Empowerment Evaluation

Theories

An exploration into the theories guiding empowerment evaluation will help to illuminate the integral relationship between method and use in empowerment evaluation. The pertinent theories guiding empowerment evaluation are empowerment theory, self-determination theory, evaluation capacity building, process use, and theories of use and action. Empowerment theory is divided into processes and outcomes. This theory has implications for the role of the empowerment evaluator or facilitator, which can differ from that of a traditional evaluator. Self-determination is one of the foundational concepts underlying empowerment theory and it helps to detail specific mechanisms or behaviors that enable the actualization of empowerment. Process use represents much of the rationale or logic underlying empowerment evaluation in practice because it cultivates ownership by placing the approach in community and staff members’ hands. Finally, the alignment of theories of use and action explain how empowerment evaluation helps people produce desired results.

Principles

The theoretical foundations of empowerment evaluation lead to specific principles required to inform quality practice. Empowerment evaluation principles provide a sense of direction and purposefulness throughout an evaluation. Empowerment evaluation is guided by 10 specific principles as identified by David Fetterman and Wandersman in 2005. They include:

• 1.
  Improvement—Empowerment evaluation is designed to help people improve program performance; it is designed to help people build on their successes and reevaluate areas meriting attention.
• 2.
  Community ownership—Empowerment evaluation values and facilitates community control; use and sustainability are dependent on a sense of ownership.
• 3.
  Inclusion—Empowerment evaluation invites involvement, participation, and diversity; contributions come from all levels and walks of life.
• 4.
  Democratic participation—Participation and decision making should be open and fair.
• 5.
  Social justice—Evaluation can and should be used to address social inequities in society.
• 6.
  Community knowledge—Empowerment evaluation respects and values community knowledge.
• 7.
  Evidence-based strategies—Empowerment evaluation respects and uses the knowledge base of scholars (in conjunction with community knowledge).
• 8.
  Capacity building—Empowerment evaluation is designed to enhance stakeholders’ ability to conduct evaluation and to improve program planning and implementation.
• 9.
  Organizational learning—Data should be used to evaluate new practices, inform decision making, and implement program practices; empowerment evaluation is used to help organizations learn from their experience (building on successes, learning from mistakes, and making midcourse corrections).
• 10.
  Accountability—Empowerment evaluation is focused on outcomes and accountability; empowerment evaluations function within the context of existing policies, standards, and measures of accountability; did the program or initiative accomplish its objectives?

Empowerment evaluation principles help evaluators and community members make decisions that are in alignment with the larger purpose or goals associated with capacity building and self-determination. The principles of inclusion, for example, remind evaluators and community leaders to include rather than exclude members of the community, even though fiscal, logistic, and personality factors might suggest otherwise. The capacity building principle reminds the evaluator to provide community members with the opportunity to collect their own data, even though it might initially be faster and easier for the evaluator to collect the same information. The accountability [Page 582]principle guides community members to hold one another accountable. It also situates the evaluation within the context of external requirements and credible results or outcomes.

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