Empowering programs with evaluation technical assistance: outcomes and lessons learned.

Although empowerment evaluation has gained widespread currency, few reports have described its outcomes. This article combines perspectives of participants and technical assistance providers to describe the process and outcomes of the Evaluation Assistance for Sexual Violence Programs project. Participating programs reported substantial enhancements in evaluation capacity, resources devoted to evaluation, and the extent and sophistication of their evaluation practice, as well as numerous examples of the application of evaluation findings to program improvement. Experiences from evaluation technical assistance providers identified aspects of the process that were particularly useful in achieving these outcomes, including investing in collaborative relationships, maximizing participation among program staff, tailoring the content and form of technical assistance to program preferences, and combining structured learning with program-specific technical assistance.