Deliberative Democratic Evaluation Checklist

This checklist is a guide to incorporating democratic processes in an evaluation to assure valid conclusions where there are conflicting views. A concise checklist aims to ensure that the evaluation process, and thus conclusions, are inclusive and unbiased. The checklist is built around three principles: 1) Inclusion, 2) Dialogue, and 3) Deliberation. The Inclusion principle implies that all relevant interests, values, and views of major stakeholders are taken into account when designing and conducting the evaluation. The Dialogue principle requires that the evaluator structure dialogue between stakeholders in order to prevent misunderstandings and to interpret interests, values, and views. The Deliberation principle insists that conclusions derived from the evaluation study are well-considered by all stakeholders, as well as the evaluator. The checklist provides questions for the evaluator to ensure all three principles are being met.