Processes of the Evaluation
My originally proposed structure included inviting all willing consumers and staff to
an “Evaluation Team” which would take stock of the program’s needs, set goals for meeting
these needs, develop strategies to meet these needs, and systematically assess progress towards
meeting these needs. I planned to take a facilitative role, increasingly delegating more of the
evaluation tasks to the participants. This appeared to be an empowering opportunity, especially
for a population who historically has had little control over its services (Campbell, 1997;
Chamberlin, 1977, 1997; MacNeil, 2000).We set up a regularly scheduled time to meet in the
meeting room; all meetings were open to any consumer or staff.