The funny thing about evaluation capacity building projects is that, if you do them well, you will eventually work yourself out of a job. Sometimes that is exactly why we are hired. We are asked to provide support and training so that a client’s team can eventually conduct evaluation on their own. Other times a client’s portfolio and interest in evaluation grow to the point that it simply makes the most sense to establish a new and internal evaluator position. Our current portfolio of projects includes both types. Each of these scenarios will eventually result in the loss of a client or a shift from an evaluator to an advisory role. Even so, they still feel like a win to me – they reflect a recognition and appreciation for evaluation and the important role that it can play in how decisions are made. And for a data geek like me, what could be better than that?
Becoming obsolete – the ultimate impact of evaluation capacity building?
