In short: Working with an evaluator follows a known rhythm, and a good one starts from the records you already keep without judging the state they're in.
What it is really like to work with an evaluator, from the first call to the final report. These pages cover the rhythm of an engagement, what the evaluator needs from you, and what a good partnership produces.
A grant evaluation runs across the whole award, from the first question asked to the funder's annual report, and the plan can change when the program does.
Most organizations already hold enough to show whether a program is working, and the first task is telling outputs and outcomes apart.
A report gets read when it answers the question the reader arrived with, and a credible impact story carries evidence and context alongside the human account.
Boards, communities, and accreditors each need something different from the same results, and sharing results with a community carries obligations a board briefing doesn't.