Institute of Development Studies

Assessing Social Change

The PPSC team at IDS were part of the Assessing Social Change group, asking what processes for assessing and learning about social change can help improve the strategies and results of organisations working to transform inequalities in favour of the poor?

Between May 2005 and November 2006, a small group of development professionals discussed the opportunities and challenges for assessing and learning about social change in ways that provide valuable insights and strengthen the change process. This group was made up of individuals whose position in relation to the topic represented important voices to be heard: activists, researchers, evaluators, facilitators, international and local NGO staff. This group called itself the ‘assessing social change’ or ASC group.

Central to the group’s discussions was a common concern with the gap between the need for reflective social change practice and the existing understanding and range of approaches for assessment and learning. The group debated and shared through a series of facilitated e-discussions, case studies and two workshops.

The ASC group was part the Participation, Power and Social Change (PPSC) programme at IDS, and was coordinated by Irene Guijt from Learning by Design, in the Netherlands. This initiative had emerged from earlier discussions in Canada between US-based activists and evaluators and Southern development professionals, seeking to construct exchanges that could help strengthen social change work. The North American discussions have continued in parallel as the ‘Learning Group on Organizational Learning and Organizational Development’ under the guidance of Vicki Creed, with Andy Mott and Francois Pierre-Louis.

Case Studies

Samba, E., (2007) Sauti Ya Wanawake (pdf). Kenya: ActionAid International Kenya

Reilly, M., (2007) An Agenda For Change In The USA: Insights From A Conversation About Assessing Social Change In Washington, DC. (pdf) Washington: Just Associates

Mwasaru, M., (2007) Assessing Social Change Through Participatory Action Research: The Case of Kasighau Small-Scale Miners (pdf). Kenya: Coast Rights Forum.

Patel, S., (2007) Reflections on Innovation, Assessment and Social Change Processes: A SPARC Case Study (pdf). India: SPARC

• IDS key contact: John Gaventa
• Project dates: May 2005 - November 2006
• Project status: Closed
• Funder: Ford Foundation; Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA); Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); Department for International Development (DFID)

Researchers

• John Gaventa

Partner Organisations

• ActionAid Kenya
• Coast Rights Forum, Kenya
• Just Associates, USA (JASS)
• Learning by Design, The Netherlands
• Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC)

Selected Outputs

• Guijt, I. (2008) 'Critical Readings on Assessing and Learning for Social Change: A Review', IDS Development Bibliography 21, Brighton: IDS
• Guijt, I. (2007) 'Assessing and Learning for Social Change: A Discussion Paper' , IDS