Empowerment evaluation involves a program’s stakeholders in designing and implementing an evaluation of their own program, thus contributing to the program’s improvement and self-determination (Fetterman, 1994, 1996). It appeared to be an appropriate approach for evaluating a mental health drop-in center, which had congruent goals of collaboration and self-sufficiency. However, encouraging ongoing participation among the stakeholders was challenging. The evaluation process was adapted, with the evaluator designing and conducting most of the evaluation but incorporating substantial input from the stakeholders throughout the process. This involved careful attention to the evaluator’s roles, and decisions concerning the depths of stakeholder versus evaluator participation at each step of the evaluation. Adaptations to empowerment evaluation must consider the values of the program, as well as balance the stakeholders’ needs for resources with their rights for autonomy.
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