Evaluation

Evaluation Subgroup visits South African partners

March 2003

Report - Impressions

Over the process of the last three years, the Network’s subgroup on evaluation has developed a workshop introducing practitioners to the issue of evaluation, its possibilities, challenges and relevancy for the field. The workshop offers a set of activities, which can be chosen according to participants’ needs and interests. To make it meaningful for the work in a specific community, however, it has to be closely adapted to the particular sociopolitical and cultural context.

A recent visit to South Africa of the subgroup provided an occasion to work on adapting the workshop to the needs of organizations working in the South African context. Hosted by the Network’s South African partner organizations U Managing Conflict (UMAC) and the Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR), the visit not only consisted of two two-day workshops – one on evaluation and one around the concept of Power of Language - ,but also gave the subgroup members the chance for a first hand impression of UMAC’s and CCR’s work. Both located in the port city of Cape Town, the two organizations have been affiliated with the Network since 2001, adding a stronger focus on conflict resolution and human security to the Network’s agenda.

The Evaluation-Workshop has concluded its test runs and is now thoroughly developed to accommodate particular interests of participants. The Cape Town workshop with staff members from UMAC, the CCR as well as the Quaker Peace Center once again proved the importance of the issue of evaluation for the field and a need for more information and experience with this subject for practitioners. Both, the "Power of Language” and the Evaluation-Workshop tried to put a strong focus on issues relevant to the South African context. They provided a learning experience for both, participants and facilitators and helped to further develop the process of adapting the workshops for specific cultural contexts and, in the case of the evaluation-workshop, for different target groups as well.

For more information contact: Katrin Uhl (uhl@tolerance-net.org)