Breaking Down Barriers: Advancing Contracting Opportunities for Small Evaluation Firms

Led by the Washington Evaluators, July 13th 11:00am-12:15pm ET

Event Description:

How can funders and evaluation commissioners create more opportunities for meaningful partnerships with small, solo, and community-based evaluation firms?

Join Washington Evaluators and the Strengthening Evaluation Contracting Partnerships Initiative (SECPI) for a timely conversation exploring how evaluator selection and contracting practices can be designed to foster stronger, more inclusive partnerships across the evaluation ecosystem.

Representatives from leading philanthropic organizations will share their experiences, lessons learned, and evolving approaches to engaging small and solo proximate evaluation firms. Panelists will discuss the value these firms bring through their local knowledge, community relationships, lived experience, flexibility, and specialized expertise, as well as practical strategies for reducing barriers to participation.

Participants will gain deeper insights into:

• The value of partnering with small and solo proximate evaluation firms
• Selection and contracting practices that can better support these partnerships
• Common challenges faced by funders, commissioners, and evaluation firms seeking to create more inclusive contracting opportunities
• Promising approaches for strengthening collaboration across the evaluation field

This interactive session will include opportunities for audience engagement and discussion, providing attendees with practical ideas and perspectives that can help shape the future of evaluation contracting and partnership-building.

Whether you are an evaluator, funder, commissioner, consultant, nonprofit leader, or evaluation user, this conversation offers an opportunity to explore how we can work together to build a more inclusive and effective evaluation ecosystem.

This event is open to the public. If you have questions about this event, please email programs@washingtonevaluators.org