CAPABILITY CULTIVATION

Holistic Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

ABOUT THE APPROACH

This site is designed to provide you with an overview of the newly developed approach to evaluation, Capability Cultivation (CC). It is a principles-based approach which takes theoretical inspiration from the Capability Approach (CA). Rather than focusing on predefined outcomes, CC is centred on what matters most for participants. It is about assessing whether they feel like they have the opportunities to live the lives they value.

A visual representation of Capability Cultivation

Capability-INspired

The Capability Approach is a normative framework that focuses on what people are genuinely free to do and be. Although it can be employed in a variety of ways, it is used here as a guide to explore the lived experiences of programme beneficiaries and reorientate MEL around what they value most.

Values over outcomes

The CA can help us think deeply about what matters most to people and steer us clear from resorting to deficit-reduction models of development. MEL from this angle is not about objectively calculating impact, it is about identifying values to better design programmes that cater for them.

The plurality of development

The CA tells us that development can be interpreted and pursued in numerous ways. The goal is to engage with the uniqueness of each individual’s experience and acknowledge development from their perspectives. In sum, this emphasises inclusivity, respect for diverse perspectives, and a willingness to explore unanticipated insights.

conversion factors

The CA also acknowledges that changes in people’s lives rarely result solely from a single intervention or programme. Instead, it provides us with the conceptual tools to understand the personal, social, and environmental factors that may shape experiences and opportunities. By doing so, it rejects simplistic attributions of causality, recognising the complexity and dynamism of the social world.

THE LEARNING CYCLE

SUrfacing

Surfacing refers to the process of gaining insight into the lived experiences of participants. This includes capturing what they value most about the programme they attend, why it is significant, and what barriers they may face.

This can be done through a range of tools and methods, as long as they produce rich, qualitative data. Any questions that are asked during this phase should allow for unexpected findings to emerge.

Understanding

Understanding involves delving deeply into the uncovered insights to identify strengths and potential areas for growth. It is about making sense of the information and thinking about the plausible contributions an organisation has made to participants' experiences.

Within this phase, organisations are encouraged to host discussions that allow space for collaborative learning and creativity. The intended end result is to co-design a path forward with actionable decisions.

cultivating

Cultivating refers to the translation of actionable ideas from the understanding phase into tangible inputs. It is the process of implementing changes to further foster development, aligned with what is most valued.

This should be treated as an iterative process and characterised by adaptability. Where plans do not function as intended, they should be altered in accordance with the feedback received.

Pause Points

Pause points are built into CC in order to give users the opportunity to reflect on whether their actions are aligning with the CA. Below are some example questions that may be asked at each stage of an evaluation:

Between Surfacing and Understanding:

Are we listening beyond what is easiest to collect?
Are there any voices being overlooked?
Have participants had adequate opportunity to express themselves?

Between Understanding and Cultivating:

Are we interpreting the information in a way that honours what people value?
Are we considering multiple explanations for change?
Have we considered how we might remove unfreedoms?

Between Cultivating and Surfacing:

Are actions enhancing the freedom to choose and pursue valued ways of being?
Are we creating conditions for capability expansion, not just delivering activities?
Are we reinforcing inequitable structures?

WhY CHOOSE Capability cultivation?

PARTICIPANT CENTRED

CC places participants at its very core and respects their agency. It is ethically driven as it aims to understand development in their own terms. This enables programme designers to better meet the needs of participants.

Navigating Complexity

CC is particularly suited to complex, dynamic environments where causality cannot be easily established. This is because it remains open-ended and emphasises exploring the unexpected.

FLEXIBility

CC remains deliberately flexible to ease implementation. It can take many forms in order to suit contextual demands, as long as its central principles are upheld.

GENERATIVity

Rather than collecting information for its own sake, CC aims to use insights to drive action. It prioritises learning and reflection, laying the groundwork for meaningful evaluation.

About the author

Hi there! I'm James, a PhD student at Abertay University. After working as an educator for a number of years, I became particularly interested in how personal and social development is typically perceived, and the implications this may have. This curiosity prompted me to begin a project, in the field of Sport for Development, to develop an MEL framework which strikes a balance between being both theoretically-informed and workable.

If you wish to know more/are interested in potentially implementing this framework within your organisation, please contact me using the following information:

Email: j.lever2200@abertay.ac.uk