Community‐Based Research on Evaluation: Beyond Academic and Evaluator Perspectives

ABSTRACT Despite research on evaluation (RoE) being valued for its ability to inform and improve practice, some have argued that due to the way RoE is currently conducted and shared, it may have limited practical value for evaluation professionals. In this study, we explore what “community‐based” RoE, or RoE conducted in community settings that captures voices beyond academic and evaluator perspectives, could look like. This foray into an inclusive perspective of RoE intends to fill gaps in published RoE literature and spark further interest in engaging community perspectives. We conducted three collaborative projects where evaluators worked in tandem with program community members and engaged with RoE. Our cross‐case analysis yielded three themes about RoE: the value of evaluation processes, the benefits of reflective practices, and the perceived value in learning from RoE by community organizations. We discuss the results in terms of process use, integrating evaluation into the organizational culture, and sustained interactivity with evaluation. We conclude with recommendations for RoE practices moving forward.