Evaluation, democracy and transformation: Experiences of participatory evaluation in Latin America

PhD in Sociology from the University of Sussex (United Kingdom). Lecturer and researcher in evaluation and social research at the National University of San Juan and at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) in Argentina. He is director of PETAS —the Research Programme on Employment, Environment and Society (www.petas-unsj.org)— a consultant and trainer in evaluation and social research methodology, and a member of the coordination team of EvalParticipativa, the Community of Practice and Learning for Participatory Evaluation in Latin America and the Caribbean (www.evalparticipativa.net).

Specialist in development studies and human ecology (PhD). Professor and researcher at the National University of San Juan. Director of the Research Programme on Employment, Environment and Society (PETAS) (www.petas-unsj.org). He is an independent consultant in participatory evaluation and experience capitalisation, and a documentary photographer. He is a member of EvaluAR (Argentine Evaluation Network) and ReLAC (Latin American and Caribbean Network of Monitoring, Evaluation and Systematisation). He is part of the coordination team of the Community of Practice and Learning for Participatory Evaluation in Latin America and the Caribbean (www.evalparticipativa.net).

PhD in Community Psychology from the Université du Québec à Montréal. Academic at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Chile. He works as a researcher and as an evaluator of social programmes and projects, particularly in the field of childhood.

Psychologist, with a Master’s in Social Psychology from Alberto Hurtado University (Chile). She has over ten years’ experience managing social projects in evaluation and community intervention, leadership, volunteering and childhood, within civil society organisations operating in Chile and eighteen other countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. She currently works as head of planning and management control at the international organisation SOS Children’s Villages, which is present in 130 countries.

Sociologist, with a Master’s in Sociology from the University of Sydney (Australia). She works as Programme Management and Evaluation Coordinator on the Servicio País programme, run by the Foundation for Overcoming Poverty in Chile.

Sociologist from the Catholic University (Chile). She works as an Evaluation Professional on the Servicio País programme, run by the Foundation for Overcoming Poverty in Chile.

Sociologist from Diego Portales University (Chile), with a Diploma in Gender and a Minor in Social Sciences.

PhD and Master’s in Economics from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV EESP) and a Bachelor’s in Economics from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE). She was a visiting researcher at the School of Education of Stanford University (USA). A researcher with a focus on Education, she has extensive experience in the impact evaluation of public policies and social projects. She works as a researcher at Clear Lab, a social-impact consultant and a columnist for the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.

PhD in Economics at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Brazil. A researcher on the evaluation of public policies, smart cities, public administration and the Brazilian economy. Founder and former Manager of the Núcleo de Avaliação de Políticas Públicas e Ciência de Dados (Public Policy Evaluation and Data Science Unit, NAPCD) of the Prefeitura do Recife (Recife City Council), recognised for his work in evaluating public policies at municipal level in Brazil.

Master’s in Economics from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV EESP) and a Bachelor’s in Social Sciences from the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES). Executive manager of Clear Lab, she handles strategic international cooperation partnerships and contributes to strengthening Monitoring and Evaluation systems in Lusophone Africa and Brazil. She was Secretary of State for Strategic Actions and President of the Jones dos Santos Neves Institute in the State of Espírito Santo, as well as a consultant for the World Bank and the UNDP.

Master’s in Public Administration and Government from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV EAESP) and a Bachelor’s in Economics from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). She is a researcher at Clear Lab, providing technical advice on evaluation, principally executive and design evaluation. She also supports the delivery of courses to build the Monitoring and Evaluation capacities of national and subnational governments in Brazil and Lusophone Africa. She was an intern at the Chamber of Deputies in Brasília, a participant in IPDET (International Program for Development Evaluation Training) and a consultant for the FAO.

She is currently coordinator of the Itaú Foundation Observatory. She is a specialist in the evaluation of social projects and public policies. She holds a Master’s and a PhD in Development Economics from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). She has worked as a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on the technical team for the National Human Development Reports of Brazil (2010) and Panama (2014). She has worked as a Professor of Economics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS).

Rayssa holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from UFES —the Federal University of Espírito Santo— and a Master’s in Economic Development from Unicamp —the University of Campinas— both in Brazil. She was a Public Management fellow on the Vetor Brasil programme, where she worked on the monitoring of public policies at the Secretariat of Economy and Planning of Espírito Santo. She is currently evaluation coordinator at Itaú Social, one of the three superintendencies of the Itaú Foundation.

Economist, with a PhD in Social Sciences from the University of Guadalajara (Mexico). Adjunct lecturer in public policy, regional development, public management and evaluation at various public and private universities in Mexico. She has over 20 years’ experience in public service in the areas of planning, monitoring and evaluation. A founding member of the Network of State Monitoring and Evaluation Bodies of Mexico (RedMyE). Since 2013 she has been director general of the MIDE and Evalúa Jalisco strategies, the latter of which has included the introduction and facilitation of participatory mechanisms that are pioneering in Mexico.

Bachelor’s in Anthropology from the University of Guadalajara. She was Coordinator of Analysis, Evaluation and Monitoring at the Secretariat of Planning and Citizen Participation (SPPC) of the Government of the State of Jalisco, with 5 years’ experience in reviewing public programmes and policies, as well as 3 years’ experience in evaluation practices using participatory approaches, together with innovative evaluation exercises at national and international level.

PhD candidate in Geography and Spatial Planning and holder of a Master’s in Economic Studies from the University of Guadalajara. She has seven years’ experience in governmental Evaluation and Planning and works as Director of Evaluation for Public Improvement in the Government of Jalisco, Mexico. She is a member of the National Network of State Monitoring and Evaluation Bodies (RedMyE).

Mexican evaluator. Director of Programme Evaluation at the Centre for the Analysis of Programmes and Evaluation of Projects (C Evalua). A lecturer and activist in evaluation. A promoter of the culture of evaluation and a proponent of participatory evaluations in Mexico.

Master’s in Economics from the National University of Costa Rica. Evaluation Analyst at the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (Mideplan, Costa Rica). Technical coordinator of the evaluation with participation of the Programme for the Promotion of the Personal Autonomy of People with Disabilities. Co-author of the Guide to Evaluation with Participation.

Ibero American Master’s in Public Policy Evaluation from the International University of Andalusia (Spain). Bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Costa Rica, and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Data Analytics from Universidad Cenfotec. Head of the Evaluation and Monitoring Department at the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (Mideplan-Costa Rica). A lecturer and consultant in evaluation, specialising in evidence based public policy, results oriented monitoring & evaluation systems and capacity building.

Economist with a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Regional Economics and Expert in Evaluation from the Complutense University of Madrid. He directs the Institute for the Study of Economics, Evaluation and Employment and lectures at the Osuna University School and on the Diploma in Participatory Evaluation at El Colegio de Jalisco. As a consultant on the FOCELAC+ programme, he supported pilot exercises in evaluation with participation in Costa Rica and Jalisco. Co-author of the Evaluation Management Manual of the Spanish Cooperation and an associate of APROEVAL.

Psychologist with a Master’s in Philosophy and a Master’s in Rural Development from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá (Colombia). A consultant in knowledge management, mainly in the systematisation of experiences and in social and community management methodologies relating to planning, monitoring and evaluation. She has carried out work for international organisations, research centres, NGOs and universities.

Economist from the Catholic University of Ecuador. She holds a Diploma in Participatory Evaluation from Mexico; a career civil servant at the National Planning Secretariat of the Government of Ecuador; a member of the Ecuadorian Evaluation Society. From within government, she has led the first participatory evaluation and the first SDG focused evaluation in Ecuador, as well as the implementation of Ecuador’s Technical Standard for Evaluation; she has facilitated the workshop on the use of INCE results and is noted for her experience in the field of monitoring and evaluation.

MA in Cultural Biology (Chile) and MA in Literature (Colombia). She works as an independent consultant and lecturer, drawing on systems and complexity approaches, in various fields related to human development and social transformation (education, peace, philanthropy, participation, equity and governance, among others). She collaborates with various organisations, especially Adapt Peacebuilding, and is a member of several networks, including the Inclusive Rigour Co lab.

She is a participatory MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning) professional with experience in governance and conflict transformation at the local level. She focuses on helping teams to design learning systems that inform users about how interventions work and that foster local ownership. She is a member and coordinator of the Inclusive Rigour Co lab.

She is a researcher at the Institute of Development Studies and co-director of the Centre for Development Impact. She is a human ecologist with 20 years’ experience at the intersections of research, evaluation and social change. She supports marginalised communities, civil society actors and funders in processes of co-producing learning for systemic change, and delivers professional development courses on participatory evaluation methodologies. She has contributed to several publications on participatory evaluation, including as editor of the section of the SAGE Handbook of Participatory Research and Inquiry devoted to participatory evaluation methodologies.

Senior Director of Peacebuilding at Humanity United (HU), where she leads the team’s learning approach and supports its members and their partners in setting up learning activities. She has helped to créate strategy and learning processes with organisations at every level, building bridges between local, national and global perspectives. Leslie holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and a Bachelor’s in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.

Director of the Right Fit Evidence Unit at Innovations for Poverty Action. A specialist in peace, conflict and development, and in participatory, complexity aware evaluation methods. Doctoral Researcher at the University of Sussex (United Kingdom). Founder and member of the Board of Directors of Adapt Peacebuilding.

MSc in Rural Sociology (Mexico). Master’s candidate in Management for Social Innovation at ICESI University (Colombia). Consultant and facilitator of processes for development and the management of social change. Executive director of the CreAmos Territorial Foundation in El Tambo, Cauca. Coordinator of systemic action research facilitation at Adapt Peacebuilding.

Social Psychologist, lecturer, popular educator, researcher, therapist and thanatologist. Master’s in Education. She has expertise in inclusive education, university social management, the differential approach and humanistic systemic therapy. She has 10 years’ experience in university teaching, university social management, and the design and implementation of programmes to support students. She has volunteered in popular education for 13 years.

Professional experience. She specializes in public policy evaluation, with expertise in participatory approaches, gender equality, and human rights. Throughout her career, she has managed and coordinated international cooperation projects aimed at strengthening evaluation capacities among public institutions, academia, and civil society organizations across Latin America. She has extensive experience in designing and delivering training programs and providing technical advice to multidisciplinary teams. She worked for ten years at the German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval), where she was responsible for the Inclusive Evaluation workstream. She currently works as an independent evaluation consultant.