Locating and Hiring an Evaluator for Your Grant

Evaluation is a team effort. Evaluators work with program staff to develop research questions, logic models, evaluation designs and plans, data collection instruments, sampling plans, analysis plans, and reports.

This brief outlines considerations for choosing a third-party evaluator, an in-house evaluator, or some combination of the two. It provides guidance for determining the resources available for evaluation, assigning roles and responsibilities, and finding a qualified evaluator who has the content knowledge to understand your program.

Suggestions include preparing a clear job description, exploring universities and research firms, networking and learning from the experiences of others who have worked with evaluators, and consulting national organizations that may offer qualified consultants or staff.