Esta tese discute a situação-problema de como perceber, registrar, interpretar e representar a complexidade da construção de um método de Avaliação Participativa de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural, como formação profissional de agricultores e agricultoras familiares, considerando pressupostos da Educação de Jovens e Adultos Contemporânea no Campo, então configurada e do Etnodesenvolvimento. Apresento, através da Sociologia Reflexiva, uma narrativa de momentos da Pesquisa-Ação Educadora desenvolvida com oito extensionistas rurais para construção coletiva de Indicadores Territoriais de Avaliação Participativa da Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural tematizada e a respectiva aplicação e validação através de Pesquisa Participante com 14 famílias de agricultores egressos e egressas de dois cursos do Centro de Treinamento da EMATER-ASCAR/RS situado na Mesorregião Noroeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Discuto a ressignificação metodológica da Pesquisa-Ação Educadora e da Pesquisa Participante vivenciadas. Através do Pós-Modernismo de Resistência, realizo uma Abordagem Multirreferencial como ferramenta dialógica para : articular várias perspectivas teóricas situadas nas vivências da pesquisa; constituir fundamentação teórica adequada às percepções, compreensões e representações dos Mundos da Vida Rural visitados; discutir as implicações em percebermos e assumirmos essa modalidade de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural como Educação de Jovens e Adultos Contemporânea no Campo visando o Etnodesenvolvimento na Agricultura Familiar. / This thesis discusses the problem situation to realize how, record, interpret and represent the complexity of building a method of Participatory Evaluation Technical Assistance and Rural Extension as vocational training for family farmers, considering the assumptions Youth and Adult Contemporary in the Field, and then set the Ethnodevelopment. Present through Reflexive Sociology, a narrative moments of Action Research Educator with eight developed extension to rural collective construction of Territorial Indicators of Participatory Evaluation Technical Assistance and Rural Extension thematized and their implementation and validation through Participative Research with 14 families of farmers and graduates who were in two courses EMATER-ASCAR/RS Training Center located in the Northwestern Mesoregion of Rio Grande do Sul to discuss methodological reinterpretation of Action Research Educator and Research Participant experiences. Through the Postmodernism of Resistance, MultiReferential Approach realize an as a tool for dialogue: joint located several theoretical perspectives on the experiences of the research; provide adequate theoretical perceptions, understandings and representations of the Worlds Rural Life visited; discuss the implications for perceiving and assume this type of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension as Youth and Adult Contemporary Education in the Field aimed at Ethnodevelopment Family Agriculture.

Midst contextual themes of new technologies and globalisation, South African organisations are challenged to attract, develop and retain suitable skills in a labour market that will continue to suffer shortages. The HR function of today is required to partner with organisations at a strategic level in response to this challenge. Successful organisations understand that transforming the HR function require regular in-depth analyses of its effectiveness. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an HR function operating in a public utility, against current trends in HR transition. Different evaluation methodologies are explored to develop a theoretical evaluation model for the effectiveness of a HR function. The results confirmed that the HR function is not effective in its role as strategic partner, and highlights significant differences in perception between the stakeholders and the HR function regarding its effectiveness. Recommendations were made on future transformation actions for the specific HR function. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Esta tese discute a situação-problema de como perceber, registrar, interpretar e representar a complexidade da construção de um método de Avaliação Participativa de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural, como formação profissional de agricultores e agricultoras familiares, considerando pressupostos da Educação de Jovens e Adultos Contemporânea no Campo, então configurada e do Etnodesenvolvimento. Apresento, através da Sociologia Reflexiva, uma narrativa de momentos da Pesquisa-Ação Educadora desenvolvida com oito extensionistas rurais para construção coletiva de Indicadores Territoriais de Avaliação Participativa da Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural tematizada e a respectiva aplicação e validação através de Pesquisa Participante com 14 famílias de agricultores egressos e egressas de dois cursos do Centro de Treinamento da EMATER-ASCAR/RS situado na Mesorregião Noroeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Discuto a ressignificação metodológica da Pesquisa-Ação Educadora e da Pesquisa Participante vivenciadas. Através do Pós-Modernismo de Resistência, realizo uma Abordagem Multirreferencial como ferramenta dialógica para : articular várias perspectivas teóricas situadas nas vivências da pesquisa; constituir fundamentação teórica adequada às percepções, compreensões e representações dos Mundos da Vida Rural visitados; discutir as implicações em percebermos e assumirmos essa modalidade de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural como Educação de Jovens e Adultos Contemporânea no Campo visando o Etnodesenvolvimento na Agricultura Familiar. / This thesis discusses the problem situation to realize how, record, interpret and represent the complexity of building a method of Participatory Evaluation Technical Assistance and Rural Extension as vocational training for family farmers, considering the assumptions Youth and Adult Contemporary in the Field, and then set the Ethnodevelopment. Present through Reflexive Sociology, a narrative moments of Action Research Educator with eight developed extension to rural collective construction of Territorial Indicators of Participatory Evaluation Technical Assistance and Rural Extension thematized and their implementation and validation through Participative Research with 14 families of farmers and graduates who were in two courses EMATER-ASCAR/RS Training Center located in the Northwestern Mesoregion of Rio Grande do Sul to discuss methodological reinterpretation of Action Research Educator and Research Participant experiences. Through the Postmodernism of Resistance, MultiReferential Approach realize an as a tool for dialogue: joint located several theoretical perspectives on the experiences of the research; provide adequate theoretical perceptions, understandings and representations of the Worlds Rural Life visited; discuss the implications for perceiving and assume this type of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension as Youth and Adult Contemporary Education in the Field aimed at Ethnodevelopment Family Agriculture.

The findings in this case study are mainly based on material collected during a field trip with a fellow student to Laos in February-March 2005, which was sponsored by Sida through a Minor Field Study scholarship. The original interest was to study a political aid project (Governance and Administrative Reform Project Luang Prabang, GPAR LP) in a country like Laos with very complex preconditions such as one-party polity. In Laos my interest in evaluation of political aid grew mainly because I found out that the two donors in the project, Sida and the UNDP, had reached different conclusions in their respective evaluations of the project. The main interest in this thesis has been to study how donors have evaluated a political aid project. The study shows that Sida and UNDP used, what in the literature usually is referred to as, Conventional evaluation as methodology when they conducted their evaluations of GPAR LP. The study also shows that the main reason for the different points of view that are expressed in the evaluations depend on a lack of dialogue and consensus, regarding for the project crucial concepts, rather than choice of evaluation methodology. This lack of mutual understanding between the agencies also has implications for the possibilities of the receiving part to create a better understanding and ownership of the project. If Sida and UNDP had chosen to do a mutual evaluation a lot could have been won in the form of time, money and less irritation between the involved parties. The study finally shows that a different choice of evaluation methodology, in this case Participatory evaluation, could have had some positive effects mostly due to its supposedly democratic methods which are in line with the goals of the GPAR LP- project. One example here is the use of studies of the political context which would have been useful in this case. Another example is that the methodology could be useful to create a better understanding and ownership of the project through its participatory methods.

Esta tese discute a situação-problema de como perceber, registrar, interpretar e representar a complexidade da construção de um método de Avaliação Participativa de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural, como formação profissional de agricultores e agricultoras familiares, considerando pressupostos da Educação de Jovens e Adultos Contemporânea no Campo, então configurada e do Etnodesenvolvimento. Apresento, através da Sociologia Reflexiva, uma narrativa de momentos da Pesquisa-Ação Educadora desenvolvida com oito extensionistas rurais para construção coletiva de Indicadores Territoriais de Avaliação Participativa da Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural tematizada e a respectiva aplicação e validação através de Pesquisa Participante com 14 famílias de agricultores egressos e egressas de dois cursos do Centro de Treinamento da EMATER-ASCAR/RS situado na Mesorregião Noroeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Discuto a ressignificação metodológica da Pesquisa-Ação Educadora e da Pesquisa Participante vivenciadas. Através do Pós-Modernismo de Resistência, realizo uma Abordagem Multirreferencial como ferramenta dialógica para : articular várias perspectivas teóricas situadas nas vivências da pesquisa; constituir fundamentação teórica adequada às percepções, compreensões e representações dos Mundos da Vida Rural visitados; discutir as implicações em percebermos e assumirmos essa modalidade de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural como Educação de Jovens e Adultos Contemporânea no Campo visando o Etnodesenvolvimento na Agricultura Familiar. / This thesis discusses the problem situation to realize how, record, interpret and represent the complexity of building a method of Participatory Evaluation Technical Assistance and Rural Extension as vocational training for family farmers, considering the assumptions Youth and Adult Contemporary in the Field, and then set the Ethnodevelopment. Present through Reflexive Sociology, a narrative moments of Action Research Educator with eight developed extension to rural collective construction of Territorial Indicators of Participatory Evaluation Technical Assistance and Rural Extension thematized and their implementation and validation through Participative Research with 14 families of farmers and graduates who were in two courses EMATER-ASCAR/RS Training Center located in the Northwestern Mesoregion of Rio Grande do Sul to discuss methodological reinterpretation of Action Research Educator and Research Participant experiences. Through the Postmodernism of Resistance, MultiReferential Approach realize an as a tool for dialogue: joint located several theoretical perspectives on the experiences of the research; provide adequate theoretical perceptions, understandings and representations of the Worlds Rural Life visited; discuss the implications for perceiving and assume this type of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension as Youth and Adult Contemporary Education in the Field aimed at Ethnodevelopment Family Agriculture.

The study has established that modernisation development paradigm is currently governing the contemporary world of conventional development. Globalisation is the tool currently in use for modernisation, drummed up by the North, largely targeting the resources of the Southern hemisphere, through Structural Adjustment Programmes. Social welfare development interventions have been devised to provide safety-net for the poor, social casualities of modernisation process. The short cut has been to bail them out through relief handouts. Participatory development concept, is built on the belief that the world had the means to improve the situation of the poor through fair redistribution of wealth, technology, knowledge, and ideas accruing from modernisation. But this calls for the political will to address the issue of inequality, power imbalance and social injustice as a primary goal. Achieving economic growth and ensuring equitable distribution should, of necessity, be compatible. Participatory development approach is to be preferred as it is accommodative, open and creative, drawing heavily from life experiences of those involved. It also puts people at the centre of development process. It is a paradigm that seeks to empower people to assume full responsibility for their own development including the consequences of their decisions and actions. It has been established that management boards and staff are the main prime movers of strategic planning activities in an organisation. Strategic planning was appreciated by the organisational staff as an opportunity to converge their views and towards influencing organisational policy, a precious window of opportunity for them to participate in causing organisational change. Notably, donor partners generally played a minimal role in this regard. Ironically, community constituency played the least role in the planning activities owing to their often marginal disposition among stakeholders. The most satisfactory outcome of participatory strategic planning was the clarity in the future direction of an organisations and more refined planning with sense of collective responsibility. It can authoritatively be declared here that participatory strategic planning is significantly efficacious as a tool for organisation building, but under certain conditions discussed in the concluding Chapter of the thesis. / Development Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (Development Studies)

Davantage d’évaluations de projets internationaux dans les pays en développement se réalisent pour informer les décisions sur la base de données probantes. L’utilisation des résultats d’évaluation est remise en cause et pour y remédier des évaluations participatives qui incluent à certaines étapes du processus évaluatif des acteurs non évaluateurs sont proposées. Parmi celles-ci, les évaluations participatives pratiques visent principalement à améliorer l’utilisation du processus et des résultats des évaluations. Ces évaluations participatives pratiques seraient obstruées par des attitudes individuelles négatives, ou résistance individuelle au changement, et favorisées par des attitudes individuelles positives, ou propension. Cette thèse propose d’étudier la propension individuelle des gestionnaires envers les évaluations participatives pratiques d’intervention (EPP), les éléments influençant cette propension, et de caractériser des niveaux de propension des individus envers les EPP. Tout d’abord une revue de littérature a proposé une définition multidimensionnelle de la propension envers les EPP comme étant une attitude favorable envers la pratique des EPP qui se décline à chaque étape d’une évaluation sous les volets affectif et cognitif. Les dimensions identifiées théoriquement étaient : apprentissage, travail en groupe, emploi de méthodes systématiques, usage de l’esprit critique. Ces dimensions ont servi de cadre pour la partie empirique de la thèse. Une étude de cas multiples avec les gestionnaires d’une institution de santé en Haïti a été menée pour contextualiser la propension et identifier les éléments d’influence. Les données ont été recueillies à l’aide d’entrevues semi-structurées et de sources documentaires. L’analyse des données concernant l’apprentissage a révélé une prédominance des formes d’apprentissage par l’action et par l’observation. Le travail en groupe se retrouve ancré dans la pratique des gestionnaires administratifs et des gestionnaires cliniques. Les méthodes systématiques se reflètent principalement dans la consultation de plusieurs acteurs ayant de l’intérêt pour la problématique immédiate à solutionner plutôt que par l’outillage méthodologique. L’emploi de méthodes systématiques prend généralement la forme de consultation élargie d’avis pour régler une situation ou prend la forme de tentative de validation des informations reçues. L’esprit critique se déclenche sous stimulation lorsque l’image individuelle, professionnelle, corporative ou organisationnelle est touchée ou lors de suggestions jugées constructives. En plus de contextualiser quatre composantes de la propension individuelle envers les EPP, les gestionnaires se sont positionnés par rapport à la propension de leurs collègues sur la base de la réactivité, plus ou moins réactif vis-à-vis des composantes de la propension individuelle. Ainsi, la propension étudiée empiriquement a laissé émerger deux axes : un axe formalisation et un axe réactivité. L’axe formalisation reprend la contextualisation des quatre composantes de la propension individuelle envers les EPP, soit la forme d’expression des composantes. L’axe réactivité reprend le niveau d’activité déployé dans chaque composante de la propension individuelle, de réactif à plus proactif. De plus, des profils d’individus ayant différents niveaux de propension envers les EPP ont été développés. Des influences favorables et défavorables au niveau de propension envers les EPP ont été identifiées. L’originalité de cette thèse tient dans le fait de se positionner dans un courant récent de réflexion autour de la résistance aux changements et aux évaluations avec un regard positif et d’avoir défini théoriquement et appliqué empiriquement le concept pluridimensionnel de propension individuelle aux EPP. Des profils de niveau de propension individuelle aux EPP et les éléments d’influence favorables et défavorables associés peuvent servir d’outil de diagnostic aux types d’évaluation possibles, servir d’ajustement à la mise en place d’évaluations selon les interlocuteurs, permettre le suivi des changements de niveaux de propension pendant une EPP et servir de sources d’informations pour ajuster les plans d’évaluations participatives. / Increasing importance is being given to the evaluation of international projects implemented in developing countries. Some approaches to evaluation seek to include non-evaluators in some steps of the evaluation process. It is believed to result in decision-making that is better supported by the evidence. One such approach is practical participatory evaluation, or PPE. PPE faces a number of challenges, including negative individual attitudes or resistance to change on the part of non-evaluator participants. This thesis studies the positive individual attitudes or propensity of managers toward PPE. It examines the factors that affect individual propensity toward PPE and individual variation in propensity toward PPE. I first defined propensity toward PPE based on a literature review. In general, propensity toward PPE is a favourable attitude, both affectively and cognitively, toward the practice of PPE at all steps of the evaluation process. More specifically, it comprises four dimensions: learning, working in groups, use of systematic methods and use of judgment. I used these dimensions to analyse data I collected in a multiple case study of managers working at a health institution in Haïti. The data came from semi-structured interviews and documentary sources. I found that learning mainly occurred though doing and observing. Working in groups was entrenched in the daily practice of both administrative and clinical health managers. The use of systematic methods took the form of managers consulting multiple actors who had a stake in the immediate problem being addressed, rather than using methodological tools. The use of systematic methods involved either seeking a broader array of opinions in order to solve a situation or attempting to validate information received. Health managers used judgment in situations where their individual, professional, corporative or organizational image was affected, or when others had constructive suggestions to make. In addition to explaining the contexts in which they have exhibited, or would exhibit, each of the four behaviours of propensity toward PPE, the health managers also ranked themselves vis-à-vis their colleagues in terms of frequency of occurrence and degree of integration into daily practice. Hence, this empirical study of propensity yielded data on two aspects of propensity: “formalization” and “reactivity”. The formalization aspect contextualized the four dimensions, showing the forms that learning, working in groups, using systematic methods and using judgment actually take for these particular managers. The reactivity aspect revealed the degree of energy exhibited for each of the four dimensions, from reactive to more proactive. I also developed a schema for classifying individuals based on their level of propensity toward PPE. I identified the factors that favour versus impede levels of propensity toward PPE. The originality of this thesis lies in the insights it brings to current reflection and debate on individual resistance to change and the evaluation process. And in the approach that I have chosen: adopting a positive stance that focuses on propensity rather than resistance toward PPE, and deriving a theory-based, multi-dimensional definition of PPE and applying it empirically. Individual profiles of propensity toward PPE and knowledge of the factors that favour/impede PPE may be helpful in determining the best type of evaluation to use in a given situation. They could be used to develop quantitative tools, and to fine-tune plans and adjust the implementation of evaluations.

Davantage d’évaluations de projets internationaux dans les pays en développement se réalisent pour informer les décisions sur la base de données probantes. L’utilisation des résultats d’évaluation est remise en cause et pour y remédier des évaluations participatives qui incluent à certaines étapes du processus évaluatif des acteurs non évaluateurs sont proposées. Parmi celles-ci, les évaluations participatives pratiques visent principalement à améliorer l’utilisation du processus et des résultats des évaluations. Ces évaluations participatives pratiques seraient obstruées par des attitudes individuelles négatives, ou résistance individuelle au changement, et favorisées par des attitudes individuelles positives, ou propension. Cette thèse propose d’étudier la propension individuelle des gestionnaires envers les évaluations participatives pratiques d’intervention (EPP), les éléments influençant cette propension, et de caractériser des niveaux de propension des individus envers les EPP. Tout d’abord une revue de littérature a proposé une définition multidimensionnelle de la propension envers les EPP comme étant une attitude favorable envers la pratique des EPP qui se décline à chaque étape d’une évaluation sous les volets affectif et cognitif. Les dimensions identifiées théoriquement étaient : apprentissage, travail en groupe, emploi de méthodes systématiques, usage de l’esprit critique. Ces dimensions ont servi de cadre pour la partie empirique de la thèse. Une étude de cas multiples avec les gestionnaires d’une institution de santé en Haïti a été menée pour contextualiser la propension et identifier les éléments d’influence. Les données ont été recueillies à l’aide d’entrevues semi-structurées et de sources documentaires. L’analyse des données concernant l’apprentissage a révélé une prédominance des formes d’apprentissage par l’action et par l’observation. Le travail en groupe se retrouve ancré dans la pratique des gestionnaires administratifs et des gestionnaires cliniques. Les méthodes systématiques se reflètent principalement dans la consultation de plusieurs acteurs ayant de l’intérêt pour la problématique immédiate à solutionner plutôt que par l’outillage méthodologique. L’emploi de méthodes systématiques prend généralement la forme de consultation élargie d’avis pour régler une situation ou prend la forme de tentative de validation des informations reçues. L’esprit critique se déclenche sous stimulation lorsque l’image individuelle, professionnelle, corporative ou organisationnelle est touchée ou lors de suggestions jugées constructives. En plus de contextualiser quatre composantes de la propension individuelle envers les EPP, les gestionnaires se sont positionnés par rapport à la propension de leurs collègues sur la base de la réactivité, plus ou moins réactif vis-à-vis des composantes de la propension individuelle. Ainsi, la propension étudiée empiriquement a laissé émerger deux axes : un axe formalisation et un axe réactivité. L’axe formalisation reprend la contextualisation des quatre composantes de la propension individuelle envers les EPP, soit la forme d’expression des composantes. L’axe réactivité reprend le niveau d’activité déployé dans chaque composante de la propension individuelle, de réactif à plus proactif. De plus, des profils d’individus ayant différents niveaux de propension envers les EPP ont été développés. Des influences favorables et défavorables au niveau de propension envers les EPP ont été identifiées. L’originalité de cette thèse tient dans le fait de se positionner dans un courant récent de réflexion autour de la résistance aux changements et aux évaluations avec un regard positif et d’avoir défini théoriquement et appliqué empiriquement le concept pluridimensionnel de propension individuelle aux EPP. Des profils de niveau de propension individuelle aux EPP et les éléments d’influence favorables et défavorables associés peuvent servir d’outil de diagnostic aux types d’évaluation possibles, servir d’ajustement à la mise en place d’évaluations selon les interlocuteurs, permettre le suivi des changements de niveaux de propension pendant une EPP et servir de sources d’informations pour ajuster les plans d’évaluations participatives. / Increasing importance is being given to the evaluation of international projects implemented in developing countries. Some approaches to evaluation seek to include non-evaluators in some steps of the evaluation process. It is believed to result in decision-making that is better supported by the evidence. One such approach is practical participatory evaluation, or PPE. PPE faces a number of challenges, including negative individual attitudes or resistance to change on the part of non-evaluator participants. This thesis studies the positive individual attitudes or propensity of managers toward PPE. It examines the factors that affect individual propensity toward PPE and individual variation in propensity toward PPE. I first defined propensity toward PPE based on a literature review. In general, propensity toward PPE is a favourable attitude, both affectively and cognitively, toward the practice of PPE at all steps of the evaluation process. More specifically, it comprises four dimensions: learning, working in groups, use of systematic methods and use of judgment. I used these dimensions to analyse data I collected in a multiple case study of managers working at a health institution in Haïti. The data came from semi-structured interviews and documentary sources. I found that learning mainly occurred though doing and observing. Working in groups was entrenched in the daily practice of both administrative and clinical health managers. The use of systematic methods took the form of managers consulting multiple actors who had a stake in the immediate problem being addressed, rather than using methodological tools. The use of systematic methods involved either seeking a broader array of opinions in order to solve a situation or attempting to validate information received. Health managers used judgment in situations where their individual, professional, corporative or organizational image was affected, or when others had constructive suggestions to make. In addition to explaining the contexts in which they have exhibited, or would exhibit, each of the four behaviours of propensity toward PPE, the health managers also ranked themselves vis-à-vis their colleagues in terms of frequency of occurrence and degree of integration into daily practice. Hence, this empirical study of propensity yielded data on two aspects of propensity: “formalization” and “reactivity”. The formalization aspect contextualized the four dimensions, showing the forms that learning, working in groups, using systematic methods and using judgment actually take for these particular managers. The reactivity aspect revealed the degree of energy exhibited for each of the four dimensions, from reactive to more proactive. I also developed a schema for classifying individuals based on their level of propensity toward PPE. I identified the factors that favour versus impede levels of propensity toward PPE. The originality of this thesis lies in the insights it brings to current reflection and debate on individual resistance to change and the evaluation process. And in the approach that I have chosen: adopting a positive stance that focuses on propensity rather than resistance toward PPE, and deriving a theory-based, multi-dimensional definition of PPE and applying it empirically. Individual profiles of propensity toward PPE and knowledge of the factors that favour/impede PPE may be helpful in determining the best type of evaluation to use in a given situation. They could be used to develop quantitative tools, and to fine-tune plans and adjust the implementation of evaluations.

In this study it is argued that organisations can contribute to development through their Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives (CSR). Therefore one should consider CSR programmes similar to development programmes and should be managed accordingly. When one communicates in a development context it happens within the extensive field of development communication. In this field the participatory approach to development communication is regarded as the normative approach. In view of this, this study argues that communication in CSR programmes should conform to the principles of the participatory approach. Participatory evaluation is one of the elements of the participatory approach; therefore the evaluation of programmes should adhere to the principles of the participatory approach to contribute to sustainable development. For this reason this study is informed by the relevant principles of the participatory approach to evaluation: dialogue; participation; empowerment and diversity. These principles of participatory evaluation are rooted in the mentioned principles and they are: partnership; participation in evaluation; acknowledgement of local knowledge; empowerment and change. The financial sector in South Africa is one of the largest financial contributors towards CSR. As a result, two financial organisations were chosen to be studied. The research question of this study is: What is the nature of the communication during evaluation of CSR programmes in the financial sector? A qualitative approach is used in this study to obtain the relevant information. Qualitative content analysis, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used as research methods. The conclusion is made that none of the five programmes in this study use participatory evaluation to evaluate their CSR programmes. In two of the programmes a limited partnership is identified between the organisation and/or the program leader and the beneficiaries, while no partnership was found in the other three programmes. Limited participation from the beneficiaries of the two programmes during evaluation was observed; hence limited local knowledge is recognised in these two programmes. It was also found that only two programmes' beneficiaries are empowered through evaluation and only these two programmes changed according to the beneficiaries’ input. These findings that were made through an empirical study indicate that in spite of the limited presence of some principles of participatory evaluation in two of the five programmes, neither of the organisations uses participatory evaluation methods to evaluate their CSR programmes. / Thesis (MA (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

In this study it is argued that organisations can contribute to development through their Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives (CSR). Therefore one should consider CSR programmes similar to development programmes and should be managed accordingly. When one communicates in a development context it happens within the extensive field of development communication. In this field the participatory approach to development communication is regarded as the normative approach. In view of this, this study argues that communication in CSR programmes should conform to the principles of the participatory approach. Participatory evaluation is one of the elements of the participatory approach; therefore the evaluation of programmes should adhere to the principles of the participatory approach to contribute to sustainable development. For this reason this study is informed by the relevant principles of the participatory approach to evaluation: dialogue; participation; empowerment and diversity. These principles of participatory evaluation are rooted in the mentioned principles and they are: partnership; participation in evaluation; acknowledgement of local knowledge; empowerment and change. The financial sector in South Africa is one of the largest financial contributors towards CSR. As a result, two financial organisations were chosen to be studied. The research question of this study is: What is the nature of the communication during evaluation of CSR programmes in the financial sector? A qualitative approach is used in this study to obtain the relevant information. Qualitative content analysis, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used as research methods. The conclusion is made that none of the five programmes in this study use participatory evaluation to evaluate their CSR programmes. In two of the programmes a limited partnership is identified between the organisation and/or the program leader and the beneficiaries, while no partnership was found in the other three programmes. Limited participation from the beneficiaries of the two programmes during evaluation was observed; hence limited local knowledge is recognised in these two programmes. It was also found that only two programmes' beneficiaries are empowered through evaluation and only these two programmes changed according to the beneficiaries’ input. These findings that were made through an empirical study indicate that in spite of the limited presence of some principles of participatory evaluation in two of the five programmes, neither of the organisations uses participatory evaluation methods to evaluate their CSR programmes. / Thesis (MA (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013