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The current debate around the emergence of participatory approaches in evaluation practice suggests that participatory evaluation may be considered an organizational learning praxis, one which facilitates the development of a holistic process of intentional change. Through critical reflection on how participatory evaluation has been conceptualized, this article offers an overview of some of the contextual challenges encountered when using participatory evaluation to enable the creation of learning environments. Given the pluralistic nature of modern organizations and some contextual constraints, evaluators appear to have largely developed a more instrumental type of learning, which may, paradoxically, result in a significant source of resistance to intentional change. This article proposes a process of capacity building for evaluative research (CBER). This process offers a collaborative way of overcoming unforeseen resistance to intentional change by overcoming the challenges found in the relationship between participatory evaluation and organizational learning. The article concludes by suggesting some epistemological and organizational issues that evaluators should take into account when enabling the implementation of a process of CBER in pluralistic organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the perspectives of key stakeholders within Mexico's health system regarding the policy response to COVID-19 in 2020 to inform future policy formulation. This qualitative study is based on a secondary data analysis (SDA) derived from a broader primary research on governance in Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis adopted a grounded theory approach to examine 15 semi-structured interviews with prominent figures in the health system between June and November 2020. The interviews were audio-recorded and analyzed through the lens of the Health Policy Triangle which includes context, key actors, and the Mexican health policy process. Moreover, the analysis was enriched by incorporating the framework outlined in the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP). The findings indicate that key stakeholders perceived a centralized approach to policymaking with a strong emphasis on cross-sector communication, expert panels, equity-focused measures, accessibility to healthcare services (promoting portability), and improvements in the health information system. Key stakeholders recognized the response to COVID-19 was complex, involving multiple dimensions and levels of action. The importance of preparedness and response in building health system resilience is emphasized. Recommendations include explicitly integrating resilience into national and local policy agendas, addressing systemic structural deficiencies, promoting equity in the pandemic response, improving risk governance, strengthening coordination mechanisms, ensuring supply chain resilience, improving personnel training, and enhancing local diagnostic capacity to better prepare for future public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]