The participation of stakeholders of an evaluation can greatly enhance the quality of the evaluation, its findings and the use of those findings. Whether those stakeholders are the beneficiaries, funders or staff of a program, the unique perspectives of a diverse range of actors will provide context and insight about how a program is operating in a complex environment. An added benefit to increasing participation is the idea that, as an evaluator, you are contributing to people’s knowledge and skills about the evaluation process which they can apply to their own lives and work.
Where it is appropriate and ethical, Petten Consulting strives to reach an ideal state of the participation of a range of stakeholders in an evaluation project. We use various tools and methods to better understand how stakeholders impact a program, where their participation can enhance the findings of an evaluation, and what sort of activities can be done with each stakeholder group.