Short Abstract

This is a case illustration of how to communicate evaluation results for action, which leads to participatory and inclusive measures enhancing health and rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities, especially women, young girls, and those who are at risk of disabilities.

Description

This is a case illustration of how to communicate evaluation results for action. The convenor of the paper, representing Development Initiatives for Change (Di4C), carried out the mid-term and end-term evaluations of a project titled 'Inclusive Health and Rehabilitation Services for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in Chhattisgarh, India'.

The case study indicates positive outcomes from the evaluation, highlighting improvements in the health and quality of life of PwDs and their meaningful societal participation, though it does not imply complete resolution of their needs.

A key actionable communication from the evaluation highlighted the necessity to recognize that PwDs, especially those with severe disabilities (as defined by India's Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, which lists 21 categories of disabilities), require disability-specific services and support throughout their lives. PwDs do not constitute a homogenous group. Factoring in disability heterogeneity allows for more tailored and nuanced support, which includes amplifying their voices, identifying their needs, expressing priorities, evaluating services and advocating for change and public awareness for different PwDs.

This heterogeneity was communicated through multiple platforms to promote action. For instance, utilising various formats (also to ensure accessibility for PwDs), engaging a wide range of stakeholders including PwDs, their families, caregivers, and their organisations (such as Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs)), sharing insights from project outcomes, customising messages, and leveraging diverse channels (consultations, learning portals, public events, newsletters, etc.) to connect with multiple stakeholders.

The evaluation highlighted the importance of collaboration between community-based DPOs and local governance, including Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), to better address disability issues. This collaboration, recognized during the mid-term evaluation, led project partners to work with various government departments to improve access to government benefits for PwDs. Such partnerships have increased understanding of the challenges faced by PwDs. They also resulted in greater awareness, advocacy for accessible education, help with disability pensions, provision of hearing aids, transportation support for obtaining assistive devices, identifying individuals needing surgeries, and assistance with school admissions for children with special needs.

A vital aspect of effectively communicating evaluation results is ensuring that projects are responsive to gender considerations. Girls and women with disabilities face dual marginalisation stemming from both their disability and gender, leading to greater risks of social exclusion and violence. Although gender inclusion is a goal in many projects, it often remains inadequately addressed. In light of evaluation recommendations, the project partners worked to promote more women into leadership positions and ensured the inclusion of both genders in decision-making processes. A strategic focus on integrating women has significantly enhanced the opportunities available to them.

While evaluation projects that focus on specific communities offer relevant and practical strategies to guide targeted, actionable decisions, the true significance lies not only in the presentation of data and outcomes but also in articulating the actionable, specific measures to be undertaken – fundamentally addressing 'what next?' or 'now what?'. Consequently, identifying what to communicate, why to communicate, when to communicate, and where to communicate becomes vital to evaluation results.