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Case study of work with the hybrid evaluation framework in Makana RCE

Mon, April 15, 8:00 to 9:30am, Hyatt Regency, Floor: Bay (Level 1), Bayview B

Proposal

The RCE Evaluation Toolkit was used over a three-day review workshop with 12 participants in the Makana RCE involved in education activities related to:
• water (Water for Dignity group),
• energy (St Mary’s Development and Care Centre staff)
• waste and sanitation (Makana Youth group)
• cleaning and compost gardens (Inqaba Yegolide organisation).
• an education exhibit on water (Albany Museum education staff)

Used in a primarily discursive process of six stages of scaffolded questions, as outlined above, and with a field visit to develop case stories of situated practice, the workshop was seen as a preliminary evaluation around which other evaluation focus areas, instruments and strategies could be developed as increasing capacity in evaluation practice emerged.

Groups unable to attend the review process that was convened by Makana Municipality as the new host of the RCE secretariat were subsequently interviewed using the same framework tool (Cowie Catchment Campaign, Eco-Schools, Umthathi, Fundisa for Change, RU Green and Galela Amanzi). The interview process allowed these groups to reflect on the outcomes of the evaluation and to provide their input into the process. This was not ideal but was a necessary adaptive move that illustrated how the RCE is a ‘moveable feast’ of partners / activities that, as affiliates, have tended to move in and out of the RCE structure over the years. Here it was notable that social movements from poorer communities tend to be facilitated by more formal structures like Makana Municipality (Makana Youth and Inqaba Yegolide) and the Rhodes University Water Research Institute (Water for Dignity)

The Makana RCE was identified as a structure for collaboration where ‘people meet and work together’ or ‘meet – talk – act’ in a local context. The Water Research Institute is exploring ‘a new paradigm of transdisciplinary research’ that interfaces university researchers, civil society organisations and state service institutions. These approaches were noted with appreciation as they meant that local issues could be addressed. The following positive features were recorded:
• beginning to communicate through water forums and by forming co-operatives (Water for Dignity)
• supporting small gardens with composting and then seedlings (Gaba yeGolide)
• hot bags being made and shared to save electricity costs (St Mary’s DCC)
• stories of water and change-choice-practices are in the museum education programs (Albany Museum)
• sanitation practices are changing and problems are decreasing in Extension 6 and Extension 10 (Makana Youth)

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