Social Work with People Practicing Same-Sex ... - ILGA Europe

1 See Memorandum of Understanding
between the Ministry of Labour
and Social Policy of Ukraine and
International Labour Organization
regarding the Decent Work Country
Programme for 2008–2011.
106
Monitoring objectives
Monitoring allows to identify weaknesses of the advocacy campaign and to collect the
data on the course of the campaign that will eventually help to evaluate its effectiveness.
Sometimes monitoring lets we notice the efficiency or inefficiency of specific measures
even at the initial stages of implementation of the campaign.
If monitoring reveals obvious shortcomings in the course of implementation, it is
necessary to adjust the campaign's action plan on the basis of monitoring data. For
example, at the very beginning of the advocacy campaign we organize a press-conference
to present the goals and objectives of the campaign, while another — concluding —
press-conference is planned to summarize the campaign. Monitoring shows that the
number of journalists who showed up at the first press-conference, is much lower than
expected, and no materials appeared in mass media as a result of this event. This means
that we have to analyze the causes of this failure and to change approaches towards
preparation of our concluding press-conference (e.g. to secure funds to organize presslunch).
Sometimes monitoring can have a decisive impact on the campaign. Due to monitoring,
the entire set of objectives of the advocacy campaign can be adjusted; the campaign
implementers may even alter the goal of the campaign.
11. Evaluation of Results of the Advocacy Campaign.
Final stage of the campaign is the evaluation of its results. Evaluation should give
answers to the following questions:
1) Was the campaign's goal achieved? If it was achieved partially, in what part?
2) To what extent the objectives of the advocacy campaign were fulfilled?
3) What are quantitative and qualitative results of the campaign? For example, the
number of materials on the topic published in press; the number of new normative
and legal documents passed as a result of campaign (quantitative indicators).
Positive changes in the set of social services, offered to young homosexuals in the
centres of social services for family, children (qualitative indicator).
Closely related to the campaign evaluation is the optional component to summarize
the campaign — namely the development of recommendations in this area for the
future. Very often the advocacy campaign reveals additional issues that can become
the subject matter of future advocacy campaigns. Oftentimes implementers of the
campaign encounter various methodological, organizational and other difficulties,
which are successfully addressed. So, this experience of overcoming difficulties should
be also reflected in the final recommendations. The campaign may demonstrate greater
or lesser applicability of various advocacy methods regarding different issues in the
area — this can also be mentioned in the recommendations.
Legal Field for Advocacy
The concept of advocacy was introduced in the Ukrainian legislation only recently —
on June 9, 2008. It was mentioned only once, and in the context that does not reflect
the essence of this concept 1 .
Such weak reflection of the concept of advocacy in legislation by no means limits
opportunities to implement advocacy measures in practice.
In essence, legal field for advocacy is formed on the basis of several constitutional civil
rights, including the following:
1. Citizen right to participate in the administration of state affairs.
It is established by the Article 38 of the Constitution, and it says that “citizens have
the right to participate in the administration of state affairs”. This means that citizens