Presented by Jennifer Bisgard at 8th AfrEA International Conference in Kampala, Ghana.

1. Evaluation
ConsultingJennifer Bisgard, Khulisa Management Services
Introduction to
AfrEA Conference, Kampala Uganda March 28 2017

2. Stages
Inception Survival Growth &
Development
Maturity

3. Inception

4. Stage 1:
Inception
Are you an entrepreneur?

5. Are you?
Willing to
take risk
Tolerate
uncertainty
Persist & work
long hours
Ready to use
Cash reserves
Prepared
with Multiple
skill sets

6. Think analytically Don’t try to appeal to
everyone
Be honest with
yourself
Learn the lingo of
your niche
Commit 100% You will make
mistakes; move on
/ / /
/ / /
What kind of evaluation firm are you?
Branding
& Niche

7. What do you bring?
LocationTechnical skills Context knowledge Language and
cultural skills
Contact with political
or other Stakeholders

8. Niche Exercise (in pairs)
If a client asked you to explain your understanding of evaluation, your approach to
evaluation, how you would work with stakeholders, and so on, what would you tell
him or her?
Do you have a subject,
geographic, linguistic
or technical focus?
What are your core
values associated with
being an evaluator?
Why should a client
hire you?
Why evaluation and
not basic research?

9. Once you
have a niche
/ Try not to step outside its boundaries
/ Adhere to your values
/ Try to exceed your client’s expectations
/ Get to know your clients
/ Look for referrals & repeat business

10. Survival

11. Stage 2: Survival
Tough cash flow Need to identify services
(e.g. health, pension, computer
support)
Learn and understand
contracts & subcontracts

12. Meeting with a Potential Clients:
Do Your Homework
 Systematically learn about the
organization and its environment
 Prepare thoughtful questions
 Be ready to make methodological
suggestions

13. Listen carefully
Budget!
In the meeting:
Find out their
Timing Quality assurance
requirements

14. When bidding
Adhere to deadlines Ensure your writing
is specific & clear
Budget according to
the template provided
Provide all compliance
documents
1. 2. 3. 4.

15. Clients,
Primes
& Subs
 Prime Contractors
those who will take 51% or more of the work
 Subcontractors
an organization
 Resource Partners
 Independent consultants
an individual

16. Contracts answer these questions:
1. How much will we get paid? And
when?
3. How do we terminate a
relationship that isn’t working?
4. How do we negotiate needed changes that
become apparent as the work evolves?
6. What, exactly, will each organization be responsible
for doing?
7. How can disputes be
resolved?
2. Who owns the instruments, data
and/or reports?
5. Who is the person in each organization who has the authority to sign off on major
decisions?

17. ‘‘ “The more specific you can be regarding
the work you or your evaluation company
will do – and regarding what you are
expecting your client to do – the better off
both of you will be in the long run.”
Contracting
● ALWAYS get it in writing.
● Assume nothing.
● Minute any changes and
keep a clear paper trail

18. What rates do you need to
charge to cover costs?

19. After you win
an assignment
 Do regular check-ins to ensure
the client is on board
 Watch out for scope creep
 Manage expenses carefully
 Ensure that trade-offs and
changes are managed
Time
Quality Cost

20. Pricing Exercise
 How many days can you work in a year?
 What fringe benefits can be subtracted?
 How many days will you spend on meeting with prospective clients and writing proposals?
 How many days for administration, volunteering, attending conferences, personal
development?
 How many days left for billable work?
Sick leave Family Responsibility leave
Annual leave Public holidays

21. What other costs go
into your daily rate? Office rent
-
Equipment
-
Furniture
-
Communications
-
Office supplies
-
Recruitment
-
Transportation
Typical Fringe days
15
Annual leave
10
Sick Leave
3
Family Responsibility
Leave
11
Public holidays
Subtotal 39 days

22. Pricing Exercise
responses Director Days Senior Days
Billable time for Projects 35.0% 91.0 55.0% 143.0
Proposals/Marketing 30.4% 79.0 14.7% 38.2
Admin/volunteer/ conferences 20.4% 53.1 17.8% 46.3
Fringe 14.2% 36.9 12.5% 32.5
Total 260 260

23. Growth &
Expansion

24. Stage 3: Growth
& Expansion:
⁄ Taking on more employees, subcontracting
⁄ Handling bigger contracts
⁄ Institutionalising practices
⁄ Dealing with cash flow
⁄ Managing more complex clients & projects
Managing growth requires

25. How can your niche
expand organically?
LocationTechnical skills Context knowledge Language and
cultural skills
Contact with political
or other Stakeholders

26. Develop
your skills &
reputation
 Mentor
 Teach
 Lead:
Volunteer in VOPEs and take a role
 Pro-bono work
 Learn:
Attend AfrEA and other conferences! But also
learn business and other skills

27. Manage Cash Flow
 Read contract provisions carefully!
 Ask about invoicing
 Try to establish a payment associated with contract
signing or receipt of inception report
 Ensure payment benchmarks e.g.
10% on signing
40% on approved tools (prior to fieldwork)
30% on draft report
10% on draft report presentation
10% when the client has accepted report and data

28. Use
Metrics!
⁄ HR utilisation through Timesheets
⁄ Win Loss ratio
⁄ Profit analysis
⁄ Social media metrics

29. Maturity

30. ‘‘“Creating a business is in some ways analogous to
raising a child - it is difficult to let go! Ultimately,
long-term survival is contingent on turning over
management to others.”
Stage 4: Maturity
Evaluation firms are often personality
driven, so succession planning?

31. Continue to develop
your business
Consider marketing
strategies (e.g. networking
& proposals)
Identify at least one way
to improve efficiency &
effectiveness
Emphasise thought leadership
& communications
1. 2. 3.

32. Plan for Succession
Sell shares?
Market the business?
Close the business?

33. Love evaluation, but hate
business? If you start an evaluation practice you
need to think about
Technical skillsBranding/
Marketing/
Communications
Finance: pricing
& managing
cash flow
ContractsHuman Resource

34. The Benefits are Worth it
There are:
 busy years and dry years
 good and bad clients
 dream projects and horror stories
And at the same time:
 You are the boss
 You control your destiny
 You can focus on your passion

35. Resources
Independent consulting skills for evaluators – Gail Barrington
“Consulting Start-up and Management: A Guide for Evaluator
and Applied Researchers”
http://www.barringtonresearchgrp.com/consulting-start-up-
and-management.html
Business Management – Good to Great by Jim Collins (see:
http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-
great.html)
Client Relationships – Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith
(see: http://www.beckwithpartners.com/books/)
Sales Strategy – Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer
(see: https://www.gitomer.com/Jeffrey-Gitomer-Little-Red-
Book-of-Selling-pluLRB.html)
Networking – Never Eat Alone by Keith Farazzi (see:
http://keithferrazzi.com/products/never-eat-alone)
Join the American Evaluation Association Independent
Consulting TIG
http://comm.eval.org/independentconsulting/home
Jennifer Bisgard
+27 11 447 6464
jbisgard@khulisa.com
Johannesburg
South Africa
www.khulisa.com
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