I've learned a lot from being engaged as an evaluator to support various groups to develop grant proposals, and specifically the evaluation plans in grant proposals. In planning a new endeavor and seeking funding for it, it's easy for a group to get caught up in the excitement. This buzz, while energizing, can dampen critical thinking. That is, the "intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication" (see CriticalThinking.org).
Evaluators are trained specialists with an array of tools, strategies, and approaches for data collection, analysis, and reporting. But critical thinking lies at the heart of sound evaluation—and program planning. Applying your critical thinking skills in developing your funding proposal will go a long way toward ensuring your submission is competitive.
Top Tips for Applying Critical Thinking in Proposal Development
- Make sure all the pieces of your proposal fit together like a snug puzzle. Your proposal needs both a clear statement of the need for your program and a description of the intended outcomes—make sure these match up. If you struggle with the outcome measurement aspect of your evaluation plan, go back to the rationale for your program. If you can observe a need or problem in your context, you should be able to observe the improvements as well.
- Be logical. Develop a logic model to portray how your program will translate its resources into outcomes that address a need in your context. Sometimes simply putting things in a graphic format can reveal shortcomings in a program's logical foundation (like when important outcomes can't be tracked back to planned activities). The narrative description of your program's goals, objectives, deliverables, and activities should match the logic model.
- Be skeptical. Program planning and logic model development typically happen from an optimistic point of view. (Think: "If we build it, they will come.") When creating your work plan, step back from time to time and ask yourself and your colleagues, What obstacles might we face? What could really mess things up? Where are the opportunities for failure? And perhaps most importantly, ask, Is this really the best solution to the need we're trying to address? Identify your plan's weaknesses and build in safeguards against those threats. I'm all for an optimistic outlook, but proposal reviewers won't be wearing rose-colored glasses when they critique your proposal and compare it with others written by smart people with great ideas, just like you. Be your own worst critic and your proposal will be stronger for it.
Critical thinking doesn't replace specialized training in evaluation when it comes to developing a great evaluation plan. But not even the best evaluator nor the most robust evaluation plan can compensate for a disjointed, poorly crafted program proposal. Give your proposal a competitive edge by applying your critical thinking skills as you develop and communicate your program plan and its evaluation.
