This report, created in collaboration with Delft University of Technology and Accenture Song’s Design and Digital Products (DDP) team, addresses the need for a structured evaluation process at the end of client projects. Accenture Song integrates business consultancy, creative agency services, and technological expertise. The main research question is the following:

“How can I design an evaluation tool for Accenture Song employees and their clients to ensure value delivery and client satisfaction after project delivery?”

The literature review reveals that post-project evaluations are often neglected in consulting due to the lack of integration into standard workflows. Consultancy firms typically focus on the project’s scope, timelines, and budget, which are insufficient for comprehensive evaluation. Successful client-consultant relationships, characterised by trust, clear communication, and expectation management, are also essential for effective evaluation.

Semi-structured interviews with DDP team members and clients provided insights into existing and preferred evaluation practices. Thematic content analysis identified key barriers, preconditions, and drivers for effective post-project evaluation. Current barriers include the absence of a standardised evaluation tool, discomfort with giving critical feedback, undocumented lessons, difficulty in measuring data, and the diverse nature of projects. Preconditions for effective evaluation encompass a trusting and transparent atmosphere, a standardised evaluation approach on different themes, clarity on the agreements from the project’s start, and integration of evaluation into the workflow. Drivers for evaluation include learning for future project improvement, creating opportunities for follow-up projects, benchmarking projects within Accenture Song, and strengthening client relationships.

For the post-project evaluation, a workshop and an online feedback storage are designed. The workshop conducted a few months post-delivery, is a face-to-face meeting with the project team and client. The workshop’s participants use cards with questions as conversation starters and a survey to stimulate feedback sharing. The feedback storage includes a manual with workshop guidelines and templates in which lessons can be written down to stimulate feedback capturing. The workshop is the standardised evaluation tool, which facilitates feedback sharing on different themes, focusing on the course of the project and the impact of the deliverables. The combination of the qualitative conversation and quantitative survey together paints a complete picture of the project’s performance.

A crucial part of this evaluation approach is the creation of a new task within project teams: the evaluation safeguard. This employee is responsible for keeping track of evaluation throughout and after the project, and for facilitating the workshop. This new project role will ensure that post-project evaluation will take place.

Validation interviews and a trial workshop were conducted to gather feedback on the viability, feasibility, and desirability of the solution. Furthermore, an implementation plan is created to guide the DDP team in adopting and implementing the new solution. It is recommended to start with a six-month trial within the DDP team, during which evaluation safeguards are appointed to projects and evaluation workshops are performed.