29 Sep How to Find an External Evaluator By: AGS Grant Staff

Many organizations lack the qualified staff to conduct a program evaluation. While some organizations do have the capacity and expertise, many need to contract with an external evaluator for one or several reasons. For instance, using an external evaluator can be more economical and efficient, can provide a more credible report due to objectivity, and is sometimes a grant requirement.

What to Do Before Beginning Your Search

Because different types of evaluation require different types of evaluators, think carefully about the type of evaluation you want to conduct.

• To determine impact by using a large amount of quantitative data, the evaluator should be skilled in quantitative analysis.
• To understand implementation challenges and opportunities or gain insight, the evaluator should be skilled in qualitative analysis and communication.
• To determine the extent to which a program met goals, make implementation refinements for improvements, or monitor activities for reporting, the evaluator should be skilled in both quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as communication and innovation.
• To determine the effects of activities or the program’s value, the evaluator should be skilled in both quantitative and qualitative analysis, very credible, and able to interpret recommendations from results.

How to Find an Evaluator

There are several ways to find an evaluator. Associations, such as the American Evaluation Association or American Education Research Association, allow you to search for evaluators in your area, by type of evaluation, or by specialization. If you are in an area with a college or university, you might want to check to see if there are professors or other evaluation specialists who provide evaluation services. Look for college departments or institutes that focus on research, evaluation, community or resource development, policy, or analytics. Sometimes, a professor of math, statistics, education, or sociology will conduct evaluation work. One of the most effective methods of finding an evaluator is to use your connections by asking people you know and trust if they have worked with an evaluator that they recommend.

How to Select an Evaluator

After you identify a pool of potential evaluators, you can interview each, called sole sourcing. Alternatively, you can develop a request for proposals (RFP), send it out to everyone in the pool, and then review the proposals to find the evaluator with the best fit. You might interview those who make the final list if it is difficult to select one. If you choose not to issue an RFP, determine how you will assess qualifications and evaluation style. Some items to consider include:

• Qualifications: The evaluator should have a master’s or doctorate degree in a field such as evaluation, public health, sociology, or anthropology.
• Skills: The evaluator should have experience evaluating similar programs. Ask for examples of previous work to get an idea of their quality writing style. The evaluator should be able to write for a variety of audiences. The writing, tables, and figures should be clear, concise, and jargon-free, and the layout should be attractive.
• Capacity: Having a cadre of well-trained staff or consultants, the necessary equipment, and infrastructure indicates that the evaluator is prepared to take on the evaluation. You can determine more about their professionalism by website appearance, letterhead quality, promptness in returning calls, and quality of written communications.
• Collaboration: Regardless of the preferred method (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method), the evaluator should actively foster collaboration. Will they share drafts for your feedback? Will you be involved in planning the design, methods, and procedures?
• Fit: Does the evaluator complement organizational culture?
• Standards: Remove evaluators from your list if they are unfamiliar with the American Evaluation Association’s Guiding Principles for Evaluators.
• References: Many people list friends who give wonderful referrals, regardless of whether they have even worked together on an evaluation project. References should say that they found the evaluator to be responsive, reliable, a good communicator, and a collaborator.

You can find other blog posts in this series here. AGS also offers several on-demand webinars on a variety of topics to support the full grant cycle, including several Evaluation Training topics! Check out our website to learn more and sign up for our training newsletter.

If you are interested in grant services, training, or federal review services, or are interested in our career opportunities,  Julie Assel, CGMS, GPC, President/CEO will be happy to talk with you about this opportunity and provide you with a quote for grant services.

AGS blogs, funding alerts, and trainings are aligned with the Grant Professional Certification Institute’s Competencies and Skills.

• Competency #4: Knowledge of how to craft, construct, and submit an effective grant application; Skill 4.11: Identify evaluation models and components appropriate to grant applications.
• Competency #8: Knowledge of methods and strategies that cultivate and maintain relationships between fund-seeking and recipient organizations and funders; Skill 8.4: Identify methods for collaborative efforts among the grant manager, program manager, and support staff during funder site visits and site evaluations.
• Competency #5: Knowledge of post-award grant management practices sufficient to inform effective grant design and development; Skill 5.4: Identify methods of establishing transitions to post-award implementation that fulfill project applications (e.g., document transfer, accuracy in post-award fiscal and activity reporting)

Adapted from Esperion Healthcare Group and Healthcare Georgia Foundation. (2014). Selecting and Working with an External Evaluation. Publication Number 85.