106 - We have the data, Now what? Engaging new stakeholder voices in the interpretation and use of evaluation findings

Abstract Information: The interpretation phase of an evaluation project offers opportunity to incorporate and lift up stakeholder voices in a meaningful way. Facilitating activities and discussions that enable organizational and community stakeholders to make meaning of evaluation findings, share their perspectives, and contribute to decision-making based on evaluation evidence has multiple benefits, including: increasing buy-in to evaluation processes, building evaluation capacity, and fostering a culture of learning. In this poster, we will share specific examples of strategies we have employed to amplify and empower stakeholder voices in the interpretation and use of evaluation data. We will also invite you to share your own experiences leading participatory sensemaking activities. Together, we will discuss: What methods are effective and ineffective in engaging new voices in evaluation? In what ways can meaning-making sessions build evaluation buy-in and capacity within an organization? What are the challenges in facilitating interpretation of evaluation findings with non-evaluators?