Choosing an appropriate evaluation method helps you assess your living lab process in a clear and consistent way, making it easier to learn from the results, improve your work, and build trust among those involved.

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consider whether the outputs (such as knowledge, data, tools, and approaches) are relevant, reliable, and useful in practice, and whether they can be understood and used by others. You can use the guidelines presented by van Maurik Matuk et al. (2023) to support this.

Support yourself by using a structured, verified approach. Some suggested methods are provided below.

This helps you understand whether important perspectives may have been missing, and whether the process reflects the knowledge and experiences needed to support well‑grounded and accepted outcomes.

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Consider whether the process has included the knowledge, values, and experiences of different groups, and whether anyone may have been left out or had limited opportunity to contribute. Support yourself by using a structured approach. Some suggested methods are provided below.

This helps you identify whether some groups may have been left out or whether imbalances between participants may have influenced the process, so you can improve it going forward.

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Consider whether any groups were unintentionally excluded, overlooked, or faced barriers to participation, and reflect on how this may have affected the process and outcomes. Support yourself by using a structured approach. Some suggested methods are provided below.

This helps you understand whether disagreements were handled in a way that builds trust, or whether tensions may still remain unresolved.

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Consider whether disagreements were recognised, explored, and handled in a constructive way, and reflect on how this influenced both the process and the relationships between participants. Be honest in your reflection, as this is an opportunity to learn and improve. Support yourself by using a structured, verified approach. Some suggested methods are provided below.

Evaluating transparency helps identify whether unclear processes weakened trust or caused confusion about how outputs were produced.

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Review how decisions, steps, and contributions were communicated throughout the process.

Evaluating method appropriateness helps ensure that future cycles use more robust, relevant, and context-sensitive methods. 

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Consider whether the chosen methods matched the complexity and needs of the system.

Evaluating this helps reveal if important expertise was left un-utilised, allowing future improvements to strengthen the credibility of outputs.  

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Check whether key perspectives were included and integrated meaningfully.  

Evaluating alignment shows whether outputs fully or partially met real-world needs. Some might require future adjustment to fully harness their potential (new ideas could come from this).

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Compare outputs with the prioritised needs the actors originally outlined. Ask yourself «is it an exact fit?»

Evaluating adaptability ensures outputs remain relevant and useful as contexts changes.  

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Consider whether the outputs can be adapted to different communities, used at different scales, and adjusted to changing conditions, and reflect on what may limit or support this flexibility.

Evaluating applicability helps reveal practical barriers to implementation so they can be addressed before scaling or further use.  

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Identify what capacities, resources, or support structures are required to turn outputs into practical action.  

Evaluating this helps you understand whether your living lab has created real impact and gives you concrete examples of what has been achieved.

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Review the results produced by your living lab and appraise how they addressed the challenges identified earlier.  

Evaluating this shows whether your living lab is contributing to ecosystem-based management, which is a central goal of many coastal and environmental governance frameworks. It also helps you identify early signs of uptake or influence, even if solutions are not yet fully scaled, and provides a basis for further upscaling in the next step.

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Review whether outputs from your living lab have begun to inform planning, policies, or decisions that follow ecosystem‑based management principles, and consider how these early signals of influence could be strengthened and further developed through upscaling in the next step.

Evaluating against international agreements (such as the Paris agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the SDGs) helps ensure that the living lab’s work contributes to internationally recognized biodiversity and sustainability targets. It shows whether your outcomes align with global ambitions and can be used to demonstrate progress, support future efforts, or secure long-term support for your solution.  

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Identify how the results support or illustrate pathways aligned with your selected international agreement goals.  

Evaluating this helps you understand whether your living lab has challenged dominant assumptions and opened space for new knowledge, values, and perspectives. These shifts in understanding are early signals of transformative change, because they influence how problems are framed and expand what solutions are realistic to invest in.  

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Reflect on whether participants have developed new perspectives, challenged established assumptions, or integrated different knowledge systems through the process.  

Assessing this reveals whether the outputs from your living lab have begun to reshape institutional arrangements, decision-making structures, or power relations. Such changes indicate movement towards transformative change, where systems evolve beyond existing routines to enable more inclusive, resilient, and adaptive governance.  

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Examine whether your living lab has influenced collaboration structures, decision-making processes, or distribution of responsibilities.  

Evaluating behavioral, relational, and practice-based changes helps determine whether your living lab has influenced everyday actions and interactions in ways that persist beyond the living lab. These shifts demonstrate transformative change taking root, as sustainable change ultimately depends on changed practices and relationships at multiple levels.

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Review whether your living lab has contributed to new practices, behavioural shifts, and/or strengthened relationships among actors.

Evaluating self-reliance shows whether your living lab strengthened local autonomy and long-term resilience. These are important aspects of long-term sustainability, empowered decision-making, and a community’s capacity to respond to challenges without relying solely on external actors.  

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Review whether the process has increased the community’s sense of control, agency, and independence from external actors. Assess whether local resources, knowledge, skills, competencies, and networks have been mobilised and/or strengthened. Assess whether the community is now better equipped to make informed decisions and act independently in addressing challenges.  

Evaluating participation shows whether communities gained a meaningful voice in shaping their future, which is a cornerstone of durable, democratic, and transformative change.  

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Appraise whether your living lab enhanced community members participation in collective decision-making processes. Consider whether your living lab has fostered a sense of ownership and strengthened community engagement in socio-political processes.  

Enabling that local knowledge and values continues to be incorporated in planning and decision-making processes is essential for enhancing legitimacy, building community trust, and for ensuring that the lessons learned endure well beyond the lifespan of your project.

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Reflect on whether your project has successfully raised awareness among planners and decision-makers or prompted them to take concrete steps toward incorporating local knowledge and values into their practices. Identify the key lessons learned from your living lab process and explore how these insights can be leveraged to enhance practices within your living lab or applied to other context.