4A1. Walk in Their Shoes: An Empathy Map Sprint to Operationalize a Survivor-centered Approach

The principle of being “survivor-centered” is an important part of PSEAH (Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassard) and equitable evaluation. Yet, many struggle to move this principle from a policy statement to daily practice. How do we truly understand a survivor’s perspective to design safer programs and more ethical evaluation frameworks? This interactive session addresses this question.

We will conduct a 45-minute “sprint” using an empathy map. An empathy map is a collaborative visualization tool that outlines a person’s experiences, thoughts, and needs. This is an adaptable facilitation method has successfully been implemented in NGO workshops to make abstract principles actionable.

Participants in this session will:

• Understand what is empathy map as a facilitation tool.
• Apply the empathy map by collaborating in groups to map a realistic PSEAH-related scenario.
• Discuss how this tool could improve people’s understanding and application of survivor-centered approach in program mechanisms, evaluation questions, and safeguarding protocols.

Most of the session will be dedicated to collaborative work. After a brief introduction to the tool, participants will participate in a guided scenario-based exercise. We will finish the session with a debrief. Attendees will leave with a practical skill and a reusable template.

Olga Shevchenko, Independent Consultant
Olga Shevchenko is an Independent Consultant, Monitoring and Evaluation & Localization. Olga has extensive experience facilitating participatory workshops and evaluations for NGOs. Her passion is creating and adapting participatory facilitation tools, like the empathy map, to help teams operationalize complex principles. Olga holds a MSc in Applied International Development from University of Reading, and is currently studying psychology.