Factsheets summarizing ToRs

This downloadable template by Sara Vaca (VisualBrains) is an example of a Terms of Reference summary sheet to help potential evaluators quickly grasp the key specifications of an evaluation. 

This resource and the following information was contributed by Keryn Hassall

Authors and their affiliation

Sara Vaca of independent evaluation consultant, with specialisation in visualisation (‘VisualBrains’)

Key features

An example of how to set out the terms of reference for an evaluation. It is clear and helps the reader quickly see the key characteristics of the evaluation. This is initially intended for someone commissioning an evaluation to communicate the terms of reference to potential evaluators. But a similar format could also be used to summarise the key points of an evaluation. This approach is useful for people who are looking across many evaluations – either as a consultant bidding to conduct the evaluation, or someone reading across evaluation reports seeking evidence and understanding.

How have you used or intend on using this resource?

Using a factsheet to outline the terms of reference for an evaluation could be useful for organisations that commission evaluations, as a way to summarise their evaluation needs. Organisations that undertake or commission many evaluations could also use a format like this to provide clear summaries of the scope and findings of each evaluation, when publishing the evaluation reports.

Why would you recommend it to other people?

Clearly presenting the key points of an evaluation terms of reference in a one-page summary can make it easier for evaluation commissioners and evaluators. Using a format like this could help evaluation commissioners to clarify their expectations for an evaluation and assist evaluation consultants to identify projects to bid for.

The creator, Sara Vaca, has included a downloadable powerpoint of the template so that it can be easily edited in common software.