An effective way to engage stakeholders is by establishing a consultative and advisory group, often called a reference group, as outlined in the UN Women Guidance. Evaluation Reference Groups are “participatory spaces established for the systematic involvement of relevant stakeholders in the evaluation process.” The key to successful use of reference or advisory groups is in the selection of participants and the clear definition of their roles and responsibilities.
The manager can use the stakeholder analysis to aid in the selection of a reference group and to define its role throughout the evaluation. The reference group is generally composed of key representatives from national government counterparts, partners, CSOs, women’s organisations, beneficiaries, programme managers, other UN Agencies and/ or donors. Their role(s) can vary, for example to include decision making, providing contextual or technical expertise and / or aiding in evaluation dissemination and use. The manager, convening the reference group, needs to ensure that there is clear understanding amongst the reference group on how they will contribute the evaluation process.
The first step is often the involvement of the reference group in the development of the evaluation terms of reference which define the nature and scope of the evaluation.
Stakeholders can also be involved in the collection of information or data in evaluation. Participatory evaluation methods can be employed by the evaluation team, should the specific evaluation parameters, timing and money permit. For example, a community based program solicited and trained street youth to conduct a survey of their peers in the context of an evaluation of a street youth program. The approach had the benefit of building skills in the selected youth and improving data quantity and quality because more individuals were willing to provide input and the overall caliber of the information was felt to be less guarded (than had the survey been done by professional evaluators).
Finally, involving stakeholders in the development and finalization of evaluation recommendations and reports is an important key to successful use of the evaluation, as it increases ownership of actions in response to evaluation findings. It is also important to consider how widely the evaluation will be shared and communicated. Sometimes informants may be unwilling to share information if they will not have access to the report, or sensitive information may be withheld if there are fears it will be widely circulated and may be perceived to be detrimental to the interests of some stakeholders.
The participation of all stakeholders in the evaluation process can be challenging to manage, and may have cost and time implications. However, it is instrumental to building trust and promoting evaluation use.
Tips: Reference groups – keep the numbers small; ensure the group understands its role and members have the time to fulfill their responsibilities (commitment); create an environment that encourages group members to challenge the evaluation and each other in a respectful, constructive manner; ensure the group’s leader(s) provide leadership in making good use of members time and expertise.
