A different perspective on empowerment in evaluation: Benefits and risks to the evaluation process

Abstract

The preceding discussion of hypothesized benefits and risks of empowerment to the evaluation process is offered as an introduction to the issue. Each scenario presented within the set of hypothesized benefits and risks can be expanded and applied to other evaluation methodologies. Indeed, the goals, methods, setting, political pressures, and social environment of both the program and the evaluation all contribute to the way in which empowerment is (is not) used in a program evaluation. However, the underlying questions persist—what ARE the benefits and risks of empowerment to evaluation? If benefits exist, when are they most useful and what methods can evaluators use to take advantage of such benefits. If risks exist, when are they most problematic and how can they be avoided? What are the trade-offs between the benefits and risks in a specific situation? Empowerment is a complex construct within program evaluation which deserves further investigation. It cannot be assumed that empowerment always works for the benefit of the program and the evaluation alike. Empowerment may be a program development and evaluation tool where one may need to be reminded— Caution: Use at your own risk.