Jo White, World Horse Welfare www.charitycomms.org.uk/events

1. Measuring and Communicating
Your Impact Conference
29 June 2011
CharityComms is the professional membership body for charity communicators. We believe charity communications
are integral to each charity’s work for a better world.
W: www.charitycomms.org.uk T: 020 7426 8877

2. Measuring the Impact
of Your Campaigns
Jo White

3. Introductions
• World Horse Welfare Campaigns Advisor
• Worked for the charity for 10 years
• Managing Director of Progressive Ideas
• Managed campaigns in the UK and
Europe
• Worked in all aspects of campaigning:
–Evidence collection and research
–Pressing decision makers for policy
changes
–Educational solutions
–Engaging and mobilising support.
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4. The presentation
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5. Impact
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6. Impact?
• Influence, effect…
• …forcible contact, collide forcefully!
• For the charity…campaigning impact is
about making a difference and achieving
positive change…
• …it can also be the performance of a
fundraising or marketing campaign.
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7. The value of measuring campaign impact
• Are you succeeding? Is your strategy
working?
• Are you achieving your goals and
objectives?
• Are you making a difference?
• Is the campaign offering value to
beneficiaries, charity, supporters?
• Essential in identifying strengths,
weaknesses opportunities and threats.
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8. Evaluating the campaign
“Evaluation is about accessing
the benefits of hindsight at the
earliest possible opportunity.
Through carefully monitoring
the implementation of a
campaign, and measuring the
progress towards its objectives,
unfruitful approaches can be
rectified early and campaign
objectives revised or the design
strengthened for maximum
impact.”
The Campaign Handbook
by Mark Lattimer
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9. However…
Campaigns can be particularly difficult to
evaluate for two main reasons:
– Reliable indicators of progress are
often hard to find
– Social change usually occurs by a
complex set of interrelated factors,
therefore a direct link to
campaigning action is not always
easy to establish.
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10. Mapping a route to success
In order to effectively measure a campaign’s impact and map a route to success
the following must be covered:
Strategy + baseline data at start + on-going measurement & evaluation of data
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11. Tools - framework for measuring impact
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12. B
a
s Evidence &
e research –
l field, desk,
i scientific
n
e IMPACT
Profile –
Identify supporter, O
Idea impact Strategy Implement Achieve
m media… u
s measurin / plan positive
e t
g tools a Education p change,
s – courses, u make a
u literature… t difference
r s
e Political
m –meetings,
e consultatio
n n
t
Ongoing data collection, evaluation, measurement and review of impact
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13. Campaign
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14. A successful campaign
• What matters to your organisation -
motivations and goals?
• Establish the need – what problem
are you trying to resolve?
• A clear strategy:
– Campaign goal – define what are you
trying to achieve / change?
– SMART objectives
• What is your approach?
– Are you trying to change policy,
practice, attitude, awareness?
– Are you taking an insider or outsider
approach?
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15. Case example
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16. What matters to the charity as a whole?
• Dedicated to giving abused and
neglected horses a second chance in life
• Making a long-term difference to horse
welfare
• …So why do we campaign..?
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17. Greater impact upon a
greater number of horses
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18. Campaign goal…
• Long-term: An end to the long-distance transportation of horses for
slaughter in Europe; replacing it with a carcase only trade.
• Short-term: Welfare improvements for horses transported on these
journeys, supported by robust enforcement.
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19. Why?
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20. Why does the campaign exist?
• Around 80,000 horses are transported
thousands of miles, each year to be
slaughtered for meat
• Journeys can last for days on end
• Horses suffer - injury, disease, stress,
exhaustion, dehydration
• These journeys are totally needless – one
route passes 180 slaughterhouses
registered to take horses.
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21. SMART objectives
• Achieve an end to the long-distance
transport of horses for slaughter in
Europe by 2020
• Achieve a 50% reduction in the number
of horses transported to slaughter by
2016
• Achieve amendments within EU policy to
improve the conditions under which
horses are transported to slaughter in
Europe by 2015
• Introduce guidance and associated
educational initiatives on the issue of
water provision for each stage of the
journey by 2012.
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22. Our approach
Gather Evidence
+
Raise Awareness, engage support, educate
+
Political Activity
=
Change Policy, Practice & Attitudes
We take a combined insider and outsider
approach – we work with people, but are
prepared to show our teeth!
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23. Our approach to planning
Idea
Plan
Research
Profile/Education Political
Review
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24. Measuring impact
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25. Measuring the impact of a campaign?
• There are some obvious answers:
– Has the overall campaign goal/target been
achieved?
– Have the SMART objectives been achieved?
– Is there an improvement related to the
campaigning activity undertaken by the charity?
• But how do you make sure that this is
down to the campaign?
– Baseline data needs to be collected before the
campaign starts
– This should be compared to data collected at
regular intervals as the campaign progresses.
The Campaigning Handbook
By Mark Lattimer
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26. Baseline data?
• A measure of what is happening at a point
in time before the campaign starts.
• Forms part of the process to establish
whether a campaign is actually the best
means to achieve positive change in the
specific area.
• What sort of campaign is needed: change
policy, raising awareness, education,
changing practice and/or attitudes.
• A mix of different approaches to data
collection - quantitative and qualitative –
stats and the story
• Designed so that a consistent approach
can be taken to all future data collection.
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27. Case example
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28. Baseline and on-going measurement
Challenge – the campaign started in 1927
•Desk research – establishing the number of horses
involved, economics and infrastructure of the trade
•Field research – establishing the key welfare problems
and what drives the trade
•Scientific research – peer reviewed and able to
withstand scrutiny
•Stakeholder research – who it involved, what are their
views, can we work with them?
•Supporter research – who will back the campaign to help
achieve success, and what engages them?
Undertaken on an on-going basis…
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29. Has the overall campaign goal been
achieved?
• Long-term: An end to the long-distance transportation of horses for slaughter
in Europe; replacing it with a carcase only trade – NOT YET
• Short-term: Welfare improvements for horses transported on these journeys,
supported by robust enforcement – YES, STILL MORE TO DO.
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30. SMART objectives
• An end to live trade by 2020 – not yet
• Achieve 50% reduction in live trade by
2016 – between 2001 – 2011 we
recorded a reduction in numbers from
around 165,000 to 80,000
• Achieve amendments within EU policy to
improve the conditions by 2015 – we
achieved tangible improvements to
legislation agreed in 2004,
implemented 2007
• Introduce guidance and educational
initiatives by 2012 – proposal received
backing from eminent scientific
experts, now to be implemented.
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31. Outputs, outcomes and impact
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32. Outputs, outcomes and impact
• Measuring impact will tell you
whether you are successfully
moving towards achieving your
campaign goals
• Measuring outputs and their
related outcomes will tell you
whether your campaigning activity
is successful
• It is important to measure both,
and to cross-reference to see if
the overall approach is working.
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33. Campaign outputs
•Evidence – research, reports etc
•Political – PQs, consultations,
meetings etc
•Profile – media, promotional activities
and literature
•Campaign supporter activity: holding
events, signing postcards, petitions
meeting politicians etc
•Educational – training events,
literature
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34. Case example
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35. Campaign activities outputs and outcomes
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36. Evidence and research – field, desk
and scientific:
•Dossier of Evidence 2008 –
presented to European Commission
•Scientific peer reviewed research -
published Equine Veterinary journal
•Evidence packages submitted to
the European Food Standards
Authority examining the latest
evidence for the European
Commission – included in report.
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37. Political – PQs, consultations, meetings…
•Written Declaration – 54/2009 over 50% MEP’s signed, one of only five
animal welfare Declarations ever tabled, first ever for horse welfare
•Consultations – on legislation and enforcement – sit on Defra expert
working group
•PQ’s on number of horses exported from different Member States to
slaughter; pressing the EC for action in relation to the Declaration.
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38. Profile and supporters
• Growing base of campaign
supporter, undertaking a variety of
actions: holding events, signing
postcards, petitions, meeting
politicians etc
• Profile – media, promotional
activities and literature
• Educational – training events,
literature.
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39. Tools and tips
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40. Tools - framework for measuring impact
40

41. B
a
s Evidence &
e research –
l field, desk,
i scientific
n
e IMPACT
Profile –
Identify supporter, O
Idea impact Strategy Implement Achieve
m media… u
s measurin / plan positive
e t
g tools a Education p change,
s – training, u make a
u literature… t difference
r s
e Political
m – PQs,
e meetings,
n consultatio
t n
Ongoing data collection, evaluation, measurement and review of impact
41

42. Tips…
• Undertake measurements and establish baseline data before you start
your campaign – essential to develop the right strategy
• Relate your baseline data collection to your ongoing approach to
measuring impact – to ensure consistency and value
• Keep things simple and relevant – only record data of value, that will be
used
• If your campaign isn’t working use your data to identify why – Act
• Utilise those who are not directly involved to check your approach – a
fresh pair of eyes can be the quickest evaluation mechanism if time and
resources are limited, as they will identify new things
• Make time to evaluate your campaign – there are big benefits!
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43. Thank you - any questions?
Contact:
•jowhite@worldhorsewelfare.org
•jo.white@progressiveideas.co.uk
•07584 411980
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