Five types of indicators

You do not need a complex monitoring framework. You need a few clear indicators that tell you whether your advocacy is moving in the right direction. Here are five types to consider.

Pick 2-3 indicators that fit your objective and your timeline. Record them in Section C6 of your handbook.

Monthly review questions

Once a month (or after each major milestone), ask yourself these four questions:

1. What is working? Which tactics are generating responses? Which allies are most engaged? Which messages resonate?
2. What is not working? Where are you meeting resistance? What resources are you missing? Which approaches are not getting traction?
3. What have you learned? New information about the political context? Feedback from decision-makers? Unexpected allies or obstacles?
4. What do you need to adjust? Your strategy? Your tactics? Your timeline? Your messages?

These questions take 15 minutes. They are the difference between advocacy that adapts and advocacy that stalls.

Document what works

Keep a simple record of your advocacy journey: what you did, what happened, and what you learned. This is valuable for three reasons.

First, it helps you improve. Patterns emerge when you write things down. You will notice which approaches work with which audiences, and you can do more of what works.

Second, it helps your organisation. Board members, volunteers, and future advocacy leads need to know what has been tried, what has worked, and what has not.

Third, it helps the RESM community. The research identified 14 case studies. Your advocacy experience could become the 15th. Sharing what you learn, whether it succeeds or stumbles, strengthens the evidence base for everyone.

Handbook reference: Set your indicators in Section C6 of your handbook, and use the monthly review questions above to revisit them.