Why Partner with Us
Examples of how we could collaborate
Foundations & Donor Agencies
Evaluate impact: Independent, third-party evaluations show whether investments are delivering results.
Plug-in evaluation partner: We embed with grantees to support and expand learning capacity.
Investment storytelling: Data-rich narratives help boards and co-funders see the return on every dollar.
Implementing Organizations
On-demand evaluation & comms: Affordable, expert support, no full-time hire required.
Lean monitoring systems: Right-sized dashboards and practical indicators.
Funder-ready storytelling: We package results and human stories that resonate with key stakeholders.
Research & Training Institutions
Applied evaluation expertise: We co-design practical mixed-methods approaches.
Support data translation: Enhance your team’s capacity to communicate results.
Mentor emerging scholars: We create real-world placements for doctoral students.
Why 'Practical'?
Mission-driven work is hard, and many organizations are stretched thin, pressed to perform well, and prove it. That’s where we come in. We help connect the dots between what you’re doing and what your stakeholders need to see. Even a modest partnership with Practical Associates will catalyze fresh insights about how you do business, and how to better market your efforts.
Practical Evaluation and Communication Associates, LLC was founded by Emily E. Peca, to bridge the divide between learning and communication for impact. Emily enjoys the space in between—helping teams integrate what they’re learning into stronger implementation and data-driven stories that compel change and sustain support.
With 17 plus years of experience in academia and global health and development organizations, Emily has deep experience leading, implementing, and building capacity to use evidence for social impact in a variety of contexts.
Her most recent role as research scientist and technical director for 30-50 million dollar USAID-funded global research and evaluation programs ended in early 2025. She is grateful to have facilitated a learning collaborative of 40 + institutional partners advancing different aspects of health across the globe. Emily continues to serve as professor of applied research and advisor to doctoral students at The George Washington University in addition to launching a new chapter as an entrepreneur.
Emily brings a practical real-world mindset and a collaborative spirit to every project—whether she’s facilitating partnerships, guiding doctoral students, or exploring ethical ways to integrate emerging technology into everyday practice.
