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Author:   Annette Gardner ,  Claire Brindis
Publisher:   Stanford University Press
Imprint:   Stanford University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.80cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.386kg
ISBN:  

9780804792561

ISBN 10:   0804792569
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   11 April 2017
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

"Contents and Abstracts1Policy and Policymaking: Making a Difference chapter abstractThis chapter reviews public policy concepts and definitions that are important to advocacy and policy change evaluation practice, including models of policymaking process, the venues where policy is made, and policy outputs. This policy acumen will help evaluators navigate the dynamic and complicated nature of the policymaking process as well as the substantive dimensions of a policy arena. A second aim of this chapter is to strengthen the link between theory and practice and provide real world examples that are likely to be encountered by evaluators. The policy contexts in the six evaluation cases are described—international, national, state, regional, and local, as well as policy issues targeted by the six advocacy initiatives—health, transportation, land-use, food security, human rights, and gender equity. 2Advocacy: Influencing Decision-Making chapter abstractTo prepare evaluators for a complex advocacy universe, advocacy is described in the broadest sense, including the myriad types of advocates and their roles—individuals, organizations, and groups—as well as the many tactics that advocates use to build a constituency for change and influence policymaker support. Because definitions of ""advocacy"" may vary by perspective, this chapter discusses the different definitions of advocacy that may be encountered with suggestions for developing an appropriate definition. Key concepts important to understanding the relations and conflicts among advocates and decision-makers, such as politics, power and influence, are explored. A detailed overview of advocacy tactics is provided, including a mapping of these tactics to the policymaking process. To strengthen the link between theory and practice, advocacy tactics targeted by Aspen/UCSF Survey respondents are described as well as examples of advocacy tactics illuminated in the six evaluation cases. 3Designing Advocacy and Policy Change Evaluations chapter abstractChapter 3 draws on the pioneering works of policy evaluators, including evaluation basics important for designing advocacy and policy change evaluations, specifically the evaluation purpose and strategy, knowledge of the context, determining the role of the evaluator, communicating evaluation findings, and working with stakeholders. Several contextual (such as restrictions on some forms of advocacy) and methodological challenges (such as validity and attribution) to evaluation design are described. It draws on existing evaluation practice to identify solutions, as well as offering recommendations for designing an advocacy and policy change evaluation. Emerging evaluation strategies, such as developmental evaluation that hold promise for addressing the complex nature of advocacy and policy change initiatives, are discussed. To illustrate the application of design principles, the chapter includes the evaluation approaches most used by Aspen/UCSF Survey respondents and describes the designs used in end-point evaluations of two very different advocacy and policy change initiatives. 4Outcomes and Methods in Advocacy and Policy Change Evaluation chapter abstractChapter 4 builds on Chapter 3 and focuses on the details of the evaluation design. Using a logic model framework of inputs, outputs, outcomes, and impacts that align with a generic policy stage model and influence public and/or policymaker understanding and support, the chapter describes the many conventional and unique evaluation methods, outcomes, and measures used by APC evaluators. As advocacy and policy change initiatives are often complicated and uncertain, developing and working with a program theory of change and/or logic model is important. Additionally, the chapter includes criteria for selecting meaningful and appropriate measures and qualitative and quantitative data collection instruments. The Aspen/UCSF Survey findings point to methods used and not used by APC evaluators. Last, two international midpoint evaluations are compared and contrasted, useful to illustrate the points described in the narrative, as well as providing useful designs, strategies, and tools. 5Unique Instruments for Advocacy and Policy Change Evaluation chapter abstractAPC evaluators and funders have been proactive in developing evaluation frameworks, toolkits, instruments, and measures to address some of the barriers to data collection, such as access to policymakers. In this chapter, a review of the unique, tailored instruments that have been used by the field and/or frequently mentioned by Aspen/UCSF Survey respondents, including their intended focus, use, and limitations is also included. Some instruments are off-the-shelf tools that can be used by advocates themselves, while others entail significant evaluation expertise in their administration and analysis. Additionally, this chapter focuses on measuring key attributes and the context of an advocacy and policy change initiative, elements that have not been measured before. The Aspen/UCSF Survey findings and a comparison of two complex evaluation cases are used to explore the use of various instruments and methods by evaluators. 6Evaluator Roles and Relationships with Stakeholders chapter abstractThe evaluator's relationship with advocates, funders, and other stakeholders will ultimately determine whether an advocacy and policy change evaluation is successful. This chapter examines partnership-based evaluation principles and describes the possible roles that may be afforded to evaluators by advocacy and policy initiatives—educator, strategist, and influencer. Unlike evaluations of stable programs that have a specific intervention, evaluators of advocacy and policy change initiatives may find themselves in the position of informing decision-making and influencing policy outcomes as initiatives are shaped and implemented, and as early and midterm results are generated and translated for policy makers and other stakeholders. The Aspen/UCSF Survey findings on the key ways that recent evaluations have been utilized as part of the relationship between evaluators and other stakeholders are described. In addition, evaluation products and processes developed by the evaluators of the six evaluation cases are described. 7Advancing Advocacy and Policy Change Evaluation Practice chapter abstractIn Chapter 7, gaps in evaluation practice are identified and suggestions are provided for strengthening individual evaluation practice or what the authors describe as ""mindful evaluation."" Second, with input from experienced advocacy and policy change evaluators and funders, recommendations for advancing the field and creating a ""community of practice,"" such as expanding the geographic focus of APC evaluation, are included. Building a strong network among the APC evaluation community helps to assure that evaluation techniques will be incorporated sooner and more effectively. Evaluators also need to pay close attention to the evaluation arena, including emerging theory and methods and increased emphasis on rigor and quality. Furthermore, evaluators can and should play an active role in contributing to scholarship on advocacy, public policy, and the role of nonprofits. The chapter ends with a description of areas and topics that would benefit from APC evaluation findings and methods."

Reviews

This first foundational book on advocacy and policy change evaluation is a must-have resource. The authors have accumulated in one place the wealth of ideas, tools, and approaches that have been developed and tested in the field to date. Have evaluation design and implementation questions? You'll find answers here. -- Julia Coffman, Director * Center for Evaluation Innovation * The time is ripe for Advocacy and Policy Change Evaluation: Theory and Practice. As more funders embrace their role in promoting policy change, this area of the evaluation field is becoming increasingly important. This book does an excellent job of bringing together the 'state of the art.' -- Teresa Behrens * Director, Institute for Foundation and Donor Learning, Grand Valley State University and Editor-in-Chief, <i>The Foundation Review</i> * Advocacy and policy change evaluation has developed methods, conceptual frameworks, tools, and innovative approaches to the challenges of complex systems change. In this book, the field finds its first comprehensive, accessible synthesis-including case exemplars. Advocacy and Policy Change Evaluation definitively announces to the world that this is a specialization contributing credible and useful evaluations, documenting its accomplishments for all to see. -- Michael Quinn Patton * author of <i>Utilization-Focused Evaluation, 4th Edition</i> * This book exemplifies a new way of characterizing an expanding evaluation field via a wonderfully illuminating integration of theory and practice. It will be an indispensable resource for evaluators examining advocacy: its public-interest goals, its expanded environment, its action strategies and their tensions, along with its answered and unanswered questions. -- Eleanor Chelimsky * U.S. Assistant Comptroller General for Program Evaluation (Retired) *

This book exemplifies a new way of characterizing an expanding evaluation field via a wonderfully illuminating integration of theory and practice. It will be an indispensable resource for evaluators examining advocacy: its public-interest goals, its expanded environment, its action strategies and their tensions, along with its answered and unanswered questions. --Eleanor Chelimsky U.S. Assistant Comptroller General for Program Evaluation (Retired)

-This book exemplifies a new way of characterizing an expanding evaluation field via a wonderfully illuminating integration of theory and practice. It will be an indispensable resource for evaluators examining advocacy: its public-interest goals, its expanded environment, its action strategies and their tensions, along with its answered and unanswered questions.---Eleanor Chelimsky -U.S. Assistant Comptroller General for Program Evaluation (Retired) -

Author Information

Annette L. Gardner is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.Claire D. Brindis is Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy and Director of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco.

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