Why I Don’t Want to Do Your Evaluation For You
At some point, I realized I didn’t want to do evaluations for accidental evaluators—my kindred spirits—anymore. That model felt transactional. It was like mining: extracting information, crafting a report, and then leaving. I’d take my resources away when the evaluation was over, leaving behind a few polished gems but no sustainable way forward.
Instead, I shifted to a coaching approach, grounded in collaboration, co-creation, and building capacity for lasting impact. Here’s why….
Demystifying Evaluation: Practical Tools for Purpose-Driven Professionals
or many purpose-driven professionals, the idea of evaluation can feel overwhelming or like a drain on already stretched resources. With multiple priorities to juggle, tracking impact might seem like just another item on the to-do list. But evaluation doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In fact, it can be inspiring and energizing, providing fresh insights and a renewed sense of purpose. With a few intentional, systematic practices, you can start gathering meaningful insights about your work—whether you’re working solo or with a team.
A Call to White Women: A Time for Unity, Allyship, and Inner Work.
Now, I want to speak directly to my fellow heterosexual, cisgender white women. We have a unique role to play here, one that requires us to dig deeper—not only to stand with those most at risk but also to examine and address our own racial reactivity. We have a reservoir of resilience and compassion to draw from, and we need to tap into it fully so we can be allies in ways that uplift, support, and don’t inadvertently harm.
Coaching the Accidental Evaluator: Making Evaluation Accessible and Meaningful
In my journey as an evaluation coach and practitioner, I often meet professionals who have unexpectedly found themselves in the role of “evaluator.” Perhaps they began as social workers, community organizers, or educators, focused on supporting individuals and strengthening communities. Evaluation may not have been a part of their original job description, yet, over time, it became essential to assess the impact of their work and make data-driven decisions. These are what I lovingly call "accidental evaluators."