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In North America, neighbourhood youth centres typically offer essential community-based programs to disadvantaged and marginalized populations. In addition to providing pro-social and supportive environments, they provide a host of educational and skill-development opportunities and interventions that build self-esteem, increase positive life relationships and experiences, and address social determinants of health. However, evaluators of such centres often have to work with moving changes in temporal components (i.e., service users, services, programs, and outcomes) that are unique and idiosyncratic to the mandate of the centre. Although there is an abundance of research on youth programs in general, there is a void in the literature on drop-in programs specifically, which this study aims to address. The lack of empirical research in this area inhibits knowledge about the processes of these centres. For this reason, the article concludes that process evaluation methods may be effectively used to substantiate the practice skills, knowledge, and managerial competencies of those responsible for program implementation.

This study explores the current trend or incorporating service user data into program evaluations. Using a case Study approach and citing three years of evaluation data of the Trauma Program at Sault Ste, Marie General Hospital, northern Ontario, the author challenges the traditional assumptions that promote service user data in program evaluations. The main conclusion is that although service user data is touted as being important, its political importance far outweigh,; its evaluation value Slid utility in particular with hard-to-access samples. Implications are directed toward evaluators, administrators, and policy makers.