Spotlight
Evaluating Advocates' Spheres of Influence With Domain Leaders
The evaluation of the Center for Tobacco-Free Kids gathered data from a
wide range of audiences that the advocacy organization targets in order to influence
public policy.
Evaluators face a difficult challenge in assessing the effectiveness of advocacy
campaigns designed to influence policy. Methods must extend beyond traditional
opinion polling and quantitative measurement to capture the qualitative influence
that advocacy activities have on policy leaders' thinking and positions. Evaluators
also must consider the broad range of audiences and domains that advocates target
to inform policy. Advocacy typically involves much more than attempts to reach
elected officials directly; it also involves working strategically with the
many groups and individuals who play roles in and influence the policy process.
Several years ago, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) commissioned
The Lewin Group to evaluate a key RWJF grantee, the Center for Tobacco-Free
Kids1 (the
Center), a national advocacy leader and resource on tobacco control. Begun in
1995, the Center attempts to influence public attitudes and policies on tobacco
for the purpose of preventing children from smoking, helping smokers to quit,
and protecting everyone from secondhand smoke. The Center promotes the visibility
of tobacco issues in the media, educates policymakers, and partners with state
and grassroots advocacy groups to inform policy at the state and federal levels.
The evaluation's goal was to investigate the Center's role in tobacco control
advocacy, its strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities for future growth.
In response to the challenges posed by evaluating advocacy efforts, The Lewin
Group and RWJF developed an evaluation approach that examined questions about
the Center with domain leaders connected to tobacco control issues.
Who Are Domain Leaders?
Like most advocacy organizations, the Center works with leaders in a range
of ways and across a variety of domains—including government, media, research,
and state and national advocacy. Individuals and organizations working in these
domains are key players in the policy process, influencing the policy agenda
and each other in interconnected ways. From these domain leaders, The Lewin
Group sought to capture perspectives on the Center's effectiveness.
The evaluation targeted domain leaders who were connected to tobacco control
efforts. The Lewin Group selected these leaders—who were often aware of
the Center's work and who included Center critics—based on expert key informant
suggestions. Domain leaders in this evaluation included:
- Senior federal officials working on tobacco issues
- Journalists covering tobacco issues
- National tobacco control advocates
- State tobacco control advocates
- Researchers focused on tobacco issues
- RWJF staff focused on tobacco issues
- Other Center funders
- Center board members and staff
Methodology
The evaluation approach was developed with guidance from RWJF staff and
an expert panel of advisors that included three substantive domain experts who
worked closely with The Lewin Group on the evaluation. Almost 70 semistructured
telephone interviews were conducted with domain leaders. The three substantive
domain experts conducted interviews with federal policymakers and state advocacy
groups; senior Lewin Group staff conducted all others. Interview participants
knew that the interview's purpose was to talk about the Center's work. Questions
covered:
- Familiarity with and nature of interactions with the Center
- Sources for accessing tobacco information
- Utility of the Center's services and information resources
- The Center's perceived contributions and accomplishments
- Recommendations for Center improvements
All leaders were asked to describe their interaction with the Center and to
provide feedback on ways the Center might improve both its relationship with
the domain leaders and the Center's influence in the broader policy arena. Protocols
for each group differed but featured some common questions so that responses
could be compared across domains. These extensive interview protocols, which
included specific questions about the Center's activities, provided rich data
about the Center's positioning in the tobacco control field.
Data were analyzed thematically both within and across domains. Findings were
reported separately for government officials, media, state advocates, national
advocates, researchers, and RWJF staff.
Advocates typically target multiple leverage points in the policy process.
Their effectiveness with audiences at each point can make a substantial difference
in their ultimate effects on policy. By seeking the full array of domain leader
perspectives in the Center for Tobacco-Free Kids' intended sphere of influence,
the evaluation was able to contribute data on multiple facets of the Center's
advocacy strategy, including media outreach, research, and coalition and constituency
building.
1 The Center
also is known as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
Nancy Fishman
Senior Program Officer
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
P.O. Box 2316
Princeton, NJ 08543
Email: nfishma@rwjf.org
Rick Harwood
Vice President
The Lewin Group
3130 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 800
Falls Church, VA 22042.
Tel: 703-269-5500.
Email: rick.harwood@lewin.com
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