Negotiating effectiveness in transnational advocacy evaluation

Area of Science:

• Development Studies
• Public Policy
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• International development organizations increasingly employ advocacy to enhance effectiveness.
• Measuring the success of advocacy initiatives presents significant challenges.
• Effectiveness is often contingent on diverse stakeholder interpretations and interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To challenge the notion of purely objective evaluations of advocacy.
• To explore the political nature of advocacy evaluation processes.
• To understand how interaction spaces influence the interpretation and measurement of advocacy effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of advocacy evaluation practices.
• Examination of stakeholder interactions concerning methods, processes, and results.
• Exploration of how meaning is constructed around outcomes.

Main Results:

• Advocacy evaluation is inherently political, not strictly rational or objective.
• The space for interaction among stakeholders is crucial for defining effectiveness.
• These interactions allow for a richer understanding and more accurate measurement of outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Advocacy evaluation is shaped by political dynamics and stakeholder engagement.
• Creating spaces for interaction improves the quality and accuracy of effectiveness assessments.
• Acknowledging the multiplicity of meanings is key to evaluating advocacy outcomes.