Step 8: Set benchmarks for success
Given the unpredictable nature of advocacy, it can be difficult to set clear benchmarks for success in your advocacy strategy. Below are three ways to measure success:
- Outputs: Articulate and measure your advocacy objectives and the desired outputs. For example, will you meet with policy-makers? Create a petition? Do media outreach? For each activity, identify a target output. For example, how many meetings did you have? How many signatures on the petition? How many reporters did you reach out to?
- Outcomes: Determine if your advocacy activities had the desired outcomes: Did you advance your SMART advocacy objective and achieve a quick win?
- Impact: Determine if your input activities and their outcomes had an impact on advancing your overall advocacy goal: For example, did your advocacy activities help improve the situation for a family-friendly workplace?
You also need to determine who will be measuring, and with what frequency.
The following template can be helpful to set these benchmarks for each activity in your workplan based on the activities outlined in your action plan.
Advocacy_Strategic_Action_Plan_Monitoring_Template
(Adapted from the Health Workforce Advocacy Initiative Toolkit, Chapter 13)
