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This diversity requires a cautious description of each implementation in situation,
so that any evaluation is specific to the implementation of a given association in its
context. Generalisation can then be done only on the relation of this practice of
participatory simulation and its suitability to its context and purpose. Efficiency
to induce changes in practice or knowledge depends on the respect of a triple
contingency of collective decision processes: time, people and means (Miettinen and
Virkkunen 2005). This means to respect and take into account the own dynamics
within the social system at stake, to allow the participation of people with their
whole essence (including tacit knowledge, networks, relations to the world) and to
be adaptive to means and competences present within the system (Barreteau 2007).
Another dimension of evaluation should be democracy, since it is often put to the
front. This raises the issue of the existence of a control of the process. Does it rely
only on modellers or is it more shared? Finally there is a necessity of being more
explicit on the kind of PA which is used because of the potential deconsideration of
the whole family if expectations are deceived.

Further Reading

Participatory modelling is increasingly present in special sessions of conferences
or special features of scientific journals. A first source of further readings consists
in case studies. Among others, Environmental Modelling & Software had a special
issue on modelling with stakeholders (Bousquet and Voinov 2010), where readers
will find a whole set of well-described case studies using various methods. The
biennial international environmental modelling and software conferences have also
specific tracks for participatory modelling; proceedings are available online (see
http://www.iemss.org/society/ under publications). For specific tools, refer to the
papers of a symposium on simulation and gaming in natural resource management,
published as a special issue of Simulation & Gaming (volume 38, issues 2 & 3). The
introductory paper giving an overview is Barreteau et al. (2007).
Reflexivity is crucial for practitioners of participatory processes, as part of the
need for more cautious evaluation of participatory processes as pointed out by Rowe
and Frewer (2004). Another direction for reading consists in methods for evaluation
and assessment of stakeholder involvement in modelling processes. Etienne edited
a whole book aiming at assessing consequences of a specific approach, so-called
companion modelling (Étienne 2011).
Readers who are more interested in stakeholder involvement in modelling at a
more technical level should go for the review paper of Ramanath and Gilbert (2004)
which provides a nice overview of this point of view.