During the planning stage of an evaluation, it is essential that the evaluator identify
all the various stakeholders and audiences for the evaluation. Involving the
stakeholders during the planning stage helps ensure that the evaluation addresses
appropriate concerns, and it assists the evaluator in identifying potential users. Further,
involving stakeholders at an early stage can help reduce their anxieties about
the evaluation and allows the evaluator to learn how different groups perceive the
program. Recognition of audiences beyond the immediate stakeholders can also
help the evaluator to consider future dissemination of results. In this section, we
discuss the identification and involvement of these groups.