This paper presents an innovative process-orientated self-evaluation method regarding sustainable rural development processes, developed by the University of Göttingen in cooperation with rural actors and a consultant. This method, which is also available online, can be employed by rural development initiatives in order to manage their own work successfully. The paper presents the general evaluation research design and the computer-based method for the self-evaluation of regional development initiatives. It also discuses the potential problems of such a participatory research design which emerged through important empirical findings