How to Write an Evaluation Plan Using GrantCraft's Step 6

Why Evaluation Plans Make or Break Grant Proposals

The evaluation plan is one of the most commonly underdeveloped sections in grant proposals. Many applicants treat it as an afterthought, adding a paragraph about "collecting data" at the end of their narrative without specifying what data, how it will be collected, who will analyze it, or how findings will inform the program. This is a mistake that costs organizations funding every cycle. Reviewers read evaluation plans carefully because they reveal whether an organization is serious about accountability and learning.

Step 6 of the GrantCraft Proposal Builder is specifically designed to help you develop a rigorous, realistic evaluation plan. It prompts you through the key decisions you need to make and helps you present those decisions in the language reviewers expect.

Understanding the Two Types of Evaluation

Before you begin writing, you need to understand the distinction between process evaluation and outcome evaluation, because most funders expect you to address both.

Process Evaluation (Formative)

Process evaluation examines how your program is being implemented. It asks questions like: Are you reaching your target population? Are activities being delivered as planned? Are participants completing the program? What barriers are you encountering? This type of evaluation provides real-time feedback that allows you to make adjustments during the grant period rather than discovering problems at the end.

Outcome Evaluation (Summative)

Outcome evaluation measures whether your program achieved the changes it intended. It asks: Did participants demonstrate improved skills? Did the target indicators move in the expected direction? Were the changes statistically significant? Outcome evaluation requires baseline data, comparison points, and validated measurement tools. For a comprehensive exploration of evaluation frameworks, see our guide on evaluation methods and implementation science.

Building Your Evaluation Plan Step by Step

Step 1: Start with Your Objectives

Your evaluation plan should map directly to the objectives you defined earlier in your proposal. For each objective, identify the specific indicator you will measure, the data source you will use, the frequency of data collection, and the target or threshold that defines success. If you used the GrantCraft Proposal Builder to write your SMART objectives, this mapping process becomes straightforward because each objective already contains a measurable indicator and timeline. Our guide on SMART objectives and specific aims walks through this connection in detail.

Step 2: Select Your Data Collection Methods

Choose methods appropriate to what you are measuring:

• Surveys and questionnaires: Best for measuring attitudes, perceptions, satisfaction, and self-reported behavior changes. Use validated instruments when available.
• Pre- and post-tests: Measure knowledge or skill gains by assessing participants before and after the intervention.
• Administrative data: Attendance records, enrollment data, completion rates, and service delivery logs measure program implementation fidelity.
• Interviews and focus groups: Provide qualitative context that helps explain quantitative findings. Particularly valuable for understanding participant experience.
• Observational assessments: Trained observers rate participant performance, classroom quality, or program delivery using standardized rubrics.
• Archival data: School records, health records, or public data sources that provide external validation of your findings.

Step 3: Define Your Evaluation Design

Describe the overall design of your evaluation. Will you use a simple pre-post design comparing participants to themselves before and after the program? A quasi-experimental design with a comparison group? A randomized controlled trial? Most community-based programs use pre-post or quasi-experimental designs, which are realistic and acceptable to most funders. Be honest about the limitations of your design and explain how you will address threats to validity.

Step 4: Address Who Will Conduct the Evaluation

Funders want to know whether the evaluation will be conducted by internal staff or an external evaluator. External evaluation is often preferred for larger grants because it provides independent validation of findings. If you plan to use an external evaluator, name them if possible and describe their qualifications. If the evaluation will be internal, explain who on your staff has evaluation expertise and how you will ensure objectivity.

Step 5: Describe How Findings Will Be Used

This is the element most applicants forget. Funders do not just want to know that you will collect data. They want to know how you will use it. Describe your process for reviewing evaluation data on a regular basis, making program adjustments based on findings, reporting results to stakeholders, and contributing to the broader evidence base in your field. This demonstrates that evaluation is integral to your program, not a compliance exercise.

Common Evaluation Plan Mistakes to Avoid

• Promising more than you can deliver: Do not propose a randomized controlled trial if you lack the resources and expertise to conduct one. A well-executed simple design is better than a poorly executed complex one.
• Vague measurement language: Statements like "we will track outcomes" mean nothing without specifying which outcomes, using which instruments, at which time points.
• Ignoring baseline data: You cannot measure change without a starting point. Describe when and how you will collect baseline data.
• Forgetting the budget: Evaluation costs money. Make sure your budget includes line items for evaluation staff time, data collection tools, external evaluator fees, and data management systems.

Use GrantCraft to Build Your Evaluation Plan

Step 6 of the GrantCraft Proposal Builder prompts you through each of these decisions in sequence, ensuring your evaluation plan is comprehensive and aligned with the rest of your proposal. Pair it with the submission checklist to verify that your evaluation section meets all funder requirements before you submit.

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