At this discussion group, the staff and consumers came to consensus that their drop-in
center could benefit from an evaluation, especially an evaluation that actively involved all the
staff and consumers and could be continued after my work with them was complete. A number
of staff and other consumers explained that their program already conducted consumer-focused
evaluative processes, including the discussion group and concerns committee. However, they
currently amounted to little more than complaints and demands to staff (e.g., “fix the clock,”
“clean the bathrooms,” “give us more coffee”). Further, attendance at the concerns committee
had grown increasingly low. Staff and consumers hoped that by becoming engaged in evaluation
skills, consumers would learn to take more ownership of their center and help it continually
grow and develop.