Empowerment evaluation

Empowerment evaluation (EE) is an evaluation approach designed to help communities monitor and evaluate their own performance. It is used in comprehensive community initiatives as well as small-scale settings and is designed to help groups accomplish their goals. According to David Fetterman, 'Empowerment evaluation is the use of evaluation concepts, techniques, and findings to foster improvement and self-determination'. An expanded definition is: 'Empowerment evaluation is an evaluation approach that aims to increase the likelihood that programs will achieve results by increasing the capacity of program stakeholders to plan, implement, and evaluate their own programs.' Empowerment evaluation (EE) is an evaluation approach designed to help communities monitor and evaluate their own performance. It is used in comprehensive community initiatives as well as small-scale settings and is designed to help groups accomplish their goals. According to David Fetterman, 'Empowerment evaluation is the use of evaluation concepts, techniques, and findings to foster improvement and self-determination'. An expanded definition is: 'Empowerment evaluation is an evaluation approach that aims to increase the likelihood that programs will achieve results by increasing the capacity of program stakeholders to plan, implement, and evaluate their own programs.' Empowerment evaluation has been used in programs ranging from a fifteen million dollar Hewlett-Packard corporate philanthropy effort to accreditation in higher education and from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mars Mars Rover project to battered women's shelters. Empowerment evaluation has been used by government, foundations, businesses, and non-profits, as well as Native American reservations. It is a global phenomenon, with projects and workshops around the world including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A sample of sponsors and clients includes Casey Family Programs, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Family & Children Services, Health Trust, Knight Foundation, Poynter, Stanford University, State of Arkansas, UNICEF and Volunteers of America. Empowerment evaluation was introduced in 1993 by David Fetterman during his presidential address at the American Evaluation Association’s (AEA) annual meeting. The approach was initially well received by some researchers who commented on the complementary relationship between EE and community psychology, social work, community development and adult education. They highlighted how it inverted traditional definitions of evaluation, shifting power from the evaluator to program staff and participants. Early supporters positively noted the focus on social justice and self-determination. One colleague compared the writings of approach to Martin Luther's 95 Theses. Empowerment Evaluation: Knowledge and Tools for Self-assessment and Accountability the first empowerment evaluation book, provided an introduction to theory and practice. It highlighted EE's scope, ranging from its use in a national educational reform movement to its endorsement by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation’s Director of Evaluation. The book presented examples in various contexts, including: federal, state, and local government, HIV prevention and related health initiatives, African American communities and battered women’s shelters. This first volume also provided various theoretical and philosophical frameworks as well as workshop and technical assistance tools. Foundations of Empowerment Evaluation, was the second EE book. The book provided steps and cases. It highlighted the role of the Internet to facilitate and disseminate the approach. The third book was titled: Empowerment evaluation principles in practice. It emphasized greater conceptual clarity by making explicit EE's underlying principles, ranging from improvement and inclusion to capacity building and social justice. In addition, it highlighted its commitment to accountability and outcomes, by stating them as an explicit principle and presenting substantive outcome examples. Cases described include educational reform, youth development programs and child abuse prevention programs. The primary theories guiding empowerment evaluation are process use and theories of use and action.