Using Consultants
Using consultants can be helpful, but only if you know what you want them to do. This section will help you to:
- work out what you need from an external evaluation, and
- write an effective brief.
Getting Started
Do you know why evaluation is important? Are staff and managers motivated to get started? Do you have clear statements about the difference you want to make as an organisation?
Collecting Information
Do you have statements that help you recognise the impact that you have? Do you have the right systems to enable you to measure what you do, and the difference that you make?
Using Consultants (Optional)
Do you know what you want from an external evaluation, and can you communicate that? Do you know how to go about commissioning consultants?
Analysing & Reporting
Do you know how to analyse the information you collect? Can you write a report about what you've done and the difference you've made?
Learn from your Findings
Do you know how to use the findings to improve your service? Do you know how to share your findings with others?
Find a Consultant
Evaluation Support Scotland are unable to do an evaluation for you! You can use the search facility below to find consultants who can do external evaluations. We do NOT endorse or provide our own judgement on consultants or verify what they say about themselves.
Are you a consultant providing evaluation services?
Resources
Case Studies
ESS Case Study: Hearts and Minds (using consultants)
Hearts & Minds work to promote the quality of life for people in hospital and hospice care. It delivers participative arts-in-health programmes: the Clowndoctors programme for children in ...
ESS Support Guides
ESS Support Guide 5.1: Getting the best from an external evaluation
This guide covers how you can get the best from an external evaluation, it considers the need for an external consultant, hiring an external consultant, the evaluation budget, managing the ...
Online Training
Getting the Best from External Evaluation
This e-course is primarily designed for voluntary organisations and funders working or based in Scotland who are considering employing an external evaluation consultant. The course is ...
Thematic Guides and resources
CES Guidance Papers: Quality and Evaluation in Community and Voluntary organisations
Written but the Charities Evaluation Services (CES) in June 2005. Guidance Paper 1: How much should we expect to pay for an external evaluation? This paper sets out ...
Paul Hamlyn Foundation Evaluation Resource Pack
This comprehensive pack from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation takesd the reader through the whole process of evaluation. It is clearly written and well explained, covering the pros and cons of a ...
The W.K Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook
This handbook provides a fairly in-depth look at some basic questions, such as the limitations of scientific methods in evaluation. One of the key aims of evaluation for the Kellogg ...
Tools
Getting the Best from External Evaluation
This e-course is primarily designed for voluntary organisations and funders working or based in Scotland who are considering employing an external evaluation consultant. The course is ...
If you cannot find what you are looking for or do not know where to start, please contact us using our support request form
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