This article presents a theoretical framework of empowerment evaluation addresses methodological issues and suggests operational
considerations for evaluators who wish to implement empowerment evaluation[ The discussion of these issues re~ects the author|s
experience in facilitating evaluations of human service programs so as to maximize participation by the users[ The roots of
empowerment evaluation extend to participation theory with the premise that the more participation in decision!making processes
the participants have the likelier they become to commit to and invest in the decisions[ Empowerment evaluation provides evaluators
with creative approaches to maximizing an evaluation|s usefulness requiring them to play diverse roles as trainers facilitators
advocates and co!liberators as prescribed by Fetterman "0883#[ Major bene_ts of empowerment evaluation include the increased
relevance and utility of the evaluation and its tendency to empower the participants of the evaluation[ The bene_ts of empowerment
evaluation outweigh such limitations as the overemphasis of face validity and the longer time required for its implementation[ These
bene_ts are particularly important in the _eld of human services where the empowerment of consumers is critical[ 0887 Elsevier
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