American Evaluation Association 2008 Annual Meeting Denver, Colorado * November 5, 2008 Online Evaluation Resources: Knowledge Sharing for the Field Sue Hoechstetter

Agenda Concepts behind the Tools Capacity Assessment Tool Evaluation Tool

Advocacy Capacity Assessment Tool Advocacy Evaluation Tool Advocacy Tools

Why Online? Change as Needed Easier to Customize Easier to Receive Feedback

Avenues of Change

Key to Evaluating Advocacy Successful Advocacy Evaluation Understanding Advocacy

Advocacy Evaluation Challenges It takes so long……… Many outside controls, such as: –One key legislator –Changing economy –New Governor

Advocacy Evaluation Challenges How do you measure influence……… Who gets the credit ……….. Unrealistic expectations ….. Complex systems…….

Advocacy Evaluation Key Concepts Evaluation must fit Advocacy! Flexibility is key Advocacy capacity building is measured Incremental results are measured Tell the story

Using the Tools Who How

Advocacy Capacity Assessment Tool Strong, flexible organizations Work well w/ others Have skills, know systems significant

Advocacy Capacity Tool Note: No one group has to do it all!

1.Effective decision-making structures 2.Defined advocacy agenda 3.Organizational commitment to advocacy Advocacy Capacity Tool: Organizational Operations

4.Advocacy base 5.Advocacy partners 6.Relationships with targets Advocacy Capacity Tool: Relationships

7.Media advocacy 8.Advocacy strategies in context 9.Work with legislative, executive branch, judicial, electoral (nonpartisan) systems Advocacy Capacity Tool: Implementation Skills

Advocacy Evaluation Tool Part 1 When: Start of Grant Period

Advocacy Evaluation Tool Part I Identifies planned: Goals and strategies Activities and incremental results For: Advocacy work Capacity building

Clean H2O for Healthy Kids Obtain Legislation to Clean the Lake/Reservoir

Pass Council Bill 389 to Stop Dumping City Council Chairman Supports 389 Issue Report on Dumping in Lake

Sample Benchmarks Generates 20 comments on proposed regulations Prepares 3 amicus briefs on issue Gets 15 members to meet with legislators Has 3 briefings for candidates Issues a report

Advocacy Evaluation Tool: Part II When: At Reporting Periods Reports outcomes, incremental results Explains changes to plans in Part I

Advocacy Evaluation Tool Part II Springfield Must Fund Stadium!

Advocacy Evaluation Tool Part II – Changes!! Goal Strategies: Avenues of Change City Council Springfield DOE Outcomes CB 389 Enforce Regulation Progress Towards Outcomes Chair Supports City Investigation!

Advocacy Evaluation Tool Part II – Tell the Story IMPACT

Advocacy Evaluation Part II Which plans were accomplished? What changed and why? What was the impact? What was learned?

More Resources…

New Web Resources A Living Library!!!

New Resource

TYPES OF ADVOCACY OrganizingPublic Education Educate Legislators Nonpartisan Voter Education Partisan Election-Related Activity Lobbying Regulatory Efforts Litigation Build Relationships with Legislators Hosting Educational Conferences Research Lobbying Exceptions Organize a RallyTraining and more…

Advocacy Evaluation Set reasonable expectations early on Measure incremental progress Measure capacity built Use creative indicators Value flexibility Tell the story

Build Your Advocacy Grantmaking supported by: