How a utilization focused approach helps to reflect and course correct

[SONAL ZAVERI]

Dear Friends, 

Most of us know or have worked with projects and programs that adapt to changing circumstances in order to remain relevant and effective. Our work on gender issues is similar, ever changing and complex. As an evaluator, I have always been attracted to approaches that enable reflection about what is happening on the ground and helping those most affected by the program to be involved in course correction. 

So how does one do so, yet ensure that the evaluation is asking the right questions? One way is using the Utilization Focused Evaluation (UFE) approach. The approach outlines a series of steps to deliberately encourage users to ask key questions and identify the use of the evaluation findings during the process of evaluation. I have found UFE valuable because it is an evaluation approach that helps us make sense of changing environments.  My blog on Better Evaluation explains more 

http://www.betterevaluation.org/en/blog/using-UFE-for-adaption

I look forward to your comments and sharing of similar experiences. 

Thanks

Sonal