The result was a collaborative evaluation that may not have followed Fetterman’s (1996) model of empowerment
evaluation, but certainly appeared empowering. Consumers had the opportunity to
express their opinions to one another and to an evaluator who encouraged inclusive dialogue
and thoughtful deliberation among them, thus learning from one another. This inclusion, dialogue,
and deliberation paved the way to a number of mutually accepted suggestions for
improvement of the drop-in. Time will tell if these conceptualizations are acted upon.