How to Influence Policy Presented By George F. Grob Center for Public Program Evaluation October 2013 Tips for Evaluators

Center for Public Program Evaluation Evaluations Geared for Policy Makers Relevant Connected to Decision Makers Inserted into Policy Processes Timely Practical/Actionable Persuasive Known To Policy Makers Easy to Absorb 2

Center for Public Program Evaluation Examples of Impactful Evalutions Home visits for foster children Earmarks for HIV/AIDS relief programs Essential benefits for health insurance Pregnancy prevention programs for youth Performance standards for homeless youth centers 3

Center for Public Program Evaluation What is Policy? A Really Big Decision About ▫Several Programs ▫Or One Huge One ▫A Lot of Money Affecting ▫Many People ▫A Large Economic Sector Spanning ▫Several Years ▫A Large Geographic Area Involving ▫High Level Officials Attracting Attention ▫Trade Press ▫National Media 4

Center for Public Program Evaluation Grand Strategy 5 Reporting Keep It Simple! Tell Everyone! Body of Work Contribute to It! Thought Leaders Know Them! Help Them! Become One! Policy Mechanisms Master Them !

Center for Public Program Evaluation Thought Leaders Congress ▫Members ▫Staff OMB Secretary’s Office ▫Budget ▫Planning and Evaluation Program Office GAO CBO Researchers Interest Groups Think Tanks Reporters 6

Center for Public Program Evaluation Be Helpful LISTEN TO THEM  Learn their names  Meet them if you can ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS 7

Center for Public Program Evaluation Policy Mechanisms Budget Legislation Regulation Administrative Processes Management Initiatives Public Affairs Reorganization Key Appointments Goals 8

Center for Public Program Evaluation How to Exploit Them Use them all Learn all you can about them Work through the gate-keepers Respect their frantic lifestyle BE ON TIME! 9

Center for Public Program Evaluation Relevance 10 Know The Body of Work Fill In the Gaps

Center for Public Program Evaluation Successful Recommendations Address Causes of Problems Mitigate Bad Effects Practical Affordable Not Doctrinaire Options May Be More Useful Than a Favored Solution 11

Center for Public Program Evaluation Reporting Simple Message All Kinds of Formats ▫Short reports ▫Briefing charts Distribution ▫Tell Everybody ▫Use Today’s Electronic Technology 12

Center for Public Program Evaluation Features of a Successful Evaluation Report Relevant Context Persuasive Evidence Compelling Findings Recommendations Geared for Action and Impact A Killer Executive Summary 13

Center for Public Program Evaluation Persuasive Evidence Use more than one type of evidence Especially, combine ▫Quantitative ▫Qualitative Use more than one source Be cautious about using anecdotes Center for Public Program Evaluation 14

Center for Public Program Evaluation Checklist for Impactful Evaluations Relevant ? Connected to Decision Makers ? Inserted into Policy Processes? Timely? Practical/Actionable? Persuasive? Known To Policy Makers ? Easy to Absorb? 15

Center for Public Program Evaluation Learn More George F. Grob President, Center for Public Program Evaluation

Center for Public Program Evaluation References 17 New Directions in Evaluation, Volume 2006, Issue 112, Promoting the Use of Government Evaluations in Policy Making, edited by Rakesh Mohan and Kathleen Sullivan. See especially “Managing the Politics of Evaluation to Achieve Impact,” (pp 7-23) by Mohan and Sullivan, and “The Evaluator’s role in Policy Development,” (pp ) by George Grob Grob, G. “How Policy Is Made and How Evaluators Can Affect It.” Evaluation Practice, 1992, 13, 175–183. Grob, G. “A Truly Useful Bat Is One Found in the Hands of a Slugger.” American Journal of Evaluation, 2003, 24, 499–505. Grob, G. “Writing for Impact.” In J. Wholey, H. Hatry, and K. Newcomer (eds.), Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation. (2nd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Henry, G. T. “Why Not Use?” In V. J. Caracelli and H. Preskill (eds.), The Expanding Scope of Evaluation Use. New Directions for Evaluation, no. 88. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Henry, G. T., and Mark, M. M. “Beyond Use: Understanding Evaluation’s Influence on Attitudes and Actions.” American Journal of Evaluation, 2003, 24, 293–314. Jonas, R. K. “Against the Whim: State Legislatures’ Use of Program Evaluation.” In R. K. Jonas (ed.), Legislative Evaluation: Utilization- Driven Research for Decision Makers. New Directions for Program Evaluation, no. 81. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Kirkhart, K. E. “Reconceptualizing Evaluation Use: An Integrated Theory of Influence.” In V. J. Caracelli and H. Preskill (eds.), The Expanding Scope of Evaluation Use. New Directions for Evaluation, no. 88. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.