Empowerment evaluation of home nursery service in Regione Valle d'Aosta

Through a participatory workshop, I will discuss a case study of Action-Research (AR) focused on the pedagogy of community / community care. This Action-Research was focused on developing awareness in the participants (women working in the domestic nursery service) respect on revisions and innovations considered necessary for the performance of their service. The objective of AR project was to support and promote participants in a process of awareness and self-determination. (Valle d'Aosta in 2000 has created the educational/professional home nursery - home education). Empowerment evaluation has helped the educational community of the "home nursery" to internalize the principles and evaluation practices, making evaluation an integral part of the design and planning of educational intervention. The emphasis, in fact, was placed on the process of innovation and improvement of its own evaluation starting from changes in the participants involved. They have learned to evaluate both to formulate their own goals in a more knowledgeable way and pursue them more in an intentional and cooperative framework in order to periodically review the achievements. The evaluation was formative not only because it refers to a re-orientation as well as improved service, but since the evaluation educates and transforms those who engage them by providing tools for the recruitment of awareness, self-determination, responsibility , professional skills.