Step 2: Identify Assumptions About the Evaluation

What is this step?

This step will help you identify the assumptions and expectations that stakeholders have about evaluation.

People may have different experiences of evaluation. It's important to talk about what community-based evaluation is and to clarify roles of the steering committee and other stakeholders early on.

Identifying assumptions upfront makes it more likely that everyone is on the same page about evaluation and the community-based approach being taken.

What do you need to do?

1

2

3

Talk to your steering committee about their past evaluation experiences and what they would like to get out of this evaluation.

Review the hallmarks and goals of community-based evaluation with your steering committee. How can you ensure that these are evident in your evaluation?

Ensure that any mismatched expectations about financial and time restrains and role commitments are aligned before the evaluation starts.

How can other SAHs help?

Our consultations with SAHs across Canada pointed out the importance of using a community-based evaluation approach.

Ensuring that the voices of refugee newcomers are central to the evaluation was highlighted in particular. This may mean involving newcomers on the steering committee, as peer researchers, and as research participants.

SAHs said that evaluation should also capture the ideas of "mutual transformation" (that newcomers and hosts influence and enrich each other), and "equity and justice" (that the resettlement system and broader Canadian society should work toward increased equity and justice for newcomers).