Campaigns to End Violence against Women and Girls - Virtual ...

5.6 ADJUSTING A CAMPAIGN
There are numerous scenarios that can mean that a campaign may not be able to
continue as planned. For example, a few months into the campaign, it may become
clear that the campaign is not likely to achieve its goal even though the strategy is
implemented as planned. Perhaps a crisis has made it impossible to continue as
planned. In another situation, unanticipated and relatively quick success might render
some campaign activities no longer necessary. Sudden shifts in public policy may occur,
or unexpected information may become available, shedding new light on the campaign
issue, its causes and possible solutions, and calling for different or additional tactics and
activities.
Campaigns, by their very nature, are never static. They will always require continuous
modification and adjustment because no environment is unchanging, and the campaign
team or alliance is likely to undergo change as well. Campaigns also mature and
deepen as the campaign audience’s understanding of the campaign issue matures and
deepens.
To ensure strategic alignment, when planning adjustments to the campaign, it is
important to review all steps of earlier campaign planning and strategy. This helps
ensure the new elements of the campaign are well integrated into the overall plan and
serve the campaign purpose.
How to determine if a campaign needs adjusting
� Monitor campaign activities and their outcomes frequently and regularly,
especially in the early phases of the campaign. This helps to detect problems so
that they can be dealt with before they become unmanageable. Monitoring
activities and outcomes is also a good way to assess which activities the
campaign team or alliance is most successful at – if these are very different from
the original strategy, an adjustment should be considered.
� Monitor changes in the environment in close contact with relevant
stakeholders. This makes it possible to anticipate new challenges and
opportunities, and to gain time to devise an appropriate reaction. The context
analysis should be updated at regular intervals, e.g. at quarterly team meetings.
See also Situation Analysis in the Campaign Planning section.
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Campaigns December 2011