- Look for an evaluator who is a clear communicator, and can discuss evaluation in terms you can understand.
- Professional evaluators collaborate together at conferences and other engagements, and can provide you with fresh ideas to evaluate your programs.
- In accordance with The Guiding Principles for Evaluators, evaluators continuously develop their evaluation competencies through professional development courses or other training opportunities.
- Prior to beginning any evaluation activity, consider what the goals are of the program or other area you are evaluating, and what your information needs are for that program.
- Specify the best means of communication and reporting with your evaluator to ensure seamless information exchange.
- Be clear about your intent to all stakeholders.
- Be open and willing to use the results of an evaluation.
- Be open to change.
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- Look for an evaluator who is not only competent in what he or she does, but who has confidence in your organization and respective programs - someone who wants to help your organization succeed.
- Evaluation is known by many different terms, such as performance improvement, review, and tracking. An evaluator can help explain the concept in terms you can readily understand.
- Discuss with an evaluator any ethical concerns you have about a project before proceeding.
- Take the time to brainstorm ideas with an evaluator on the optimal approach to an evaluation, and ask a lot of questions to increase your understanding.
- Although much evaluation work can be accomplished electronically, be sure to make time to meet in person with your evaluator from time to time to exchange information or ideas, and to discuss the progress of your evaluation project.
- Before brushing off a new idea, investigate why that idea didn't work in the past, and how your circumstances have changed.
- Learn about what you are evaluating from the start.
- Invest in planning.
- Building trust with an evaluator helps that person understand your needs as an organization and can bring greater objectivity, precision, and usefulness to an evaluation.
- Look for an evaluator who brings enthusiasm and life to an evaluation or other project. This helps infuse new ideas for improvement into the organization.
- Select an evaluator who is serious about professional development - individually and in collaboration with colleagues.
- When contracting for evaluation services, keep in mind the quality and value you receive.
- With proper training from an evaluation consultant, your organization can become self-sufficient with regard to your evaluation needs.
- Look for an evaluator who listens to your organizational needs, and then makes recommendations as necessary.
- Look for an evaluator who keeps his or her professional skills current, to include evaluation, consulting, management, and communication.
- Make meetings meaningful.
- Work with your evaluator to decide who the stakeholders are and their degree of involvement in the evaluation or project.
- Anecdotes or stories are an excellent way to get your ideas across with an evaluator and with your staff.
- Consider subscribing to various consultants' websites for tips on evaluation, organizational development, or other topics.
- An evaluator makes recommendations; you as the stakeholder and client choose to accept or reject those recommendations to any degree.
- The evaluation reporting process is flexible to accommodate your organizational needs, so do not hesitate to discuss with the evaluator a particular reporting style or protocol that you prefer.
- Discuss with the evaluator various consulting experiences as they pertain to your organization to get an idea of philosophy, work style, and usefulness.
- Look for an evaluator who brings value to your organization - someone who helps translate information into knowledge you can use to be more effective in your business.
- Look for an evaluator who will provide useful recommendations you can implement immediately to make a difference in your business.
- Ask "What if" questions about your program to know how to evaluate relevant aspects of it.
- When evaluating productivity and development, consider professional development as an investment in your organization's future.
- Make sure that people can identify with your program (evaluate that aspect).
- Don't be afraid to act on the results of an evaluation regardless of the outcome of that evaluation.
- Learn to ask "Why" as a problem-solving tool for your program. Asking why is the first step in evaluation.
- Set realistic expectations when designing an evaluation.
- Coordinate with the evaluator regarding your reporting protocol or preferences.
- Keep up with reading in your profession, as well as on evaluation of aspects of your work. An evaluator can recommend books or articles to peak your interest and inform your business.
- Include all decision makers when discussing a project.
- Look for an evaluation consultant who not only consults or completes projects, but who also teaches the skills and significance of evaluation via seminars, speaking engagements, etc.
- An evaluation consulting contract is typically made with the organization, not with a specific person in that organization.
- A meeting is as much about people's thoughts, ideas, and attitudes as it is about getting things done.
- The client should be in charge of meetings due to the decision-making nature of some meetings.
- Don't decline evaluation services just because you cannot afford to pay due to the economic downturn. With corporate restructuring and refinement, you can't afford NOT to enlist the help of a consultant. Together the two of you can work out something, such as an exchange for in-kind services.
- An evaluation consultant will help you understand how your programs relate to your organization's internal and external vision.
- Evaluation is a lot more than finance and numbers.
- Ensure you take into account the views of all stakeholders when looking at a particular program.
- Focus on the particulars of the evaluation scope. Informal conversations or opinions do not change the scope of work.
- The evaluation consultant makes every effort to ensure that you understand the evaluation process and the results, conclusions, and recommendations at the end. However, it is your job as the client to speak up if there is anything you don't understand.
- Be willing to give referrals to consultants who do good work for your organization; also be willing to discuss with him or her areas where the consultant can improve.
- Make clear the unclear from the start.
- Learn about what you are evaluating from the start (the subject matter).
- Invest in planning.
- Communicate your intentions and expectations for the evaluation program.
- Ensure your evaluations are in line with the organizational vision and strategy
- Work with evaluators in the strategic planning process
- Respect confidentiality in the evaluation process
- Be 100% ethical 100% of the time
- The tone of the organization often determines success in the evaluation process
- Be open to new suggestions to old problems
- Evaluation helps you understand what worked, why it worked, and what it means for your organization
- Always clarify intellectual property rights BEFORE the project begins
- Evaluation is about continually building knowledge to help propel your organization forward
- Get to know the evaluator you choose to work with, and allow him or her to get to know you - before, during, and after the project
- Get to know your own evaluation lingo.
- Change comes one step at a time - understand how evaluation results fit into the big picture.
- Evaluation helps you learn new information about how your program is doing.
- Talk to an evaluator about evaluation issues. You wouldn't go to Home Depot to talk to someone about a health problem, so why not go straight to the evaluation source to address your evaluation needs?
- Like management or business consultants, evaluation consultants are not performance bonded.
- Spend time talking and associating with people at all levels of your organization. You will likely gain much information and perspective on your programs and goals. You will also be able to evaluate those things more productively.
- Evaluation can help you promote your organization
- Don't presume you know how your stakeholders feel about your product, process, or service - EVALUATE
- The lowest bidder is not always the best one to evaluate your products - look for quality - you get what you pay for
- Don't only take evaluation results at face value - look at the big picture
- Always keep in mind the intended and unintended outcomes of a project
- Needs analyses help you get a baseline snapshot of the program before you evaluate it
- Seek to help, not to please
- Be willing to give the evaluator feedback on how the evaluation process went - good evaluators evaluate themselves, too
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