Abstract: This presentation documents a funder's process in developing a research and evaluation agenda as we move from a project-based funding strategy to a primarily place-based one. Special attention is given to an implementation evaluation, which will systematically document the process of carrying out our strategic plan so as to inform decisions. Consistent with the growing literature on utilization-focused evaluation (Patton, 1997) and the expressed need to ensure stakeholder buy-in and engagement (Preskill & Caracelli, 1997; Taut & Alkin, 2003; Johnson et al., 2009) it is critical to attend to the context in which the evaluation is taking place and to attend to the role of the evaluator. As a semi-internal, semi-external evaluation that reflects on and scrutinizes our own process as a funder, this case study poses an interesting opportunity to examine how the use of findings is affected by both the context and the evaluators responsible for providing feedback. #2011Conference #InternalEvaluation