How does stakeholder feedback improve evaluation findings?

Stakeholder feedback plays a crucial role in enhancing the validity of evaluation findings by offering practical insights that reflect the experiences, perspectives, and needs of those directly involved with or affected by the program. When stakeholders, such as program participants, community members, or funders, provide their opinions and experiences, evaluators gain a deeper understanding of the context in which the program operates. This input helps to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement that may not be evident through quantitative measures alone.

Furthermore, stakeholder feedback can guide evaluators to refine their evaluation questions, making them more relevant to the community context. It also fosters a sense of ownership among stakeholders, encouraging their engagement in the evaluation process and increasing the likelihood that the findings will be used to inform future actions or adjustments to the program. Ultimately, incorporating stakeholder perspectives enriches the quality and robustness of the evaluation outcomes, leading to more actionable and applicable results for continuous program improvement.