TOWARD A NEW DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Abstract

This article describes the research experience of the author in working with a group of voluntary organizations in Swindon, England, to change policy makers' perspectives regarding the evaluation of local voluntary work. The focus is on how the author's applied research strategy contributed to policy change in Swindon. In the end, the ethnographic perspective in which this project was conducted became a vital tool for empowering local groups to develop their own approaches to evaluation, rather than succumbing to policy makers' attempts to impose their own methods.