Inclusivity & Responsiveness
Back to the principles’ overview
Inclusivity & Responsiveness: Co-evaluation is oriented to the needs of participants in an inclusive and balanced way. Co-evaluation should offer inclusive structures for participants to safely express themselves and potentially empower marginalised perspectives. Co-evaluation enables an increase in responsiveness of the research process.
Recommendations:
- Promote open and flexible activities for co-evaluation that build on previous discussions and take insights from group reflections to action. Create a safe space for collaboration by enacting a culture of empathy, trust, and mutual respect.
- Ensure a process in which input for evaluation is balanced and all voices are heard. Allow for anonymous and private feedback options as not everyone may feel comfortable with giving feedback openly. It is also important that representation should be guaranteed for all involved participants.
- Be aware of power relations that may exist between stakeholders or emerge during the process. Emphasise non-hierarchical relations and foster interactions among participants.
- Consider that facilitation of this open and reflective process is crucial. Moderators or facilitators play a key role and should be assigned carefully. Good communication and moderation skills, empathy and impartiality are important characteristics to make sure that all participants and their views are taken up in joined reflections. Depending on the context you may consider bringing in an external moderator or alternate the moderation role from within the participants.
