Frequently Asked Questions

A general rule of thumb used to be that when you were producing a budget for your project or service, that a minimum of ten per cent of the total value of the project should be set aside for monitoring and evaluation. Nowadays, many MEL (monitoring, evaluation, and learning) professionals consider this too low. 

However, much depends on the nature of your project or service, the purpose of the evaluation, and the other resources - including existing sources of data - that you have. If you have less than what the experts suggest, you should still be able to have a useful evaluation, but you will have to prioritise. Start by understanding who is going to use the evaluation, and what for.

Most funders will not fund work that has already taken place, or the costs incurred when applying for a grant. If a fundraiser or consultant suggests such an arrangement, please consider getting independent advice before agreeing to this.

If your organisation works with vulnerable or disadvantaged groups AND you require advice on research or evaluation, I will be holding some research and evaluation surgeries that you can book onto over the coming year. Information on dates and how to book will be available in late September.