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Pushing boundaries: Advocacy evaluation and real‐time learning in an HIV prevention research advocacy coalition in sub‐Saharan Africa
Author(s) -
Dasmariñas Jules,
Schlangen Rhonda
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
new directions for evaluation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.374
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1534-875X
pISSN - 1097-6736
DOI - 10.1002/ev.20474
Subject(s) - normative , participatory evaluation , accountability , citizen journalism , sociology , theory of change , participatory action research , interpretation (philosophy) , public relations , value (mathematics) , political science , public administration , computer science , anthropology , law , machine learning , programming language
Abstract Evaluation processes that facilitate learning among advocates must be nimble, creative, and meaningful while transcending putative performance and accountability management. This article describes the experience, lessons, and trajectory of one such approach, Simple, Participatory Assessment of Real Change (SPARC), that a transnational HIV prevention research advocacy coalition pilot‐tested in sub‐Saharan Africa. Inspired by the pioneering work of the outcome harvesting (OH) and participatory evaluation community, we recuperate advocates' centrality as storytellers, sense‐makers, and strategists in advocacy evaluation and describe how we recalibrated SPARC to meet their evaluation and learning needs. This article highlights the normative value of deliberative discourse in evaluation as it contributes to the interpretation of OH and the enrichment of the theory and practice of advocacy evaluation.