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Participants can identify different degrees and kinds of participation of stakeholders, including children, as well as the implications for managing M&E activities.
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(Optional – see notes in introduction) Participants are aware of the ethical principles that should guide M&E activities and their responsibilities as managers for upholding these. principles.)
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40 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes
1
Explain the objectives of the session.
[Note that this session can be merged with parts of Session 2.2.2, broadening the objectives to cover children’s participation in M&E activities, ethics of this and related responsibilities of managers of M&E.]
Three alternative activities are indicated below. For a more in-depth training session, either alternative 2a or 2b can be followed by alternative 2c.
2a

75”
Objective: Participants have a sense of how different stakeholders will feel in more or less participatory approaches to M/E.
Ahead of time, identify 12 participants to volunteer in the role plays. Have six participants for
Role Play A and six for Role Play B. Give them the Role Play exercise sheet (See
Stakeholder Participation: Role Play A and B .) to read . Explain the objective and the overall flow: two groups presenting role plays on different approaches to participation in M&E with the same basic scenario, followed by plenary discussion. Note, some participants may be tempted to add flavour to their role play makin g it a more exaggerated example of ‘good’ or
‘bad’ participation. Talk with teams to make sure that in their improvisations a reasonable contrast and a realistic scenario are still maintained. Stress to the role players that the purpose is to let people see and feel different approaches – more and less participatory.
Organise participants so that each one is assigned to a role. Discuss the role play as necessary, giving each participant a chance to figure out what they should say and do as appropriate to the situation described in the scenario. Run through the role play once paying attention to timing (aim at 5-10 minutes). Have participants wear nametags during the role play so the audience knows who they are.
At the opening of the first role play, present the following scenario to the larger group:
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In urban squatter settlements, high crime rates among youth have been a major concern.
The law used to allow children to be sent to prison from the age of 16. This violated the
International Convention on the Rights of the Child. The government agreed to enact legislation raising the minimum age and made a commitment to try alternative methods of correcting deviant behaviour. Programmes were developed to meet this challenge. Now it is time to evaluate progress so far.
Introduce the characters in first role play (Role Play A) so that participants can follow the role play easily. (Make sure name badges are on.) The role play is then carried out.
Introduce the characters in second role-play (Role Play B). The role play is then carried out.
Start by asking those playing roles in first one group and then the next how they felt in their different roles and how they perceived other actors from the perspective of the role they played.
Then open a general discussion on these questions (written up on a flip chart or overhead):

What was different about the evaluations represented in the two role plays in terms of purpose, process, methods and likely use?
 What would you label as “participatory” and what would you label as “involving community participation”?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?
Summarise discussions on flipcharts, especially for question 3.
Open the floor to any participants who have experience in “participatory approaches” (i.e. on the higher end of the continuum).
Guide them briefly through a description of their experience, particularly in defining who participated in what roles, the main challenges they encountered, and the benefits of the process.
Use the information core content sheet Stakeholders involvement in M&E as a guide to the ke y points that should come out of participants’ discussion.
It is important to put the above analysis in context. See discussion of the participation continuum in the core content sheet Stakeholders involvement in M&E .
If training is focused on evaluation, highlight to participants the core content sheet Planning participatory evaluation as a quick overview of the steps involved where higher stakeholder participation is sought. Distribute if not already given to participants.
Refer participants to further reading in core content sheets Primary stakeholders participating in M&E and Ethical issues for field study .
2b
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40”
Objective: See session objectives.
This can be ad apted to also focus on children’s participation in M&E. See Session 2.2.2
,
Activity 4.
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Prior to the training, invite participants with experience in managing monitoring or evaluation activities in which high stakeholder participation figured to prepare a simple short case study presentation based on the Stakeholder participation in practice: outline for panel presenters .
(If merging with Session 2.2.2, see the adapted Children participating in M&E: outline for panel presenters.) Two presentations are ideal, better still if the experiences are quite different with at least one focusing on primary stakeholder participation. Provide volunteers also with core content sheets Stakeholder involvement in M&E , encouraging them to try to situate their experience in relation to the participation continuum and related implications. Give participants clear limits to prepare a maximum 10-minute presentation, with a maximum of 5 overheads or flipcharts. Underline to volunteers that a practice run of their presentations will be necessary to ensure that all the presentations complement each other.
Have participant experts run through their presentation with you at least once before the actual session to ensure a good balance between context and analysis, to draw out key issues as covered in the core content sheets wherever relevant, and to practice timing. Ideally this is done with all experts presenting together so that they can see how presentations complement each other and avoid repetitions. Allow enough time before the actual session so that presentations can be adjusted and the experts can feel comfortable.
Introduce presenters. Two presentations are given with time for clarifications and questions afterwards.
Summarise briefly the two examples, situating them in terms of the table, “Implications of participation in M&E” in core content sheet Stakeholder involvement in M&E .
Open discussion to all participants on the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches to participation, encouraging those who did not present to draw from their own experience. Summarise discussions on flipcharts as participants speak.
As with the alternative activity above, it is important to put the above analysis in context. The ideal of participatory development and participatory evaluation is that each approach offers opportunities for people to take an active role in their own development. To be actors rather than primary stakeholders in the development process is the ultimate goal. Often, however, this is a long process, the first stages of which are incremental participation in decisionmaking, planning, and evaluation. Participation and participatory action should always be viewed as part of a continuum.
If training is focused on evaluation, highlight to participants the core content sheet Planning participatory evaluation as a quick overview of the steps involved where higher stakeholder participation is sought. Distribute if not already given to participants.
Refer participants to further reading in core content sheets Primary stakeholders participating in M&E and Ethical issues for field study .
2c

40” – 50”
Objective: See session objectives.
Remind participants of the previous session (4.1.1) on steps in carrying out M&E activities. If this session has not been covered, insert activity 2 of session 4.1.1 here.
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Break participants up into groups of 5-7. Assign each group to one scenario according to the focus of the training. All groups can work on the same scenario if appropriate. As in Session
4.1.1, provide each group with a VIPP board with the steps in carrying out an M&E activity already written on VIPP cards in one colour, e.g. yellow ovals, and arranged in a column down the righthand side of the board under the heading “Steps in doing M&E”.
Go over the group work instructions provided on the instruction sheet Making stakeholder participation happen: case study exercise . Ensure participants in each group have a copy of the relevant exercise sheet. Allow 30 minutes for group work.
Invite each group to present back. Invite questions of clarification and/or comment by other participants. Where groups are working on the same scenario, instruct the second group to highlight only the differences in their group’s analysis.
As groups present, you should highlight positive elements of their work related to the following:

The choice of stakeholders involved supports the end use of the M&E activity;
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Options for participation of primary stakeholders are explored;
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Attention is given to how conflicts between stakeholders will be managed;
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Realistic attention is given to the time required for wider stakeholder involvement.
It is also important to warn of the dangers of tokenistic involvement of stakeholders, particularly if groups seem to over-represent the level of participation proposed.
As an alternative, if time is short, invite groups to view the flip charts or VIPP boards of the other groups, noting for themselves who participates in what activities and the means of achieving this. If you use this option, you may need to explore some of the above issues in plenary,
Open the discussion exploring the following (written up on a flip chart or overhead)::

Do any participants see that options identified by another group could have been applicable in their scenario?

What are some of the more promising options for increasing participation of less powerful actors at key points in the process?
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What are the key constraints? Where did participants come up with options that might address these constraints?
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What are key points in the process where those participating have the most power of influence?
In wrapping up, emphasise:

The link between wider participation and objectivity of M&E activities. In the case of evaluation, it is important to draw the link between participation and impartiality (recalling that impartiality need not rely on “independence” of evaluation).
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The link between wider participation and potential use of M&E findings, conclusions and recommendations.
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The range of realistic options for increasing participation of less powerful actors at key points in the process.
Refer participants to further reading in core content sheets Primary stakeholders participating in M&E and Ethical issues for field study .

Flipchart and pens
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Handouts
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Stakeholder participation in M&E
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Primary stakeholders participating in M&E
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Planning participatory evaluation
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Ethical issues for field study
Exercise sheets
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Making stakeholder participation happen: case study exercise
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Stakeholder participation: role play A
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Stakeholder participation: role play B
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S takeholder participation in practice: outline for panel presenters
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