“Advocates Change the World; Evaluation Can Help”

A Literature Review and Key Insights from the Practice of Advocacy Evaluation

Abstract

It is only since the new millennium that assessments of policy and systems change initiatives have been given much attention in practice or in research. A comprehensive literature review of advocacy in human services non-profit organizations (NGOs) has found a “lack of systemic, rational evaluation and measurement of the effectiveness of advocacy.” Similarly, in a survey of 211 NGOs that undertake advocacy, only one in four (24.6 percent) reported that this work had been evaluated. While the survey was conducted in the United States, it is likely that Canadian NGOs are in a similar situation, not because of a lack of interest or value for evaluation but, rather, because assessing systems change initiatives is challenging territory and NGOs face considerable resource and time constraints that put such evaluation low on the priority list. This article provides a review of key insights from advocacy evaluation practice and research that may help orient and inform NGOs as they decide on evaluation strategies. I will outline the state of the field of systems- and policy-change evaluation in North America as well as its benefits and challenges. Finally, a synthesis of the main steps in advocacy evaluation planning and implementation offers a broad map to NGOs seeking to enhance this practice in their own organizations.