Introduction to Empowerment Evaluation

Empowerment evaluation is arguably a form of participatory evaluation developed by David M. Fetterman of Stanford University and now used extensively (particularly in the USA) to evaluate projects and programmes. Like participatory evaluation “Empowerment evaluation has an unambiguous value orientation -- it is designed to help people help themselves and improve their programs using a form of self-evaluation and reflection “ Fetterman, 2001.

Empowerment evaluation is structured around a workshop. The workshop brings together stakeholders—all those interested in the project including the beneficiaries and lower level staff as well as the managers and funders. In an ideal world the evaluation will start at the beginning of the project with subsequent workshops held at the mid-term and end.

Fetterman identifies three steps in an empowerment evaluation:

“ a) developing a mission,vision or unifying purpose, b) taking stock or determining where the programme stands, including strengths and weaknesses; and c) planning for the future by establishing goals and helping participants determine their own strategies to accomplish goals and objectives.” Fetterman, 2001

Extract from paper Zoe Brooks 2007