Samenvolg

Samenvolg is a Dutch term used to describe the practice or mechanism of following or monitoring progress in a coordinated, shared manner. The word is formed from samen, meaning together, and volg, meaning follow or track, and it appears in Dutch-language discussions across social science, education, and digital platforms. There is no single canonical definition, and the exact meaning tends to vary by context.

In sociological and educational settings, samenvolg refers to systematic tracking of a group’s activities, developments, or outcomes over time with an emphasis on collective awareness, accountability, and mutual feedback. It can involve shared documentation, regular check-ins, and dashboards that reflect the state of a project or learning process. In technology or platform contexts, samenvolg may describe features that allow multiple participants to observe and respond to each other’s progress, while applying appropriate privacy controls and governance.

The concept raises considerations about privacy, data ownership, and consent. When applied to personal or sensitive information, clear purposes, user control, and transparent data practices are essential. Variants of the term include the verb samenvolgen (to follow together) and the adjective samenvolgend (co-following or collaboratively tracked).

See also collaborative monitoring, participatory evaluation, and shared dashboards. While used in various domains, samenvolg remains a flexible, context-dependent concept rather than a fixed methodological standard.