Empowerment Evaluation Applied: Experiences, Analysis, and Recommendations from a Case Study

Abstract

The empowerment evaluation approach is applied and examined within the context of a case study involving three comprehensive communities’ initiatives. Although considerable literature has been published concerning the efficacy and legitimacy of the empowerment evaluation approach, little documentation exists regarding the empirical application of this approach. In this article we discuss, from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, issues related to the evaluator’s role, differences relative to other inclusive evaluation approaches, stakeholder involvement, evaluation context variables, and the concept and practice of empowering program participants via an evaluation approach. Data were gathered to assess how the approach was viewed through the eyes of both the evaluation consumers and the evaluators. Recommendations are discussed regarding the types of circumstances that might most facilitate and support the empowerment evaluation approach.