Engaging communities in area-based regeneration: the role of participatory evaluation

This article developed from a series of participatory evaluations, led by Dobbs and funded by a number of New Deal for Communities (NDC) partnerships in the North East of England. The evaluations were unique in that they involved training local people to undertake large-scale quantitative research to support area-based regeneration. The article develops a model of participation that allows local people to play a role in the research process, while delivering a range of data to assist regeneration partnerships in the provision of local services. It informed the development of participatory approaches used by the DCLG across 49 NDC Partnerships.