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STEP 1
Engage Stakeholders
CDC framework for evaluation steps cycle graphic represents the steps and standards. The standards are utility, feasibility, propriety, and accuracy. The steps are "Engage Stakeholders", "Describe the Program", "Focus Evaluation Design", "Gather Credible Evidence", "Justify conclusions", and "Use and Share Lessons Learned". "Use and Share Lessons Learned" is highligted in the graphic.
Program evaluation begins with understanding the interests of stakeholders and their role in the program and the evaluation.
Engaging stakeholders throughout the evaluation leads to more useful, relevant, and credible evaluation findings.
Identify Stakeholders
Stakeholders have vested interests in the program and are potentially affected by the program and its evaluation.
Use the following questions to help you identify your stakeholders.
Who is affected by the program?
Who is involved in implementing the program?
Who will use the evaluation results?
For more information about how to identify evaluation stakeholders, download the Identifying Evaluation Stakeholders worksheet.
Engage Key Stakeholders
The first step to engaging stakeholders is understanding what is important to them.
What are the stakeholders’ interests
and priorities related to this program?
What do the stakeholders see as the most
important evaluation questions at this time?
How will stakeholders use the results
of this evaluation?
What types of data or evidence do
stakeholders see as credible?
How do they want to be involved
in the evaluation?
Considerations when Engaging Stakeholders
In relation to the Evaluation Framework Standards, ask yourself the following questions:
Utility
Is it clear who will use the results, and how?
Feasibility
Will stakeholders be engaged in a feasible way, considering time and resources available?
Propriety
Are stakeholders who can provide perspectives engaged to ensure that the evaluation is ethical and that both negative and positive aspects are considered?
Accuracy
Are appropriate stakeholders engaged to paint an accurate and complete picture of the program?
Engaging Stakeholders
Although this is Step 1, it is an important component of every step. It leads to more useful, relevant, and credible evaluation findings.
For more ideas for engaging stakeholders throughout the evaluation process, download the Engaging Key Stakeholders Throughout the Evaluation worksheet.
For more information about identifying stakeholders, see CDC PPEO’s information about Step 1.
CDC Framework for Evaluation Steps
Click on a step below to discover more.
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