What is a primary concern for program evaluators when engaging stakeholders?

A primary concern for program evaluators when engaging stakeholders is to maintain the relevance and accountability of findings. This focus ensures that the evaluation process effectively addresses the needs and interests of all stakeholders involved. Engaging stakeholders effectively allows evaluators to gather diverse perspectives, which can lead to more comprehensive and meaningful findings.

By prioritizing relevance, evaluators can ensure that the evaluation addresses questions and issues that are significant to stakeholders, thereby enhancing the utility of the results. Accountability is also crucial as stakeholders often have a vested interest in the evaluation outcomes, and maintaining transparency in methods and findings fosters trust in the evaluation process.

This concern also aligns with ethical considerations in program evaluation, where honoring the perspectives of stakeholders and producing credible, applicable findings is vital. When stakeholders feel that their interests and needs have been considered in the evaluation, the likelihood of buy-in and willingness to act on the findings is increased, leading to better outcomes for the program and the community it serves.