[Empowerment evaluation: theoretical and methodological considerations applied to the health area]

The objective of this article is to discuss the empowerment evaluation as a theoretical and methodological framework and its applications to the health area. This is a theoretical article that presents the conceptual and methodological aspects and the principles of the empowerment evaluation. This evaluation is regarded as an approach that allows the participation of interest groups in the process, in order to improve the qualification and transformation of the knowledge and practices of the context evaluated. In the health area, the possible articulations between this framework and the complexity of the practices are discussed, aiming to increase the sense of belonging and responsibility of the participants in the evaluation process. Empowerment evaluation is a viable and powerful theoretical and methodological alternative in the health area, which, in addition to producing knowledge applied to the reality of interest groups, also provides a better understanding of work processes and institutional arrangements in the field of health management and health care.