Ten steps

What to include.

1. Start with the decision.What will you do differently depending on what the evaluation finds? A brief that names the decision gets answers that can be used.
2. Ask two or three questions.Write the questions you need answered, in plain words. A long list gets thin answers.
3. Say who it is for.A board, a funder, your team and the public each need something different. Name the main reader and any others.
4. List what you already have.Reports, data, earlier evaluations, a theory of change. It saves time and money, and stops bidders repeating work.
5. Describe the scope, not the method.Say what is in and out of scope, and any limits such as people, places or time. Let bidders propose the methods and explain their choices.

1. Plan for people and data.Consent, safeguarding, confidentiality and how information will be stored and shared. Say what you expect, and ask how bidders will handle it.
2. Give a budget range and a timetable.Bidders can then propose what fits, and you can compare like with like. Include key dates for questions, decisions and reporting.
3. Say what you want to receive.A report, a short briefing for leaders, a presentation, the data? Ask for plain language and a clear summary.
4. Explain how bids will be scored.Share the criteria and their weights, and who will score. It makes bids better and the decision easier to explain.
5. Make it easy to ask.Give a contact, a deadline for questions, and what happens next. Share answers with every bidder.

Common slips

Four things to avoid.

• Asking for everything at once. A focused question gets a stronger answer.
• Fixing the method before the question is clear.
• Keeping the budget secret. A range lets bidders propose something that fits.
• Hiding the scoring. Bidders cannot meet criteria they cannot see.