Have you ever gone digging for diamonds?

A few hours north of me in Arkansas, people do it all the time. Sounds like a fun Saturday!

I do enjoy uncovering valuable things, which is why I love evaluating grant projects.

Here are 4 diamonds uncovered by evaluation:

1) Evaluation uncovers your capabilities.

YOU are the diamond! Evaluation reveals to funding agencies and other stakeholders the real results of you and your team's work. This helps you in the “long game” of external funding, growing relationships so you can keep your great work going.

2) Evaluation uncovers if you’re on track.

You want to know how your project is going long before the annual report is due. Evaluation shows you if you are accomplishing what you want to accomplish all along the way.

3) Evaluation uncovers process improvements.

Data systems, paperwork, communication channels, team member roles. Evaluation can provide helpful recommendations to streamline all of these areas, especially valuable when you are leading a large-scale project.

4) Evaluation uncovers new partners.

An evaluator external to your project brings all of their past experience on similar projects, plus their own network of contacts. You can learn of new ideas, peers, partners, and funders for future projects.

Which of these diamonds is most important on your projects today? Whether you do your own evaluation, choose an internal colleague to take this role, or call an external evaluator like me, I hope you'll find the diamonds you're looking for.

Photo by Amsterdam City Archives on Unsplash