Browse Advocacy/Public Policy Resources
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Coalition Assessment: Approaches for Measuring Capacity and Impact Why assess coalition capacity? How should a coalition be assessed? How can coalition assessment data be analyzed and used?
Author: Veena Pankaj, Kat Athanasiades, and Ann Emery Type: Research & Reports Date: Feb 4, 2014 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Download (768.05 KB) -
Community Resource Institute Tutorials A collection of the following community empowerment tutorials:1. Using Data to Support Grant Applications and Other Funding Opportunities
2. Monitoring Trends and Identifying Emerging Problems
3. Using Data to Disseminate Information to Engage Community and Policymakers
4. Using Data to Evaluate Progress in Meeting Goals
5. Using Data to Establish Priorities and Plan ProgramsAuthor: Community Resource Institute Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
Continuous Progress: Better Advocacy Through Evaluation Continuous Progress is an online collection of planning and evaluation tools and services for advocates and funders. Continuous Progress "Strategic Services" is a consulting practice that provides planning, evaluation, and communications expertise. Their featured project, the "Advocacy Progress Planner," is an online tool based on the Advocacy & Policy Change Composite Logic Model (q.v.) The website also offers guides for domestic (U.S.) and global advocacy efforts. Author: Global Interdependence Initiative Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Jan 1, 2006
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Current Advocacy Evaluation Practice Framing Paper Written for the Advocacy Evaluation Advances convening in January 2009, this paper summarizes the current state of advocacy evaluation practice. The paper identifies four evaluation design questions and then offers common responses to those questions: Who will do the evaluation?; What will the evaluation measure?; When will the evaluation take place?; and What methodology will the evaluation use?
Author: Julia Coffman Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 31, 2009 Be the first to review this resource! Download (297 KB) -
Developing a Monitoring and Evaluation Process for Capacity Building and Empowerment Can participation and empowerment in M&E be a reality in large scale projects and programmes? How can qualitative change be assessed in a participatory and empowering way which is also reliable and credible? This paper uses INTRAC's Central Asia programme (building NGO capacity in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) as a case study. Author: International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC) Type: Research & Reports Date: Nov 6, 2002 Be the first to review this resource! Download (102.5 KB) -
Developing effective coalitions: an eight step guide This step-by-step guide to coalition building helps partnerships launch and stabilize successfully. It supports advocates and practitioners in every aspect of the process-from determining the appropriateness of a coalition to selecting members, defining key elements, maintaining vitality, and conducting ongoing evaluations.
Author: Prevention Institute Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2002 Be the first to review this resource! Download (419.65 KB) -
Effective Advocacy Evaluation: The Role of Funders Johanna Morariu and Kathleen Brennan of Innovation Network produced this article for The Foundation Review to discuss the role of grantmakers in advocacy evaluation. The authors provide several recommendations based on their research into the practices of both advocacy grantmakers and grantees. Author: Johanna Gladfelter Morariu and Kathleen Brennan, Innovation Network Type: Research & Reports Date: Oct 1, 2009 Be the first to review this resource! Download (728.77 KB) -
eNonprofits Benchmark Study: Measuring Email Messaging, Online Fundraising, and Internet Advocacy Metrics This report provides a snapshot of key metrics and benchmarks for nonprofit e-mail communications, online fundraising, and online advocacy. According to the authors, "Organizations will be able to use this study to begin to understand how to look at and analyze their own online communications data. It will provide context and comparisons for organizations doing their own ongoing reporting."
Author: M & R Strategic Services and the Advocacy Institute Type: Research & Reports Date: Mar 10, 2012 Be the first to review this resource! Download (2.25 MB) -
Evaluating Advocacy: A Model for Public Policy Initiatives This presentation, drawing on work done with the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform ("CCIR"), was given by Innovation Network staff at the 2006 American Evaluation Association Conference. The presentation discusses advocacy evaluation in general, some inherent challenges that apply more strongly to advocacy evaluation than to evaluation of traditional service programs, and some practical planning and evaluation structures developed as a result of the work with CCIR. Author: Innovation Network, Inc. Type: Presentation Slides Date: Nov 1, 2006 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.42 MB) -
Evaluating Foundation-Supported Capacity Building: Lessons Learned This study of lessons learned from evaluations of philanthropic capacitybuilding programs used a national database of 473 programs, and a survey and interviews with 87 funders (82 foundations or foundation collaboratives, and five foundation-supported intermediaries) to answer two questions:
(1) How do foundations that support nonprofit capacity building evaluate their grantmaking and direct service activities?
(2) What lessons can be learned from valuation, both to improve these programs and justify the investments made in them?
Author: Thomas E. Backer, Jane Ellen Bleeg & Kathryn Groves Type: Research & Reports Date: Jan 1, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Download (152.27 KB) -
Evaluating Public Policy Grantmaking: A Resource for Funders This publication asserts that funders can determine appropriate performance measures by identifying the incremental steps that lead to policy change. The author argues that many factors necessary for policy change can be measured quantitatively and/or qualitatively, including civic participation, public perceptions, community networks, policymaker support, and organizational capacity. The report also asks funders to bear in mind that while a particular policy objective may not have been achieved, their support may have laid the groundwork for future victories. Author: Snowdon, Ashley Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 1, 2004 Be the first to review this resource! Download (333.45 KB) -
Evaluating Social Innovation In this paper, the authors explore ways that common evaluation approaches and practices constrain innovation and offer lessons about an emerging evaluation approach—developmental evaluation—which supports the adaptation that is so crucial to innovation. For what kinds of grantmaking strategies should funders consider using developmental evaluation? What organizational conditions are necessary for it to work? How can grantmakers grapple with the challenging questions that developmental evaluation raises about innovation, accountability, rigor, and adaptation? Author: Hallie Preskill and Tanya Beer Type: Research & Reports Date: Aug 1, 2012 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Download (341.7 KB) -
Evaluating Social Justice Advocacy: A Values Based Approach Although social justice is a concept inherent in many advocacy efforts, it often remains unspoken or is
ignored during the evaluation process. In some ways, the use of a social justice lens when evaluating
advocacy should be self-evident. If advocacy efforts aim for social justice outcomes, evaluations should look
for evidence that such outcomes have been achieved. But understanding just what social justice means can
be a challenge, as can knowing how to look for it in the context of complex and often long-term advocacy efforts.Author: Barbara Klugman Type: Research & Reports Date: Aug 1, 2010 Point K Pick Be the first to review this resource! Download (334.73 KB) -
Evaluating System Change: A Planning Guide This methods brief provides guidance on planning effective evaluations of system change interventions. It begins with a general overview of systems theory and then outlines a three-part process for designing system change evaluations. This three-part process aligns (1) the dynamics of the targeted system or situation, (2) the dynamics of the system change intervention, and (3) the intended purpose(s) and methods of the evaluation.
Author: Margaret B. Hargreaves Type: Research & Reports Date: Apr 1, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.63 MB) -
Evaluating the Effectiveness of DFID's Influence with Multilaterals This report is based on investigations carried out over five weeks involving approximately 40 organizations in the international NGO community. The report covers four main topics
Author: Davies, Rick Type: Research & Reports Date: Aug 1, 2001 Be the first to review this resource! Download (436.5 KB) -
EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING: Funder Initiatives to Strengthen Grantee Evaluation Capacity and Practice Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) is the process of improving an organization’s ability to use evaluation to learn from its work and improve results. Organizational learning is incredibly important. Organizations that are adept at learning from mistakes and adapting to new challenges are more likely to be successful, and in the nonprofit sector, more likely to make significant progress toward mission-related outcomes. In general, ECB can be used to:
Author: Myia Welsh and Johanna Morariu Type: Research & Reports Date: Jun 15, 2011 Be the first to review this resource! Download (248.37 KB) -
Evaluation Dashboards: Practical Solutions for Reporting Results In 2008 Innovation Network Senior Associates Veena Pankaj and Ehren Reed presented on dashboard usage for evaluation reporting at the annual Americal Evaluation Association. The handout and powerpoint slides cover four basic points:
- What is an evaluation dashboard?
- Why use a dashboard?
- When does an organization use a dashboard?
- How does an organization develop a dashboard?
Author: Ehren Reed and Veena Pankaj Type: Presentation Slides Date: Nov 7, 2008 Be the first to review this resource! Download (1.62 MB) -
Evaluation of Nine Non-Governmental Human Rights Organisations This evaluation report examines nine organizations working in the international human rights field with support from the Dutch government. It is one sub-study of a larger evaluation of Dutch human rights policy. The sub-study used a custom evaluation framework, consisting of a general section and sections on international advocacy work, publications and information, and specific program activities. The report concludes that all nine organizations have been largely successful, but that there is still room for improvement, "especially in the field of monitoring and evaluation practice Author: Landman, Todd and Abraham, Meghna Type: Research & Reports Date: Feb 1, 2004 Be the first to review this resource! Download (666.96 KB) -
Evaluation Resource Guide This listing and description of resources has been developed to help Department staff evaluate and monitor the performance of Department programs. It also is intended to be useful for county staff and other service providers. Resources in the Guide range from evaluation manuals providing basic information to books with detailed information on specific topics such as logic models, data analysis or sampling. Also included are resources on identifying effective programs/best practices, evaluation standards, and contracting for evaluation.
Author: Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: May 1, 2010 Be the first to review this resource! Download (223.14 KB) -
Free Resources for Program Evaluation and Social Research Methods This page lists FREE resources for program evaluation and social research methods. The focus is on "how-to" do evaluation research and the methods used: surveys, focus groups, sampling, interviews, and other methods. Most of these links are to resources that can be read over the web. A few, like the GAO books, are for books that can be sent away for, for free (if you live in the US), as well as read over the web. Author: Gene Shackman Type: Websites & Online Tools Date: Nov 22, 2007 Be the first to review this resource! Web Link -
From Expert to Advocate! Tools for Evidence-Based Advocacy In Your Community You are a powerful force in your community. As a service provider and/or community leader you see clearly where more progress can be made. How can you build the evidence base to change policies and increase resources to save more lives?
To get started, here are a few tools to assess gaps in service delivery and resource allocation, while increasing community and citizen ownership. These tools are just a sample of how to build your evidence base for effective advocacy. The process of developing your evidence base with your community can be as important as the end product.Author: ACTION: Advocacy to Control Tuberculosis Internationally Type: Tipsheets & Paper Tools Date: Jan 1, 2012 Be the first to review this resource! Download (684.46 KB) -
From Insight to Action: New Directions in Foundation Evaluation This report highlights emerging approaches to evaluation in the field of philanthropy that increase the effectiveness of both foundations and their grantees. Author: FSG Social Impact Advisors Type: Research & Reports Date: Apr 1, 2007 Be the first to review this resource! Download (3.67 MB) -
From the War on Poverty to an Economy that Works for All This publication about the effort to reframe the "war on poverty" to "low wage work" offers an example of an advocacy campaign that monitored and evaluated its own activities. One of the lessons learned from the advocacy effort specifically is in regard to monitoring and evaluating: "Advocates and activists must be flexible and open-minded about evaluating the degree to which an approach is working or not working, if any change is to be made." Author: Shulman, Sarah Type: Research & Reports Date: Mar 1, 2006 Be the first to review this resource! Download (543.15 KB) -
Funder Discussion Guide: Advocacy, Politics & Philanthropy In funding advocacy, foundations sometimes confront questions such as What’s a promising strategic focus?, How to integrate grassroots and grasstops advocacy?, orAuthor: Innovation Network and Atlantic Philanthropies
Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Mar 1, 2016 Be the first to review this resource! Download (684.33 KB) -
Gender and Poverty Project: Gender Analysis Tools Gender Analysis is a tool for examining the differences between the roles that women and men play, the different levels of power they hold, their differing needs, constraints and opportunities, and the impact of these differences on their lives.
This three-part Gender Analysis toolkit contains the following sections:
- Definitions
- Part I: The Basics
- Part II: Taking Steps to Do Gender Analysis in Our Communities
- Part III: Gender Analysis Tools
Author: Toby Goldberg Leong, Catherine Lang, and Marina Biasutti Type: Workbooks & Guides Date: Jan 1, 2005 Be the first to review this resource! Download (484.32 KB)