Beyond Voice: Participatory Impact Evaluation with and by Groups in Vulnerable Positions

This study starts from the observation that participation in social work research and impact evaluation is often limited to ‘giving voice’, rather than shared knowledge production. The project aims to develop and apply participatory methods that meaningfully and equally involve people in vulnerable positions throughout all phases of impact evaluation, from design to analysis and interpretation. Building on prior doctoral research and existing literature, it draws inspiration from arts-based and other participatory research approaches. The study responds to a clear demand from practice for feasible and methodologically sound ways to avoid tokenistic participation. Its goal is to generate shared knowledge outputs that value experiential knowledge and are relevant for practice, policy and education.