Eval Academy Week: Why We Started Eval Academy – Building Capacity to Strengthen Evaluation Practice by Stephanie Spencer

Date: Saturday, January 18, 2025

I’m Stephanie, Project Lead at Three Hive Consulting and Eval Academy Coordinator. In 2020, we launched Eval Academy to share tools, resources, and lessons developed through our evaluation consulting. Our mission: to build evaluation capacity among evaluators, clients, and organizations, making evaluation more accessible, actioned and valued. In this final post of Eval Academy week, I’ll share lessons from starting Eval Academy and how it can support your practice.

Why We Focus on Building Evaluation Capacity

Through our consulting work, we’ve seen that evaluation is approached from different starting points. Some clients are new to the process, while others have experience but lack tools to streamline their work. Similarly, evaluators often benefit from resources that bridge theory and practice. Therefore, Eval Academy focuses on three core areas:

1. Building awareness of evaluation: Helping clients see evaluation as a tool for growth, not just compliance.
2. Empowering other evaluators: Sharing tools and insights that make evaluation more efficient and impactful.
3. Strengthening our practice: Reflecting on lessons and continuously improving our approach.

Lessons Learned From Starting Eval Academy

1. We tried to meet people where they are

Evaluation capacity-building starts with understanding the needs of those engaging with evaluation. At Eval Academy, we aim to make evaluation accessible to everyone, from young and emerging evaluators, to experienced professionals and program staff new to the field.

Hot Tips

• Simplify: Tools like templates and guides can clarify complex concepts. For example, a step-by-step logic model template ensures clients and evaluators can easily map expected changes without feeling overwhelmed.
• Adapt to your audience: Whether working with a program manager or a fellow evaluator, tailor your language and approach. Avoid jargon and focus on relatable examples.

2. We focused on practical application

Evaluation is useful when it leads to actionable insights. This means going beyond theory to equip evaluators and clients with practical tools. We prioritize resources that tackle practical evaluation needs, such as designing surveys, creating evaluation plans, and interpreting data to support decision-making

Hot Tips

• Design tools for immediate use: Create practical resources that address your clients’ needs. For example, a step-by-step checklist for data collection or a reporting template can streamline the process and support action.
• Focus on driving change: Ensure your tools and approaches not only evaluate outcomes, but provide an opportunity for growth. For example, including recommendations or next steps can help clients transition findings to action.

3. We recognized that collaboration is key

Evaluation doesn’t happen in isolation. Strong evaluations rely on diverse voices and perspectives. Eval Academy reinforced to us how essential collaboration is, not just in our consulting work, but in how we create and share resources for the evaluation community.

Hot Tips

• Create learning opportunities: Collaboration isn’t just with clients, it’s also for evaluators. Sharing lessons and resources with peers strengthens our collective understanding.
• Co-create with clients: Evaluation tools and processes are most effective when designed in partnership with those who will use them.

4. We embed evaluation into organizational culture

We aim to help clients see evaluation as integral to their culture because it drives learning, improvement, and informed decision-making. Evaluation is most impactful when woven into how organizations plan, operate, and grow.

Hot Tips

• Foster understanding: Shift the narrative from “evaluation as accountability” to “evaluation as learning and growth”. This supports clients to engage with the process.
• Promote continuous learning: Encourage clients to see evaluation as ongoing rather than a one-time event.
• Build capacity, not dependency: Equip clients with tools and knowledge to conduct their own evaluations, ensuring sustainability after the engagement ends.

What steps can you take to make evaluation more accessible and impactful?

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