Evaluation Advisory Groups: Considerations for Design and Management

An evaluation advisory group can be a vital resource, particularly for evaluations of collaboration-driven initiatives, but only if we apply skills and knowledge to use them effectively. In this paper, we will discuss the basics of evaluation advisory groups on four themes: purposes, structures, processes, and pitfalls. We will discuss insights from a review and synthesis of the evaluation advisory group literature and illustrate with our own real-world experiences of developing and implementing evaluation advisory groups on a national and state-wide scale, in a university setting, and within a localized health setting.