Reporting on Defense Advocacy
ORS Impact, in collaboration with the Center for Evaluation Innovation, sought to create a resource that would give funders and evaluators the tools they need to better understand, and measure, advocacy on the defense. While there has long been recognition that avoiding a loss can sometimes be a win for advocates, there has never been a focus among evaluators on the distinct characteristics regarding advocates’ work on the defense, and what the implications are for funders and evaluators. ORS Impact presented a useful framework for understanding defensive advocacy strategies and how they align to different impact models, as well as defense-specific outcomes. Readers walk away with a clearer understandings of how advocates describe defensive work, how it differs from proactive advocacy, and ideas for how to evaluate it better in the future. Arrows, textures, and hand-drawn elements, reminiscent of a sports playbook, speak to the ideas of planning and strategic development. Bold colors identify different chapters, and help project a positive, more optimistic outlook.
