Category:

Recommended

Description and Purpose:

This tool can be used as a guide to the evaluation of your advocacy outcomes and achievements (for example, when setting indicators).

Method:

The following types of change can be used as a guide when developing an advocacy evaluation system. They show a whole range of areas where positive outcomes and achievements can be brought about (including: your own organization, partners, coalitions, policy-makers, animal status and welfare, and the general public).

The suggested changes:

• Recognize the importance of partnerships/coalitions, relationships and capacity building
• Recognize the various stages towards effective policy reform
• Value civil society change
• Include attitudinal change
• Include subjective success criteria (which are recognized as necessary)

Your Own Organization

• Changes in policy
• Changes in working practices
• Changes in capacity and skills
• Changes in knowledge, awareness, and opinions (both on issue and policy context)
• Changes in working relationships (with partners or coalitions)
• Changes in policy influence (e.g. level of access to officials, consultation, part in decision-making etc.)
• Changes in profile or reputation

Partners

• Changes in policy
• Changes in working practices (e.g. numbers working on advocacy for the first time, having advocacy strategies, advocacy research programs, advocacy M&E etc.)
• Changes in capacity & skills
• Changes in knowledge, awareness, & opinions (both on issue & policy context)
• Change in importance ranking of the issue
• Changes in working relationships (e.g. with coalitions)
• Changes in policy influence (e.g. level of access to officials, consultation, part in decision-making etc.)
• Changes in profile or reputation

Coalitions

• Changes in policy
• Changes in working practices (e.g. number of members working on advocacy for the first time, improvements to strategic planning, implementation, M&E, research, investigations or policy monitoring, management practices etc.)
• Number of CSOs working on the issue
• Level of activity
• Changes in capacity & skills
• Changes in knowledge, awareness, & opinions (both on issue & policy context)
• Change in importance ranking of the issue
• Changes in working relationships (participation, trust, involvement etc.)
• Changes in structure and control (decentralization & democracy, facilitative leadership, diversity, dynamism etc.)
• Increased synergy & coherence (of beliefs, strategy, activities etc.)
• Changes in policy influence (e.g. (e.g. the issue taken on board by other interest groups, trades’ unions, professional bodies; level of access to officials and consultations; or the coalition brought into more decision-making bodies etc.)
• Changes in profile or reputation

Policy/Policy Makers

• Changes in policy
• Change in legislation
• Successful legal action
• Changes in working practices – including implementation & enforcement
• Change in budgets (allocated to issue, spent on issue, & value for money)
• Increased accountability on issue
• Increased forums for issue (committees etc.)
• Change in written publications or statements
• Changes in capacity – including size of unit(s), or number of individuals working on issue
• Raised profile or coverage of issue
• Changes in knowledge, awareness, & opinions
• Change in importance ranking of the issue
• Changes in working relationships (with civil society, coalition &/or advocates)
• Increased opportunities for participation of civil society (openness, transparency, consultation, joint working groups etc.)
• International agencies with interests in the issue identified, and their procedures for applying support mapped

Animal Status and Welfare

• Changes in knowledge, awareness, and opinions
• Change in importance ranking of the issue
• Improvements in access to rights
• Improved service delivery
• Development of groups or forums for co-operation & mobilization
• Development of animal welfare leadership
• Changes in advocacy capacity & skills
• Changes in advocacy practices & activity
• Number attending meetings on the issue
• Changes in policy influence (e.g. level of access to officials, consultation, part in decision-making etc.)
• Changes in profile or reputation

Other
It is also possible to evaluate other broader changes in public awareness e.g. through opinion polls, focus groups etc.

And to measure media coverage (against media type, number of programs/articles, length of coverage etc.) and public activism (e.g. by number signing petitions, writing representations, attending demonstrations etc.).

NB. Do not forget to measure ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ indicators of change. For example, to capture the soft indicators, you could keep a diary or spreadsheet that records every time the issue is raised in meetings, or raised directly with you. Record if the language used changes. Try to measure if you are being increasingly seen as a key player on the issue e.g. do people defer to your view in meetings, are you getting more requests for information, are you being contacted more for your opinion etc.