Hiring contractors to design and implement data collection, evaluation, and/or measures reporting may be necessary. It can be difficult to evaluate the qualifications of contractors in areas where you lack expertise. Take special care in selecting the right contractor by reviewing the contractor’s previous work, talking directly with their prior clients, and soliciting external expertise to vet contractors if necessary. Second, you will need to be explicit about the information needs of critical audiences: what information is truly needed, when information is necessary, and how it should be reported. The contract should specify the content, timing and format of products delivered by the contractor. Finally, consider the importance of consistency in data collection and analysis. Is it possible to use the same contractor for the length of the project? And if not, will others be able to reliably duplicate their methods?