Generating project outcomes through participatory evaluation: the case of CPAR in Eastern Visayas

The study was conducted to generate outcomes of the two Community-based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) sites at Barangay Pagsang-an, Abuyog and Barangay Sto. Niño, Capoocan, Leyte using participatory evaluation. The participatory tools used were interviews, focus group discussion, experience sharing of key informants, spill over maps, cropping pattern timeliness, bio-resource flow, benefits ranking and problems assessment. The project outcomes generated were changes in the capacities of the stakeholders in terms of their internal and social competence; change in productivity of the farmers as a result of their adoption of the CPAR technologies introduced which was manifested by increased adoption of the technologies in the communities and nearby communities; diversified cropping patterns of the community and dynamic bio-resource flow; and change in income. One major contribution of the Package of Appropriate Technologies (PATs) on the productivity of the farmers was the increase in yield of corn from 0.9t/ha to 3.5 t/ha. These changes were evident at the individual, household and community level. In addition, other socio-economic benefits were derived by the farmers from the project. One of the outputs of the evaluation conducted was the 12-step participatory valuation protocol that could be used in evaluating other CPAR sites. These 12 steps are definition of the evaluation goat; identification of the PE Team members; planning of the logistical and administrative arrangements; developing the visual framework of the evaluation; developing data collection instruments, gathering of data using identified PE tools; analyzing information collected; formulating the lessons learned, team assessment of the evaluation process; summarizing the evaluation findings and lessons learned; developing an action plan based on the evaluation findings, and writing the evaluation report. The other output of the participatory evaluation conducted was the formulation of the action plan of the community pertaining to the CPAR project for inclusion in the barangay development plan and its immediate implementation. The evaluation conducted as a participatory process generated insights and learnings vital in conducting further project evaluations. Participatory evaluation enabled the stakeholders to learn from the dynamic nature of the evaluation process. It was a good break from routinary activities particularly for the farmers who usually serve as information provider. The farmers also took it as a challenge as evaluators and experienced the other side of evaluation process. Participatory evaluation also manifests teamwork and facilitated the sharing of information among the participants.