Evaluating participatory decision processes: which methods inform reflective practice?

Area of Science:

• Conflict Resolution Studies
• Environmental Policy Evaluation

Background:

• Evaluating participatory decision processes is crucial for validating interventions and improving conflict management practices.
• Current evaluation designs face challenges in balancing the needs of stakeholders, interveners, and funders.
• A common approach focuses on endogenous factors, assuming comparability across cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the challenges in designing evaluations for participatory decision processes.
• To argue for the importance of contextual factors in conflict management evaluations.
• To compare the utility of different data collection methods for evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of data from surveys and in-depth interviews in an environmental mediation case.
• Utilizing surveys designed for cross-case comparability (U.S. Institute of Environmental Conflict Resolution).
• Employing in-depth interviews to capture case-specific contextual details.

Main Results:

• Surveys provide data for statistical comparisons, aiding in justifying interventions.
• In-depth interviews reveal context-specific details, linking actions to outcomes.
• Neither surveys nor interviews alone adequately serve both evaluation purposes.

Conclusions:

• Contextual differences significantly impact conflict management outcomes, challenging purely endogenous comparisons.
• A balanced evaluation approach is necessary, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data.
• Future research should consider how to effectively combine methods to address both comparability and context in conflict resolution evaluations.