M3.06. Preparing the evaluation of the mentoring process

2. Principles and methods for evaluating the mentoring process

2.2. Internal Versus External Evaluation

Internal evaluation is conducted by a staff person within the organisation that is conducting the programme or entity being evaluated, whereas an external evaluation is conducted by
an evaluator who is not an employee of that organisation.
Whether an organisation should conduct an internal or external evaluation usually depends on the available resources, qualifications of the internal or external evaluator, scope of the evaluation and the funder's requirements. However, other factors are equally important in
making this decision:

  • External evaluators can bring a broader perspective while internal evaluators tend to have intimate knowledge about the context that the strategy, initiative or programme is operating within.
  • External evaluators can be perceived as threatening while internal evaluators can be perceived as being less objective.

Sometimes, you have no choice because the funder requires an external evaluation. Regardless of whether an internal or an external evaluator is selected, clear lines of accountability
must be established from the outset.