"When practice meets theory": Do we need more self-evaluation in democracy promotion?

Date: June 05 to 06, 2025

Location: German Center for Integration and Migration Research, Mauerstr. 76, 10117 Berlin

Contact:

• Dr. Mirjam Weiberg: weiberg-salzmann@dezim-institut.de (for AK-DeGEval)
• Dr. Andrea Prytula: prytula@dezim-institut.de & Antonia Consbruch: consbruch@dezim-institut.de (for PrEval future workshops)

Self-evaluation is becoming increasingly important in the promotion of democracy and the prevention of extremism. Various elements of self-evaluation are already being used in practice as part of quality assurance or for internal learning and exchange processes. However, the desire to develop self-evaluation as a systematic competence and to combine it with external evaluations is new. On the one hand, this development follows the increasing acceptance of practitioners as equal partners in evaluation and experts in their own right. On the other hand, it results from the desire to gain access to information - e.g. on the effects on target groups - that could only be gathered from outside at great expense.

Important questions that go hand in hand with self-evaluation are How does the practice assess its experience with self-evaluation and can it be integrated into everyday work with added value? What knowledge about methods, but also about standards and framework conditions for self-evaluation, is important and how can science provide meaningful support? What are the opportunities and limitations of self-evaluation for clients? Is self-evaluation a cost-effective and time-saving alternative? What other insights does self-evaluation offer science into project practice? And how can possible challenges such as subjectivity, comparability and failure be dealt with?

The event offers a platform for the interactive exchange of experiences and perspectives between practitioners/civil society, academia and commissioning parties. It provides an opportunity to network with other stakeholders and learn about new methods.

The event will take place hybrid on the first day and in person on the second day. There are 40 places available for on-site participation. Therefore, a final commitment for on-site participation will be made after the registration deadline (May 05, 2025).