Community-Based Evaluation When Localizing Sustainable Development Goals
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.75810Keywords:
community-based evaluation, Sustainable Development Goals, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, collaborative evaluation, localizing Sustainable Development GoalsAbstract
The purpose of this practice note is to demonstrate how a community-based approach to evaluation can be used to support the evaluations of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals in local community settings. The authors argue that using a community-based evaluation approach that is stakeholder-driven, participatory, and action-oriented is one mechanism to address this challenge. They illustrate the utility of such an evaluation approach by identifying their key learnings through a national capacity-building project.
References
Baskandei, A. (2019, September 19). TRC + SDG: Reconciling our past to enable a sustainable future in Canada [Post]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/trc-sdg-reconciling-our-past-enable-sustainable-aatif-baskanderi?articleId=
6580309328882880512
Cousins, J. B., Elliot, C., Ano, C., Bourgeois, I., Chouinard, J., Goh, S. C., & Lahey, R. (2008). Organizational capacity to do and use evaluation: Results of a pan-Canadian survey of evaluators. The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 23(3), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.0023.002
Doherty, B. (2021, Ma ch 11). Indigenous lawyer Danika Littlechild doesn’t believe the SDGs are compatible with reconciliation. Here’s why. Future of Good. https://futureofgood.co/sdgs-reconciliation/
Duddy, J., Lee, M., McIvor, E., Kerber, P., & Battalova, A. (2021). Practice notes from a participatory impact evaluation of a leadership development program for people living with HIV. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 36(2). https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.68386
Estrella, M., Blauert, J., Campilan, D., Gaventa, J., Gonsalves, J., Guijt, I., Johnson, D. A., & Ricafort, R. (2000). Learning from Change: Issues and Experiences in Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation. Intermediate Technology Publications. https://edepot.wur.nl/81366
European Environmental Bureau. (2023). SDG Toolkit: Indicator and Goals. Website found at: https://sdgtoolkit.org/what-is-it/indicators-and-goals/
Hall, B. L. (2011). Towards a knowledge democracy movement: Contemporary trends in community-university research partnerships. Rhizome Frierean, 9, 1–18. https://rizoma-freireano.org/articles-0909/towards-a-knowledge-democracy-movement-contemporary-trends-in-community-university-research-partnerships-budd-l-hall
Israel, B., Schulz, A., Parker, E., Becker, A., Allen, A., & Guzman, R. (2003). Critical issues in developing and following community-based participatory research principles. In M. Minkler & N. Wallerstein (Eds.), Community-based participatory research for health (pp. 47–62). John Wiley & Sons.
Janzen, R., Ochocka, J., & Stobbe, A. (2016). Towards a theory of change for community-based research projects. The Engaged Scholar Journal: Community-engaged Research, Teaching, and Learning, 2(2), 44–64. https://doi.org/10.15402/esj.v2i2.165
Janzen, R., Ochocka, J., Tu ne , L., Cook, T., F anklin, M., & Deiche t, D. (2017). Building a community-based cultu e of evaluation. Evaluati n and Pr gram Planning, 65, 163–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2017.08.014. Medline:28889041
Jungcurt, S., Wiebe, K., Timmers, B., Baker., J, & Besner, B., (2022). Winnipeg and the SDGs: A Voluntary Local Review of Progress 2021. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/winnipeg-sdgs-voluntary-local-review-2021#::text=for%20Sustainable%20Development-
Nelson, G., Ochocka, J., Griffen, K. & Lord, J. (1998) “Nothing about me, without me”: Participatory action research with self-help/mutual aid organizations for psychiatric consumer/survivors, American Journal of Community Psychology, 26, 881–912. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1022298129812. Medline:10085536
Ochocka, J., & Janzen, R. (2014). Breathing life into theory: Illustrations of community-based research hallmarks, functions, and phases. Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement, 7, 18–33. https://doi.org/10.5130/ijcre.v7i1.3486
Preskill, H. (2014). Now for the hard stuff: Next steps in ECB research and practice. American Journal of Evaluation, 35(1), 116–119. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214013499439
Richins, A. (2021). The SDGS: What are they good for? [Webinar]. Impact Ottawa Hub.
Sustainable Development Goals Unit. (2021). Canada’s 2030 Agenda national strategy – moving forward together. Government of Canada.
Tamarack Institute. (2021) A Guide for Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in your Community. https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/book/ten-guide-sdgs-2021
Timmers, B., Wiebe, K., & Jungcurt, S. (2021). Tracking progress towards sustainable development in cities: Lessons from Peg, Winnipeg, Canada’s community indicator system. In Performance Metrics for Sustainable Cities (pp. 73–81). Routledge.
United Nations Development Program. (2022). Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals.
Visvanathan, S. (2009, May). The search for cognitive justice. In Knowledge in question: A symposium on integrating knowledge and questioning science (#597). https://www.india-seminar.com/2009/597/597_shiv_visvanathan.htm.
Wallerstein, M., & Duran, B. (2003). The conceptual, historical, and practice roots of community based participatory research and related participatory traditions. In M. Minkle & N. Walle stein (Eds.), Community-based participatory research for health (pp. 25–52). John Wiley & Sons.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Rich Janzen, Sarah Switzer, Jean de Dieu Basabose, Madeline Docherty, Paul Heidebrecht

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors contributing to The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation agree to release their articles under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 (CC-BY-NC) license. This licence allows this work to be copied, distributed, remixed, transformed, and built upon for any purpose provided that appropriate attribution is given, a link is provided to the license, and changes made were indicated.
Authors retain copyright of their work and grant the journal right of first publication.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.





