Using stories in evaluation: Participatory Narrative Inquiry and Sensemaking
Panel Discussion
About the Event
Sensemaking and Participatory Narrative Inquiry (PNI) are similar approaches, based on collecting stories about a real life experience from a large number of stakeholders on a topic of interest to the evaluation, and giving the storytellers themselves the responsibility for analyzing and making sense of the stories. Because a large number of stories are collected and self-interpreted, it is possible to conduct quantitative analysis of recurrent themes, perspectives and feelings emerging in the narratives. By combining elements of qualitative and quantitative research, these approaches help to make sense of complex and evolving realities.
This session will explain the general approach of Sensemaking and PNI and panelists will discuss their experiences with this method, recently used in IFAD and WFP’s evaluations. Participants will be invited to ask questions and to share their own experiences with using stories in evaluation and will learn more on how to use stories and participatory Sensemaking in evaluation.
This session will explain the general approach of Sensemaking and PNI and panelists will discuss their experiences with this method, recently used in IFAD and WFP’s evaluations. Participants will be invited to ask questions and to share their own experiences with using stories in evaluation and will learn more on how to use stories and participatory Sensemaking in evaluation.
Speakers
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Steff Deprez | Independent consultant | Development practitioner with over 20 years of experience. Co-founder of Voices That Count, a group of expert practitioners supporting organisations to understand and communicate about their social impact, and to generate actionable insights through narrative monitoring and sensemaking approaches. |
| Michael Carbon | Senior Evaluation Officer | Senior Evaluation officer at the World Food Programme (WFP), he has been conducting and managing independent evaluations of UN rural development, environmental and humanitarian programmes since 2005, including at IFAD and UNEP. |
| Fabrizio Felloni | Deputy Director | Deputy Director of the Independent Office of Evaluation at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). He develops policies and methodologies to enhance the independence and effectiveness of the evaluation function, conducts corporate level evaluations, ensures high-quality work. |