Following the completion of an effort, it can feel like it’s time to move on, and organizers often make the mistake of either resting on success or lamenting setbacks. Whether or not you were successful in reaching your targets based on the metrics you chose, now is a good time to think about the decisions you made related to measuring your work. If you chose the wrong metrics, it might not matter as much whether you reached your targets or not, since the targets were set based on something that might not have been a good indicator of success. Conversely, just because you may not have reached your targets does not mean your effort was not successful. Choosing how to measure your work – the metrics that you track and the targets you set – is an iterative process that should adapt and change in response to your goals and environment. Metrics can fall into four categories (listed below).
| Metric | Target | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| Effectively reflects your work | Was successfully reached | Replicate in future efforts |
| Effectively reflects your work | Was not successfully reached | Make targets more realistic or dedicate more resources |
| Doesn't reflect your work | Was successfully reached | Rethink metric for next effort |
| Doesn't reflect your work | Was not successfully reached | Rethink metric and target for next effort |
Using the framework above, list all metrics that you tracked (found in your field plan), consider if it effectively reflected your work, if it was achieved, and next steps for future efforts. Create a table like the one below.
| Metric | Does this reflect your work? | Target reached? | Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 one on one meetings per week | No, though we consistently met our target one on one meeting, this did not translate into increased leadership in the organization | Yes | Keep metrics, however revamp 1:1 training and follow-up so that it is more effective in moving people up LOE |
Consider the different types of data analysis, and which are relevant to assessing your effort. All of these categories may not apply to your organization, but you can consider them as you pull raw data for a formal analysis.
Descriptive Analysis
- Answers the question, “What happened?”
- Allows you to pull trends from raw data and describe what happened or is currently happening
Diagnostic Analysis
- Answers the question, “Why did this happen?”
- Includes comparing existing trends, uncovering correlations between factors, and determining any casual relationships between factors (when possible)
Predictive Analysis
- Answers the question, “What might happen in the future?”
- By analyzing historical data you can make informed predictions about future efforts
Prescriptive Analysis
- Answers the question, “What should we do next?”
- Takes into account all factors in a effort and suggests next steps or takeaways
Resources
View the Organizing and Advocacy Playbook as a PDF
Background Information
Advocacy Action Plan Phase-Learning
Advocacy Action Plan Phase-Planning
Advocacy Action Plan Phase-Implementation
Advocacy Action Plan Phase-Execution
Advocacy Action Plan Phase-Reflection