The 7 Best Resolutions to Research, Report, and Evaluate (2019)

Posted On June 9, 2021

Use strong language. When writing a report or grant application, don’t be afraid to use strong and powerful words. Strong words convey confidence, ability, and the promise of meaningful results. The tendency of most people who write reports and grant applications is to use eloquence rather than frankness. But in this situation the eloquence is not so convincing. Here are some examples of strong words: provide, demonstrate, obtain, apply, and add. And these words are stronger if you do not tone them down with words that increase your eloquence but do not add impact, for example: Instead of will try, Just use Will, instead of plan to collect, say I will collect.

Don’t be too wordy. Too many words can be seen to underpin an unconvincing idea or program. You are often limited in the number of words you can include in a grant application or report. The reason for the limit is to make sure the writer is concise. Poor wording almost always results in excess words. Using too many words in a grant application makes you appear indecisive or unsure of the effort / organization for which you are seeking funding. The verbiage in a report will make it unread (factor of length and boredom) or it will seem like a “sales job” rather than an informational presentation, or worse, both. If you use strong words (see Resolution # 1), you are much less likely to be too wordy.

Keep your commitments to the Investigator, Report Writer, and Grant Writer. Whether you hire someone or use staff to conduct research, write a report, or apply for a grant, you must do what you promised to do. Some of the typical things you might have to do are: provide the names and contact information of people to interview, alert key stakeholders that they will be contacted, encourage participation in a survey. The things you are supposed to do are vital to the project. If you don’t meet them or don’t meet them within the agreed time frame, it will make it much more difficult (maybe even impossible) for your consultant or staff to do their job and meet deadlines.

Don’t confuse activities with results. (Transferred from 2018) Activities are things you do, results are things you accomplish. Talking to groups, teaching classes, providing materials, advising families are all activities. The results are things you can measure, such as: helping 20 people improve their credit scores, helping 5 families qualify for home loans, or decreasing the number of obese children between the ages of 5 and 7.

Divorce from your partners if you are not compatible. If your partners fail to meet their commitments, fail to meet deadlines and deadlines, are not what they represented your organization to be, or anything else that prevents you from producing your results, don’t get “married”. Be sure to clearly include expectations and appropriate statements in your contract or memorandum of understanding to facilitate dissolution of the partnership if commitments are not fulfilled in accordance with the agreement.

Don’t bite on something that chokes you. Be careful not to chase money that has requirements attached to it that take you away from your main goals or purpose. Avoid funds that force you to do things that will cost you more time and / or money than it is worth. Don’t try to get your round peg to fit the financier’s square hole.

Respond to emails in a timely manner. It is very important that you respond promptly to emails (and phone calls) from your sponsors and consultants / staff conducting an investigation, report, grant application, or evaluation. Not responding right away leaves them wondering if you got the email, are you ignoring them, or don’t know the answer / don’t have the information. Worse still, they may think that you do not value the project and that can result in all kinds of consequences. Not only is it respectful and polite to respond in a timely manner, it is also efficient. Failure to respond will delay someone else’s work or put them in a position to guess / assume and move on.