From Evaluation to Legacy: Reflecting on Over a Decade of Citizen Science Learning and Impact

How do you robustly evaluate a citizen science project, capturing long-term value, such as participant agency and community ownership, which frequently emerge only after formal funding ends, without excessively burdening participants? The Inclusive Citizen Science group draws on nearly two decades of practice across diverse initiatives, tracing the evolution of our approaches to evaluation and legacy planning, to offer effective strategies. It is valuable to integrate a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) framework and legacy planning from a project’s inception to strengthen both project outcomes and ways of working. Developing a theory of change (ToC) helps align activities with goals. Obtaining and using feedback from participants and researchers to improve a project during its lifetime is as valuable as summative evaluation. Adopting pragmatic mixed methods helps capture diverse outcomes. Implementing “soft endings” maintains trust and prevents extractive relationships. We provide recommendations that prioritise learning and inclusivity to ensure citizen science delivers lasting socio-ecological impact.