As we head toward the end of the calendar year, we’re approaching the end of the reporting period for local lead agencies. If you haven’t already, it’s time to start writing your Final Evaluation Reports (FERs) and Brief Evaluation Reports (BERs)!

It’s also the time of year when TCEC starts receiving more questions about FERs and BERs, including a big one: What’s the difference?

To help first-time report writers, or those just in need of a refresher, we’ve answered some of these questions below:

What makes a BER different from a FER, anyway?

The short answer? Not much!

The main difference can be found in the name: BERs are brief reports documenting the work done toward non-primary objectives.

FERs, by contrast, are longer and more complex because they document the results of your primary objectives. Primary objectives typically have more intervention and evaluation activities, and therefore more content to report on.

The guidelines for writing BERs are generally the same as those for FERs, with one exception: No abstract is required* . The other sections (Aim & Outcome, Background, Evaluation Methods, Results, and Conclusions & Recommendations) must all be included in your BER.

More detailed instructions can be found in the Tell Your Story guidelines.

Are BERs scored the same way as FERs?

TCEC does not review and score BERs the way we do with FERs. That doesn’t mean BERs aren’t important, though! As with any evaluation report, a BER is meant to help you record what worked and didn’t work in your efforts toward the objective, so that your project--and others hoping to achieve the same objective--can learn from your approaches, tactics, and activities.

Remember, the idea is to provide enough detail to help the reader understand the story of the objective’s progress, without overwhelming them with extraneous information. Additional information, data collection instruments, materials, and data visualizations can all be included in the report’s Appendix.

Where can I find examples of BERs?

For a sample Brief Evaluation Report, as well as detailed instructions for writing your BER, check out the Tell Your Story guidelines. TCEC does not maintain a repository of BERs, so if you’re looking for a report that is related to one of your objectives, we recommend reaching out to your PC, or the project directly for a copy.

TCEC is here to help!

Resources on writing BERs, FERs, and other evaluation reports are available on the TCEC website. If you’re interested in taking a deeper dive into evaluation reporting, we have a series of three webinars coming up. Check them out and register here!

• *For now. This may change in the future, so keep an eye on TCEC’s reporting resources for the most current guidelines!