Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT Cross-Cutting Advocacy Issues Data Collection Monitoring and Evaluation

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT Today’s Training Objectives Understand different types of data and data collection techniques Be able to prepare a monitoring and evaluation framework for the advocacy campaign

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT Qualitative vs. Quantitative Data

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT Data Collection Gathering, analyzing, and using appropriate quantitative and qualitative information to support each step of your public policy advocacy campaign.

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT Baseline Assessment A baseline assessment is the collection of data before an activity begins. The data are used to measure change after an activity has been implemented or during the course of implementation

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT Monitoring and evaluation

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT What is M&E of a PPA work? Monitoring: is the process of routinely gathering information on all aspects of an advocacy campaign and using the information in network management and decision making. A sound monitoring and evaluation component helps an NGO track its successes and learning experiences, build credibility with donors, and motivate members to sustain momentum.

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT What is M&E of a PPA work? Evaluation: Assesses the successes and failures of a PPA campaign, seeking to understand why what happened, happened. Establishes the link between advocacy activities and policy outcomes. Example: it establishes the causal relationship between a vote in Parliament and campaign activities e project at one point in time, including the successes and failures. It seeks to understand why what happened, happened If an NGO’s advocacy activities bring about a desired public policy change, the NGO will want to demonstrate a clear connection between its objectives and activities and the policy outcome.

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT Why monitor and evaluate your advocacy work? Evaluation involves a systematic, objective analysis of the network’s performance, efficiency, and impact in relation to its objectives. Its purpose is to: draw lessons from experience in order to improve the quality of an advocacy campaign; improve the design of future campaigns by avoiding risky situations; Identify and capitalize on opportunities, demonstrate the network’s merits to supporters, policymakers, donors, members, etc.

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT What to Monitor? An essential ingredient of any advocacy strategy is an action plan, showing your inputs, outputs, outcomes and indicators: INPUTS: the resources you will be using - often simply in terms of staff and production costs OUTPUTS: the activities you will be undertaking. OUTCOMES. The impact you expect to achieve from each of your outputs INDICATORS. The evidence you will collect to show the outcome has been achieved.

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT What to monitor? Monitor your target Record and observe changes in the rhetoric of your target audience. Keep a file of their statements over time. What are they saying about you and your campaign? Are they moving closer to your position, adapting to or adopting any of your language or philosophy? Monitoring your relationships Record the frequency and content of conversations with external sources and target audiences. Are you discussing new ideas? Are you becoming a confidante or a source of information or advice?

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT What to monitor? Monitoring the media Count column inches on your issue and the balance of pro and anti comment. Count the number of mentions for your organization. Analyze whether media is adopting your language. Monitoring your reputation Record the sources and numbers of inquiries that you receive as a result of your work. Are you getting to the people you wanted to get to? How and where have they heard of your work? How accurate are their pre-conceptions about you and your work? Monitoring public opinion Analyze the popular climate through telephone polling, or through commissioning surveys.

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT Monitoring Group Task Why would we monitor the activities in our advocacy plan? What should we monitor? Who will be responsible for collecting and analyzing monitoring information? When will monitoring take place? How will we gather the necessary information (e.g., data sources)?

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT Evaluation Group Task Develop two evaluation questions for the following selected stages in the network’s advocacy strategy: Issue Goal/objective Target audience Message development Channels of Communication Data collection Monitoring and Evaluation

Rwanda MCC Threshold Program CIVIL SOCIETY STRENGTHENING PROJECT Murakoze