Constructing a Participatory Approach for the Evaluation of Social Policies and Programmes

This article discusses the evaluation of social policies and programmes in the perspective of evaluation research. It tries to develop a methodology that has a participatory content. Thus, the evaluation of social policies and programmes is considered in its full potential for the construction of knowledge. It is seen as a development of the processes of public policies that involves different subjects, who have different interests and rationalities. In the construction of a concept of a participatory evaluation research, the article takes into account its technical, political and academic functions. Therefore, it reaffirms two dimensions of evaluation research: technical and political. The commitment of the evaluator-researcher to the critique of reality in the search for its transformation is the reference for the development of a participatory approach in evaluation research. The paper presents an introduction that describes the origins of what is considered as a participatory approach for evaluation of social policies and programmes, followed by developing reflections about evaluation as a part of the process of public policies; presents a concept of evaluation research in order to consider, in the following sections, details of the construction of a participatory concept and approach in evaluation research.