| Much of the work required
to make sense of the data you have collected can be
done by you and your staff. You know the most about
what you have collected and the audience you collected
it from. But, depending on what you need from the data,
you might want the assistance of experts in quantitative,
statistical analysis of numeric data as well as interpretive
analysis of qualitative data. |
|
Before beginning your search for a consultant to help
in analyzing your data, decide what kind of person is
best suited for the job. Should it be the program staff,
or should outside consultants be hired? A significant
benefit of outside consultants is that they can bring
a new perspective and fresh insights to the interpretation
of data and to the program. However, outside consultants
do not necessarily have to come from outside your organization.
Consultants within your organization who are not associated
with the particular program being evaluated and who
have no personal investment in the results of the evaluation
may serve your needs.
Tip:
Even when you use evaluation consultants, it is
important for program personnel to have a working
knowledge of the fundamentals of evaluation in
order to oversee the work of the evaluation consultant.
This includes understanding the evaluation objectives,
exactly who is the target population, and what
methods will be used. |
You also need to determine what skills you are seeking.
As with evaluators, analytic consultants come in many
forms, with a variety of specialties and backgrounds.
If your data are quantitative, you will be looking for
someone with knowledge of data processing and statistics.
If your data are qualitative, you will be looking for
someone with experience using qualitative software packages
and performing content analysis. But the consultant’s
skills may be even more specialized than that. For example,
some analysts specialize in the analysis of interviews
and focus groups, some in survey data, and some in follow-up
(longitudinal) analysis. Some consultants have experience
with all of these things.
When considering an analytic consultant, you want to
ask about each of the following:
- Ability to communicate with program staff
- Experience with data similar to the data from your
project
- Knowledge of appropriate software for use with your
data
- Samples of past data presentation
- Samples of past reports written
- References from other programs or organizations
For more about what you should look for in a suitable
consultant, review Decide Who Will Conduct
the Evaluation in the Evaluation Planning
section of The Power of Proof. |
