Factors that influence the effectiveness of program evaluation in higher education and eight recommendations for program evaluation are considered. Currently, program evaluation is characterized by negotiation because of three powerful concepts: the nature of multiple constructions and multiple realities; the influence of power distributions throughout higher education institutions; and the role of politics. The theory of multiple realities proposes that participants in organizations create realities about the organization that are based on multiple and often conflicting value systems. Evaluators must take each construction into account and recognize that no single reality exists for the organization. Power is not limited to those who have the funds of authority to commission evaluations, since others can give or withhold information or sway opinion. Since organizational politics is integral to the group's functioning, evaluations cannot avoid politics. Implications and recommendations include: evaluators must understand that evaluation is not research but a teaching/learning process; evaluation is a continuous and divergent process; evaluation not only uncovers various reality constructions but creates realities; evaluation is an emergent process; and program evaluation is a collaborative process between equals. (SW)