Monitoring Climate Change Advocacy

SV/CANSA workshop,

Kathmandu, April 2014

To steer

To learn

To be accountable

To motivate

Why are we monitoring advocacy?

Our monitoring should help us do all of these

The advocacy cycle

Diagram courtesy of Ian Chandler

Define your objective well…

…to make it easier to monitor

Some challenges of monitoring advocacy

• Long time frame between action and impact

• Many more influencing factors with no simple cause/effect

• Seen as too difficult, so staff avoid it

• With the result that we generally – Avoid doing it, or

– Collect too much data and don’t use it well

– Focus on monitoring activities & actions, not results

Some solutions….

1. Understanding and accepting the difference between attribution and contribution – be satisfied with contributing to change

2. Having an explicit pathway towards achieving impact (theory of change)

3. Remember all four reasons for monitoring – and be clear of the purpose of all the data you collect (avoid collecting data that serve no purpose!)

M&E systems for Advocacy should

1. Provide “real-time” information that enables advocates to make decisions on their next steps (tactics and actions) within the defined strategy.

2. Track progress towards the overall objectives along the pathway set out in the influencing strategy.

3. Gather credible evidence and enable objective analysis for learning and accountability.

4. Be easy to use and understand.

courtesy of Ian Chandler

advocacy goal

Example of progress markers

1. Created debate on issue/put issue on policy agenda

2. Evidence and analysis influences debate

3. Influential “champions” emerge

4. Widespread agreement among influential stakeholders

5. Gained policy commitments from decision makers

6. Policy formulated/proposed

7. Policy agreed/adopted

8. Policy implemented/ practice change evident

Construct your monitoring framework step Marker Indicator 1 Indicator 2 Indicator 3

1 Created debate on issue/put issue on policy agenda

10 articles mention the topic in the press

Presentations made at 5 events

3 public stunts or demonstrations

2 Evidence and analysis influences debate

Report of findings quoted in 3 press editorials

Survey results >50% public support

Volume of tweet traffic increases

3 Influential “champions” emerge

New advocacy allies declare support

5 members raise questions in parliament

Religious leaders voice concern

4 …

5 …

6 …

7 Policy agreed/adopted

Exercise

• Divide into three groups

• Chose one objective that represents the change your group wants to see

• Construct a progress ladder of how you will get there

• Focus on “milestones” or “achievements”, rather than activities

Suggested objectives derived from the JAS

1. Government shows full public accountability for how adaptation funds have been spent

2. Local adaptation plans are the building block of national adaptation plans

3. Sector X (could be energy, agriculture, health) incorporates adaptation into its plans and operations

4. Indigenous & local knowledge is incorporated into adaptation planning