ABSTRACT
Participatory evaluation (PE) is used not only at the micro level of anthropological work but also at the mesolevel of institutional self-assessment, and even at the macro level, as in the Bank system of participatory poverty assessment (PPA). PE can be used for output that can be detected; outcome that asks for a real engagement of time and energy; and impact, which may take even a generation to become evident. If the benefits of participatory evaluation are better information, a greater sense of ownership, and higher accountability, then citizens should face its costs and be prepared to pay for them. The social capital that the citizens bring to PE is something that has to be elicited and put to use. To accomplish that, it is necessary to analyse the situations in which PE has worked well and with what results and then design programs that build on the lessons learned.
