Evidence-Based Advocacy - United Nations Girls' Education Initiative

Section II (A): Using evidence appropriately
Before embarking on a journey of evidence-based advocacy, defining key objectives and what we hope to achieve
through our process is a very key step. The advocacy objective should be specific and measurable.
Set goals and objectives: A goal is usually a broader and encompassing statement that can be achieved over a long
period of time. An objective is usually a more concrete, realistic step towards achieving the goal. In setting our
advocacy goals and objectives, we need to ensure that these objectives meet the SMART criteria:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic/Resourced
Time-Bound
Some key questions to ask in defining advocacy objectives include:
What are the chances for success with this objective?
Can we define some kind of monitoring process for the objective?
What is the right time to engage in monitoring? Mid-way? Quarterly?
What are the specific aspects of the objective that we can focus on? In what order?
Examples of advocacy goals objectives
In addition, decision makers must engage in reflecting on and analyzing the appropriateness, timeliness, usefulness,
reliability, validity and overall quality of the data in the evidence-building process that will be used for advocacy for
gender in education.
Organization Goal Objectives Strategies
WACC
Shift media coverage of gender
based violence from
sensationalism to human-rights
approaches.
Train journalists, develop
guidelines for media, collect
evidence on existing gender
biases in media.
Identification of target
audiences for lobbying,
deciding on methods
(phone calls, faxes, emails
etc), preparation of
position and mobilization
of networks.
UNESCO Bangkok
To ensure that all children have
access to learning materials that
are free of gender bias.
To review and revise new
textbooks that are considered
for use in the classroom in the
coming school year so that
they are free of gender bias.
Engagement with school
personnel, baseline
assessments of gender
responsiveness in existing
curricula, ensuring
dialogue with multiple
stakeholders, including
students, publishing
resource briefs and other
East Asia and Pacific Regional UNGEI: Evidence-based advocacy for gender in education, a learning guide 15