Empowerment Evaluation

Mission

The first step in an empowerment evaluation is to ask program staff members and participants to define their mission. This step can be accomplished in a few hours. An empowerment evaluator facilitates an open session with as many staff members and participants as possible.

Participants are asked to generate key phrases that capture the mission of the program or project. This is done even when an existing mission statement exists, because there are typically many new participants, and the initial document may or may not have been generated in a democratic, open forum. Proceeding in this fashion allows fresh new ideas to become a part of the mission; it also allows participants an opportunity to voice their vision of the program. During this process, it is common for groups to learn how divergent their participants' views are about the program, even when they have been working together for years. The evaluator records these phrases, typically on a poster sheet.

A workshop participant is then asked to volunteer to write these telescopic phrases into a paragraph or two. This document is shared with the group, revisions and corrections are made in the process, and the group is then asked to accept the document on a consensus basis: that is, they do not have to be in favor of 100% of the document; they just have to be willing to live with it. This mission statement represents the values of the group and, as such, represents the foundation for the next step, taking stock.

Taking Stock

The second step in an empowerment evaluation is taking stock. This step can also be conducted in a few hours, and it has two sections. The first involves generating a list of key activities that are crucial to the functioning of the program. Once again, the empowerment evaluator serves as a facilitator, asking program staff members and participants to list the most significant features and activities associated with the program. A list of 10 to 20 activities is sufficient. After generating this list, it is time to prioritize and determine which are the most important activities meriting evaluation at this time.

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