‘A Balancing Act’: Resolving Multiple Stakeholder Interests in Program Evaluation

Abstract

Attempting to balance multiple stakeholder interests in program evaluation presents many challenges. The views of different stakeholders as part of a reference group, or multiple stakeholder voices within a sector, are often diverse and reflect different political and organisational interests. In order to ensure that the evaluation product is widely accepted, and thereby utilised, these differences need to be recognised, and mediated. To work effectively with multiple stakeholders in this manner, the evaluator requires well developed negotiation skills. This paper argues that negotiation is an essential component to the planning stage of an evaluation, and that strategic steps need to be taken early in the evaluation process to ensure consensus is developed in stakeholder expectations regarding methodology and outcomes from the evaluation. This article will put forward a number of negotiation principles for evaluation practice which view the evaluator as enabling stakeholders to appreciate all positions, including that of the evaluator, with consensus emerging from increased understanding and consciousness raising.