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publication Sep 2014

Assessing and Evaluating Change in Advocacy Fields

Funders engaged in advocacy field building have different evaluation needs than those that aim to build specific advocacy capacities or advance a particular policy change. This resource brings together emerging ideas about how to assess advocacy fields and evaluate advocacy field-building initiatives. 

publication Jul 2014

Evaluating Networks for Social Change: A Casebook

This casebook profiles nine evaluations of network effectiveness that are designed to fit with how networks develop and function.

By Julia Coffman

publication Jul 2014

The State of Network Evaluation: Framing Paper

Many in the social-change sector are recognizing the potential power of networks for achieving social change. But how do you evaluate them? This paper examines the field’s thinking on network evaluation frameworks, approaches, and tools.

By Julia Coffman

publication Jan 2014

Monitoring and Evaluation for Human Rights Organizations: Three Case Studies

The promotion and protection of human rights around the world is driven by principles of transparency and accountability. These same principles drive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) efforts. Yet, conceptual, capacity, and cultural barriers often discourage the use of M&E in human rights work. This brief offers concrete examples of how to tackle the unique challenges of evaluating human rights work.

publication Nov 2013

Pathways for Change: 10 Theories to Inform Advocacy and Policy Change Efforts

One of our most popular publications, this brief, produced in collaboration with ORS Impact, summarizes 10 theories grounded in social science about how policy change happens. The theories can help to untangle beliefs and assumptions about the inner workings of the policymaking process and identify causal connections supported by research to explain how and why a change may or may not occur.

publication Nov 2012

Civil Partnership and Ireland: How a Minority Achieved a Majority

The Gay and Lesbian Equality Network played a crucial role in working toward marriage equality in Ireland. This advocacy case study offers a chronological account of how advocacy for civil partnership legislation unfolded, critical elements of the advocacy strategy, and transferable lessons for advocates and funders.

publication Aug 2012

Advocacy & Public Policy Grantmaking: Matching Process to Purpose

How should foundations approach their advocacy and public policy grantmaking? This report offers three options and explores what it means for foundations to design grantmaking that builds the capacity and influence of an advocacy field.

By Tanya Beer

publication Feb 2012

Shaking the Tree: Evaluating Programs that Combine Services and Advocacy

Monitoring and evaluation strategies can demonstrate accountability and deliver results to stakeholders—both upwards to donors and downwards to the individuals providers serve. This brief examines how service delivery organizations conducting advocacy should think about monitoring and evaluating their work.

publication Jan 2012

Best Practices and Emerging Trends in Advocacy Grantmaking

Foundations make many choices in designing and supporting advocacy portfolios. Best practices can guide this work. 

By Tanya Beer

publication Sep 2011

Advocacy Evaluation Case Study: The Chalkboard Project

An evaluation of a civic engagement and advocacy effort in Oregon offered an opportunity to incorporate both retrospective and prospective approaches and new advocacy evaluation tools. It is a case example of how evaluation can support strategic learning among advocates.

publication Sep 2011

Evaluation of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s Preschool for California’s Children Grantmaking Program

This teaching case focuses on an evaluation that aimed for real-time strategic learning over the course of a 10-year initiative. It chronicles the challenges with achieving that while the strategy shifted and evaluators grappled with how to provide information that was of real value to the work. 

publication Jul 2011

Looking Through the Right End of the Telescope

Questions about whether it is possible to evaluate advocacy have led to a proliferation of new tools aimed at responding to the real and perceived unique challenges to evaluating advocacy. This brief questions whether the advocacy evaluation field's emphasis on the development of tools is best serving advocates.