What have we learned about stakeholder involvement in program evaluation?

This paper synthesizes the existing literature on stakeholder involvement in program evaluation, drawing a basic distinction between deep involvement of a few versus less active involvement of a broad range of stakeholders. The paper then comments on the case studies described in this special issue and integrates them with previously published evidence to offer a summary of key factors in the often complex task of ensuring stakeholder involvement. These key factors provide some explanation for the successes and failures documented. They center around process characteristics, evaluator skills, stakeholder predispositions, and contextual prerequisites.