| Session Title: Who Are Champions, What Are Their Impact and How Do You Know? Considerations for Advocates, Funders, and Evaluators |
| Think Tank Session 292 to be held in BOWIE C on Thursday, Nov 11, 1:40 PM to 3:10 PM |
| Sponsored by the Advocacy and Policy Change TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Steve Mumford, Organizational Research Services, smumford@organizationalresearch.com |
| Sarah Stachowiak, Organizational Research Services, sarahs@organizationalresearch.com |
| Lance Potter, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, lance.potter@gatesfoundation.org |
| Abstract: Champion development is an important aspect of advocacy work. Building relationships with key individuals to support a cause requires time and energy on the part of advocacy organizations; however, the impact of this work may be unexamined. In small groups, participants will explore three key questions related to evaluating champion development and impact: How are champions defined? How can advocates and evaluators track and measure champion actions toward various outcomes? And what are potential challenges and opportunities for evaluating champions? Presenters will introduce questions by sharing lessons learned from work with advocacy projects in several fields. These will include a working framework for defining “champions” and potential outcomes, methods for tracking and measuring champion actions and impact, and important considerations for data collection. Discussion will lead toward a deeper understanding of champion development as an advocacy technique and how it can be evaluated. |