Distilling Stakeholder Input for Program Evaluation Priority Setting

Abstract

As few organizations have enough resources that they can pursue all evaluation questions of interest, the setting of priorities for evaluative work is a critical corporate function. Ideally, evaluation resources should be focused on studies that will most effectively advance the organization by pointing to potential for improved strategy or programming. Identifying what should be studied, and when, requires that the organization have clear feedback from stakeholders on program issues. However, ongoing input from stakeholders may be so filtered that it cannot effectively fuel the setting of evaluation priorities. An expert panel that has high credibility both within and without the organization, yet is at arms length to both the organization and external stakeholders, can bypass many communications filters and thus provide the organization with a distilled but clear reading of stakeholder concerns.