle to keep up with the sometimes overwhelming
demands of our daily work. The practice of evaluation is necessary if
we are to have consistency and grow successfully through changes in staff
and membership.
Many equality-seeking
organizations already engage in several practices that involve elements
of evaluation. These may include: staff / board / committee / membership
meetings; annual retreats; exit interviews with staff or volunteers; vision
and planning days; focus groups and workshops; round table discussions;
year-end reviews; or feedback from service users. Evaluation practices
enable us to examine a broad range of issues and questions, from our shared
understanding of feminist principles to the overall effectiveness of our
organization.
Our practice of evaluation
can help identify our individual and organizational goals and priorities,
and reconnect with feminism as our basis of unity. Through evaluation
we acknowledge our individual and collective challenges and successes
in respectful and nonjudgmental ways. We reflect on lessons learned from
the past to prepare and build for the future. Successful evaluations focus
on and reflect the best interests of our organization and the women we
work for and with. In the long term, our feminist practice of evaluation
will support and improve our ongoing efforts toward equality and inclusion.
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Scenario
The Feminist Principle of Evaluation
Mary is a
leader of a feminist organization with a hectic schedule and a heavy
workload of
projects and services. Members spend no time holding discussions
about their feminist
principles, practices and processes. Because the finances and paperwork
are in good order, some women think that discussions on feminism
and unity are unnecessary. Mary is beginning to sense that the group
is moving further away from its feminist mandate.
- Is Mary’s
organization at risk? Why or why not?
- What
will members need to evaluate their work beyond finances and services?
- How can
this group keep feminist principles, practices and processes as
an ongoing part of
evaluation?
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Workshop
Questions
The Feminist Principle of Evaluation
- Why does
our organization do the work that it does?
- How does
feminism (principles, practices, processes) guide our work?
- What aspects
of our organization do we currently evaluate?
- What can
we gain by the ongoing evaluation of both the work we do and the
feminist principles which guide this work?
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source: PACSW
pdf document (requires
Adobe Acrobat Reader)
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