Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board and a Reflective Praxis Guide as a Radical Participatory Process for Harm Reduction in Participatory Action Research and Evaluation

Abstract

This paper calls for the critical and ongoing examination of the often invisible harm that occurs in traditional participatory research (and evaluation) efforts. The authors argue that this harm is caused by and must be understood within the context of white supremacist and colonial systems that inform practice standards and norms. In response, we introduce a Community Harm Risk Assessment (CHRA) Reflective Praxis Guide grounded in principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) and trauma-informed practices as a radical participatory process for harm reduction in evaluation and participatory research. This new approach is explored in the context of opening a Center to support the implementation of the CHRA and a Community Harm Risk Assessment Review Board (CHRARB), an initiative motivated by the lead author’s nearly two decades of experience in conventional participatory research (and evaluation) methods and observing how these methods and the misuse of these methods, can cause more harm than healing to individuals and communities intended to benefit through our work. This paper will provide an overview of the literature that speaks to observed limitations currently present in participatory research methods, share harmful practices present in participatory research (and evaluation) work, and introduce the Center, CHRARB, and CHRA reflective praxis guide for practitioners, applied researchers, and evaluators to address harm with more intentionality in their work, as well as strategically shift research and evaluation practices away from colonial and white supremacist norms.