Overview
In 2016, as follow up to “Evaluation Use in the UN System: Conclusions from the Data”, the UNEG Evaluation Use Working Group decided to develop a guidance/ principles document for stakeholder engagement.
This Working Paper provides seven general principles for stakeholder engagement in the conduct of any evaluation, taking into account the results from the aforementioned study, the 2016 Norms and Standards for Evaluation and other global evaluation standards.
The seven general principles for stakeholder engagement are:
- Principle 1. Identify the stakeholders and the role these will play in the evaluation.
- Principle 2: Promote an inclusive and diverse stakeholder engagement with a tailored approach by stakeholder
- Principle 3. Engage stakeholders early on and throughout the evaluation process
- Principle 4. Seek opportunities to engage with stakeholders in order promote an evaluation culture
- Principle 5. Ensure communication with stakeholders is clear and tailored to their specific needs
- Principle 6. Abide to the highest ethical standards in engaging with evaluation stakeholders, ensuring respect and sensitivity to stakeholder’s diversity and human rights
- Principle 7. Seek and use stakeholders’ feedback on the evaluation process for effective learning and continuous improvement of evaluation practice
These suggested principles were drawn from the practical experience of the participating UNEG members and global good practices in the evaluation field (i.e. key principles of participatory approaches).