Sullivan recommends building into the project specific pulse-taking measures. For example, if the project targets a specific population and promises a specific impact, figure out what information will be needed to make sure the project stays on track and that efforts are documented and outcomes are measurable. The measurability is the hard part, Sullivan admits. Figuring out how to structure a goal so that outcomes can be measured takes some practice. Sullivan and her Center colleagues can help with that, and are happy to do so, even for projects in which the Center will not play a role.
Measurable outcomes are sometimes tacit in the goals of the program as announced in the guidelines.
In general, a good evaluation plan is part of a good proposal and part of the good management of a project. It assures the agency that the project is being managed in a rational way and personnel are collecting data that feeds back into quality improvement during the process. The agency, in other words, sees accountability written into the project. Since the agency itself is most likely accountable to Congress or a governing body of some sort, having accountability spelled out in the proposal lets the funder know what it s paying for and promises the data the funder will need for making its own arguments for future funding. Sullivan urges PIs to incorporate evaluation from the beginning of the project.