Evaluation

At its most simple level, evaluation is about being able to understand the impact of your activities and provides a way to evidence the value of those activities. From a governance perspective, evaluation should be a golden thread that runs throughout the practice of your organisation. This should include all areas of the organisation from the governance in place at the Board/Management Committee level, through staffing management, support and appraisal, and into the activities for which you receive any investment.

This section will look at different areas of evaluation and signpost additional learning which can support you and your Board/Management Committee to ensure that you have good governance at all levels of your organisation.

It is worth noting, that there are two terms here which are somewhat conflated so for clarity we will say:

• Project evaluation is the internal process by which you, as a service provider, can understand and measure the impact and outcomes of your work.
• Monitoring and evaluation is the process by which you report your activities to a funder.

Both are important, but good on-going project evaluation will allow you to provide high-quality monitoring at the appropriate times. Without good on-going project evaluation, monitoring can become chaotic and stressful.

Project Evaluation

Evaluation is the process through which you can understand the impact of your work.

The primary purpose of this activity should be to take a dispassionate look at the quality, impact, extent and outcomes from the work you carry out. It is important to understand that the aim of good evaluation is not only about telling the best story about the most positive aspects of your activities – learning from what doesn’t work or areas for improvement are just as important. There are many tools available for the development of your evaluation practice and Evaluation Support Scotland is a good starting point for understanding the role and value of evaluation.

In terms of good governance, a key role for the board/management committee is to understand the activities that are being carried out, how these are being delivered and any risks or challenges that have been presented through evaluation. For example, during the course of your evaluation, you might identify that there are challenges in delivering your activities to harder-to-reach geographic or thematic communities or that you are experiencing difficulties in building relationships with local public bodies or the like.

Some of these challenges might be systemic or could present a broader risk which might be better addressed on an organisational or local level in collaboration with other organisations or through your local TSI Of course, evaluation also includes being able to explain your successes. Internally this should include being able to provide detailed information about service delivery and can contribute to publicity, Board reports, membership reports or at your AGM etc.

A clear shared understanding, across the organisation which includes the reasons for the work as well as the impacts, will ensure that you can share consistent messages about your activities.

Monitoring and Evaluation

By contrast to project evaluation, ‘monitoring and evaluation’ is the process through which your organisation will offer evidence/report to funders. This will include information that you have retained throughout the year and will typically include financial reporting. This form part of the oversight process from the funder.

In terms of project evaluation this relies upon you providing clear evidence of the impact or outcomes of your activities, the numbers of people you have supported, the benefits that they have experienced as a result of the investment and can take a number of different forms.

Key points to bear in mind:

• Monitoring will take place on a fund-by-fund basis and relates directly to the investment provided by the funder. They want to be able to understand the impact of this specific investment.
• It is important to explain where things have gone well, but also to note where things might not have gone so well and the changes you have made to improve the quality of your service delivery.
• It is valuable to note any unexpected benefits from the work you have carried out or areas where you can see that additional work is needed.
• If you don’t understand something in the monitoring form, it’s a good idea to reach out to the relevant officer for clarity.
• Volunteer Involving Organisations (VIOs) should include information about the benefits to volunteers – including Trustees or Management Committee members.

Further Reading

Evaluation Support Scotland identifies five principles for good evaluation. They say that good evaluation should:

1. Be about what matters
2. Fit the way you do your work
3. Involve the people you support
4. Be used by you
5. Be communicated well

You will also find a self-assessment template to understand your evaluation practice and areas for improvement.

Furhter resources and links

Evaluation Support Scotland is a national, Scottish organisation which provides support to organisations to understand and improve their evaluation.