Partnerships for Transformative Change in Challenging Political Contexts w/ Donna M. Mertens
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The document summarizes a 4-day course on transformative evaluation held in Santiago, Chile in September 2016. The course was attended by 35 evaluators from several South American countries and focused on how evaluators can contribute to social justice and human rights through their work. It covered the transformative paradigm and questions about incorporating social change into evaluation design. Participants discussed solutions like empowering marginalized communities and forming diverse evaluation teams. The course organizers were flexible in bringing transformative evaluation concepts to different universities and organizations in Chile.
Partnerships for Transformative Change in Challenging Political Contexts w/ Donna M. Mertens
- 3. • Fulbright Specialist Program has recently undergone a change in implementer from the Ins9tute of Interna9onal Educa9on – Council of Interna9onal Exchange of Scholars (IIE-CIES) to World Learning • https://fulbrightspecialist.worldlearning.org/ • 2 to 6 week project-based exchange for academics and professionals across the globe • Host institution (University of Santiago) • Fulbright specialist
- 4. • Delivering a seminar or workshop • Consulting on faculty or workforce development • Developing academic or training curricula and materials • Lecturing at the graduate or undergraduate level • Conducting needs assessments or evaluations for a program or institution
- 5. • American Evaluation Association International Partnership Program http://www.eval.org/p/cm/ld/ fid=287 • Voluntary Organizations for Professional Evaluation (VOPEs) • Washington Evaluators and RELAC Andrea Peroni, Donna Mertens, Claudia Olavarria, Fabiola Amariles, Gerardo Sánchez
- 8. • Historical legacy of oppression • “The purpose here is to discuss/ show students how evaluation can contribute to social change towards social justice. I believe this is the most interesting subject you could address, maybe showing some examples. • My hope is to motivate them to see that evaluation is a field in which they could work and use it to transform society.” • Claudia Olavarria, September 2016, personal communication
- 9. Curso de Evaluación Transformadora • 4 day course September 2016 • 35 evaluators from Chile, Paraguay, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina • Structure: Simultaneous translation of lecture and discussion in the AM; application to small group projects in the PM • Theme: How can evaluators contribute to the improvement of social justice and human rights through the design and implementation of their work?
- 10. Assumptions Beliefs Axiology Cultural respect; promote social justice & human rights; address inequities; reciprocity Ontology Multi-faceted; consequences of privilege Epistemology Interactive; trust Methodology Transformative, dialogic, mixed methods TRANSFORMATIVE PARADIGM Mertens MM Santiago Chile September 2016 10
- 11. QUESTIONS ABOUT TRANSFORMATIVE EVALUATION • DO WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TRY TO CHANGE THINGS WHEN WE BEAR WITNESS TO RACISM, ABLEISM, AUDISM, SEXISM OR OTHER ISMS? • HOW CAN WE INCORPORATE PLANS FOR USE INTO THE DESIGN OF THE EVALUATION TO FACILITATE SOCIAL CHANGE? • HOW CAN WE ADDRESS POWER DIFFERENTIALS IN USE?Mertens MM Santiago Chile September 2016 11
- 12. SOLUTIONS • POWER IN THE HANDS OF MEMBERS OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES • FORMATION OF TEAMS OF EVALUATORS THAT REPRESENT DIVERSITY • CAPACITY BUILDING OF EVALUATION TEAMS BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS RE: CULTURAL ISSUES • CAPACITY BUILDING OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS RE: EVALUATION STRATEGIES • USE OF TRANSFORMATIVE CYCLICAL DESIGNS THAT ALLOW FOR USE OF INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE EVALUATION Mertens MM Santiago Chile September 2016 12
- 13. September 2016Mertens MM Santiago Chile 13
- 14. BEING FLEXIBLE AND RESPONSIVE • TRANSFORMATIVE COURSE FOR RELAC • UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL – SOCIAL WORK • UNIVERSIDAD DE ALBERTO HURTADO – UG SOCIOLOGY • PONTIFICA UNIVERSITY – GRADUATE PUBLIC POLICY • UNIVERSITY OF SANTIAGO – INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES • MINISTRY OF EDUCATION September 2016Mertens MM Santiago Chile 14
- 15. RESOURCES • MERTENS, D. M. & WILSON, A. (2012). PROGRAM EVALUATION THEORY AND PRACTICE: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE. NY: GUILFORD. • MERTENS, D. M. (2015). RESEARCH AND EVALUATION IN EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY: INTEGRATING DIVERSITY WITH QUAL, QUANT AND MIXED METHODS. 4TH ED. THOUSAND OAKS, CA: SAGE. • MERTENS, D. M. (2009). TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH & EVALUATION. NY: GUILFORD. • MERTENS, D. M. & GINSBERG, P. (2009).(EDS.) HANDBOOK OF SOCIAL RESEARCH ETHICS. THOUSAND OAKS, CA: SAGE. • MERTENS, D.M., CRAM, F., & CHILISA, B. (EDS.) (2013). INDIGENOUS PATHWAYS. WALNUT CREEK, CA: LEFT COAST PRESS.Mertens MM Santiago Chile 15September 2016
- 16. CONTACT INFORMATION DONNA M. MERTENS, PHD INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT [email protected] Mertens MM Santiago Chile 16September 2016