Engage Stakeholders
Involving stakeholders in every stage of your evaluation builds buy-in, gives a voice to those affected by the program, and ensures that the evaluation is useful to the greatest number of people.
Who Are Your Key Stakeholders?
- People who support and carry out the program: collaborative partners, program managers, staff
- People served or affected by the program, as well as other service providers and partner organizations
- Decision-makers: people who are in a position to create change, take action, or decide funding, such as your leadership/governance boards, funders, and policy makers
How Do You Engage Stakeholders?
Bring your stakeholders together for an in-person meeting to kick off your evaluation planning. A great first question is "What does success for this program look like to you?"
Stakeholders can advise on evaluation design and directly participate in the evaluation itself, either by gathering or helping interpret data.
Case Study
The Health Connect program team identified their stakeholders and brought them together for an in-person meeting to explore their role in the evaluation and their thoughts about program success.
Their conversation included questions like: What’s most important to you? What does success look like?
Download the How to Engage Stakeholders Case Study
