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Advocating for Adolescent Reproductive Health in Sub-Saharan Africa [PDF]
Also available in French in [PDF] format.
Chapter 9. Monitoring
and Evaluating Advocacy Efforts: Learning
from Successes and Challenges
There are many ways to evaluate the effectiveness of an
advocacy effort, from simple tracking systems to rigorous
research conducted by outside professionals. The type of
evaluation should be chosen by the goals and objectives and
by the resources available. If the goal is modest in scale,
such as making reproductive health information and services
available to young people at a local health center, then
process and outcome evaluations will be most appropriate.
Alternately, if the goal is much more ambitious, such as
to decrease national pregnancy and STD rates among adolescents,
then process, outcome, and impact evaluations will all be
necessary.
Process Evaluation
A process evaluation is the least expensive and most simple
type of evaluation to conduct. It examines whether activities
are reaching the intended audience, are occurring as planned,
and are adequately funded. Quantitative data from a process
evaluation show the number of activities conducted,
such as the number of media interviews or meetings with opinion
leaders that take place. Qualitative data can capture the
mood of a meeting or a policy maker's degree of satisfaction
with information received from the campaign.
A process evaluation addresses such questions as:
- How many opinion leaders received information?
- How many pieces of educational material were distributed
to the public?
- How many presentations or meetings have been held with
opinion leaders?
- How many favorable articles or programs about adolescent
reproductive health appeared in the media?
- How many members does the network have?
Collecting this information is important to determine whether
the network is on track in pursuing its activities, but it
is also important not to become too preoccupied by the process.
While advocates may be able to point to the number of trainings
conducted and materials distributed, remember that the goal
is to improve adolescents' access to information and services by
affecting policies.
Outcome Evaluation
Outcome evaluation measures the network's intermediate impact.
For example, if a goal is to ensure access to reproductive
health information and services to any young person who requests
them, the objectives may relate to affecting policies regarding
the operation of health clinics or schools. Results from
an outcome evaluation will indicate progress toward meeting
those objectives.
Outcome evaluation assesses such questions as:
- Has awareness of adolescent reproductive health issues
among opinion leaders increased?
- How many more opinion leaders publicly support the goal?
- Did the target organization's policies change as a result
of the activities?
- Was there a measured increase in the public's support
of these policies?
Impact Evaluation
Impact evaluation examines progress made toward the long
range goals. Often these goals relate to affecting health
indicators or policies on a national or regional level. Impact
evaluation is the most expensive type of evaluation and is
used to examine only the most ambitious advocacy efforts.
An impact evaluation may take place three to five years after
advocacy activities.
Impact evaluation addresses such questions as:
- Was there a change in the incidence of unintended adolescent
pregnancy?
- Were STD rates among young people lowered?
- Was there an increase in adolescent use of contraceptive
methods?
- Do more adolescents receive reproductive health information
and services?
Any evaluation should be practical and sensitive to resource
or labor limitations. If outside experience is needed, help
may be found at a local college or university. The social
sciences, psychology, education and public health departments
may have professors or students who can help with the project.
Often, graduate students are eager for experience and will
work for lower fees than those charged by professional evaluators.
Or, they may be permitted to use the data for theses or dissertations
in exchange for their work. Conversely, the increased credibility
of a professional evaluation may offset the additional expense
of hiring a known, respected evaluator.
Using Evaluation Results
While evaluating an advocacy campaign can be time consuming,
the results of a well executed evaluation are usually very
useful. Results showing that a campaign has been effective
in achieving its goals or objectives can motivate network
members and funders. Successfully persuading a ministry of
education to require family life education in all secondary
schools may result in an increase in healthy sexual behaviors
among these youth. While it is not possible to attribute
the increase in healthy behaviors directly and solely to
the policy change, the network's success in affecting the
ministry's policy can be cited as a possible contributing
factor.
At times, it is difficult to attribute changes in policies
or programs directly to the network. Such changes may take
place due to a general change in attitudes or because of
another campaign or advocacy effort. In order to accurately
assess the impact of the campaign, it is important to be
aware of similar efforts in the target area which may affect
policy makers or program planners. It is easy to assess the
outcome when specific language used by the network is incorporated
into policy documents or if key leaders are using this language.
When government or other organizations cite the network'
documents in support of policies and programs, this is further
indication of the effectiveness of efforts.
Evaluation results also can be used to identify the most
and least effective components of the campaign. Advocates
must reformulate strategies when evaluation data indicate
a lack of progress. Likewise, as an advocacy campaign matures
and accomplishes its goals and objectives, new goals and
objectives should be developed that target changes in other
indicators of adolescent reproductive and sexual health.
Source/Citation:
Shannon A. Advocating for Adolescent Reproductive Health in Sub-Saharan Africa. Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, 1998.
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