Most projects leave behind a mess. A folder of photos. A few reports. Some emails. Maybe a spreadsheet or 2. And when someone asks a simple question like "what actually happened on this project?" the answer takes days to assemble.
It doesn't have to be this way.
Imagine a project that leaves behind a single, structured record. A record that answers 5 basic questions: What was supposed to happen? Where was it supposed to happen? What actually happened? What evidence exists? And what happens next?
That's what we call an Evidence File. And we think every important project should have one.
Why 5 questions?
Because these are the questions that matter when a project is reviewed, audited or evaluated. They're the questions funders ask. They're the questions oversight functions ask. They're the questions leadership teams ask when they want to know if resources were well spent.
If you can answer all 5 questions with confidence, you have a project record that stands on its own. If you can't, you have a problem.
What goes into an Evidence File?
- Project scope and workplan
- Site list with GPS coordinates
- Geo-tagged photos and video
- Stakeholder and beneficiary interviews
- Site observations and status updates
- Issues identified and actions taken
- Supporting documents
- Progress reports
- Follow-up requirements
The point isn't to collect everything. The point is to collect what matters, organise it properly and make it usable.
When should it be built?
From day 1. Not at the end. The whole point of an Evidence File is that it's built as the work happens, not reconstructed after the fact. When documentation is an afterthought, it's always incomplete. When it's part of the process, it's reliable.
Who is it for?
Everyone who needs to know what happened. The project team. The funder. The oversight function. The community. The next team that inherits the work. An Evidence File is a gift to everyone who comes after you.
If your project doesn't leave one behind, ask yourself why.
Tell us what is stuck.
Share the mandate, current stage, location and what needs to move next.