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Session Title: Evaluating National and State Policy Change Efforts: Campaigner and Funder Perspectives on Evaluation Context, Methods and Lessons
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Panel Session 102 to be held in Panzacola Section F1 on Wednesday, Nov 11, 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
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Sponsored by the Advocacy and Policy Change TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Lester Baxter, Pew Charitable Trusts, lbaxter@pewtrusts.org
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| Discussant(s):
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| Jacqueline Williams Kaye, Atlantic Philanthropies, j.williamskaye@atlanticphilanthropies.org
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| Abstract:
A sizable share of the growing discussion of advocacy evaluation practice relates to campaigns that seek to effect policy change at the local level, often involving grassroots efforts led by community-based non-profits. This panel seeks to build on this body of work by focusing on advocacy campaigns that seek to inform or effect policy change at the national or state level-- recognizing and exploring the ways in which they operate in a context that can differ sharply from that of local policy change efforts. Informed by The Pew Charitable Trusts' Planning and Evaluation group's experiences over a twelve-year period, the panel will first address methods, incorporating real world examples and sharing lessons panelists have learned about how to design and conduct successful evaluations of advocacy efforts that aim for state or national policy change. We will complement this focus on methods and practice with panel discussions designed to incorporate the pivotally important context of a key audience for advocacy evaluations, the senior strategists who design and implement the campaigns, and the types of evaluative information and lessons campaign designers value most.
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Let's Talk Methods! A Systematic Approach to Evaluating State and National Policy Change Efforts, From Evaluation Design to Use
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| Glee Holton, Pew Charitable Trusts, gholton@pewtrusts.org
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| Nicole Trentacoste, Pew Charitable Trusts, ntrentacoste@pewtrusts.org
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Informed by Pew's own practice in designing evaluations of advocacy strategy, the panel's opening discussion of evaluation methods will incorporate real world examples and focus on lessons that panelists have learned about how to best develop and conduct successful evaluations of national and state policy change efforts. A sample of topics to be discussed includes: understanding key differences with and similarities to traditional program evaluations; identifying clear and measurable policy goals and designing evaluable campaigns; demonstrating practical means of avoiding conflicts of interest and maintaining evaluation integrity; tracking campaign outcomes and choosing appropriate evaluation models; identifying and managing independent evaluators with appropriate evaluation and policy expertise; addressing issues of contribution and causality where multiple actors are working towards similar policy outcomes; timing the delivery of evaluation findings to meet program information needs; and reporting findings in ways that increase utility.
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So, How Can We Help? The Campaigner's Context and a Selection of Lessons From State and National Advocacy Efforts
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| Lester Baxter, Pew Charitable Trusts, lbaxter@pewtrusts.org
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Looking across the body of state and policy change evaluations that Pew has conducted in recent years, this session will incorporate the perspective of Pew's evaluation staff and senior campaigners and share their views of what evaluators need to know about campaigns and campaign strategies. Discussion will focus on elements of advocacy evaluations that are of greatest use to the campaigners' efforts to better understand, design and manage state and national advocacy campaigns. Panelists will also highlight common themes and key evaluation lessons from this sample of state and national advocacy campaigns.
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How Did it Work and What Did We Learn? A Case Study of a National Policy Campaign From the Perspective of an Evaluation Consultant and Program Staff
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| Scott Scrivner, Pew Charitable Trusts, sscrivner@pewtrusts.org
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The panel's final session will focus on lessons learned from a single national policy campaign, both from the standpoint of evaluation practice as well as campaign design and implementation. Hosted by a senior policy and campaign specialist from the project's evaluation team, we will reflect on the challenges of conducting advocacy evaluations, share practical lessons from working with the campaign's partners and funders, and discuss the importance of understanding the campaign's context and key audiences when designing evaluations and sharing lessons. The panel will also share feedback from the senior program and staff who designed and implemented the campaign on the evaluation's key contributions and challenges, as well as the campaign's intended and unintended consequences.
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