Communicating results A Dynamics of Evaluation Dialogue A panel discussion with Dione Hills (Chair) Cristina Castellanos Milena Stateva Laura Stock Richard Allen 

The dynamics of evaluation series •  Bringing together evaluation and consultancy practice •  Exploring this interface with others working in the field •  Considering the potential for a future professional development offer 

Why Problematisation is Important Communicating results through multiple channels. Today’s event Would a clearer appreciation of dynamics – and politics – of communication help ensure that evaluation findings are better used? There are a number of different views on this… Simple message for a complex phenomenon Transacting Knowledge 

A simple message for a complex phenomenon? Cristina Castellanos 

Reform of parental leave system: Equal Non-Transferable Fully Paid Parental Leave A Case Study to estimate the overall benefits of policy reforms within the gender equality political agenda (EIGE 2014) Change chain (evaluation report: benefits of a policy reform) 

Reform of parental leave system Effects of maternity and paternity leave on Gender Equality: Equal, Non-Transferable and Fully Paid Parental Leave Case study: evaluation of parental leave system 

Case study: evaluation of parental leave system •  A simple message with the most relevant findings •  Understanding of the broader context(s) of the policy/program and objective(s) •  Understanding the audiences: who and how is affected by the findings and the recommendations? •  Be ready to ADAPT tools and USE different APPROACHES to COMMUNICATE & EXPLAIN key ideas •  Be ready to REFLECT, LEARN AND IMPROVE evaluation and way of communicating and engaging 

Case study: evaluation of parental leave system Examples of communication: different impacts •  www.leavenetwork.org/ •  www.equalandnontransferable.org •  www.tavinstitute.org/news/ •  www.tavinstitute.org/news/animation-lifecycle-of-poverty- and-relationships/ •  Mass media (TV, journals,…) & social media http://goo.gl/MJk3Zp (Spanish video) http://www.economist.com/topics/parental-leave •  Conferences, workshops, debates, individual/group talks… •  Reports, scientific articles,… 

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As evaluators: Evidence & findings to explain and support the simple message 

Equal, Non-Transferable and Fully Paid Parental Leave as policy reform within the Gender Equality Political Agenda 

A simple message for a complex phenomenon: Diversity, quantity and quality of tools, approaches and stakeholders (and time & patience) 

Why problematisation is important Milena Stateva 

The “three-minute elevator” test vs “old school” reports •  An increased demand for simplicity, summaries, “clear language”, audio-visual presentations of data and other forms of digested feedback. •  The masked problem with “old school” reports: under-resourced projects have become the norm in this century. •  Ease of assimilation work to the effect of putting our common senses to sleep and can be easily abused - the mesmerising effects of multi- media presentations should not be countervailed with over-stimulating messages and techniques, but by using the approach to present aspects rather than the whole picture. •  The complexity is not only lost but replaced by a misleading sense of the real world as an orderly, beautiful, easy and ‘progressive’ place for us to be – including how interventions and policies are logical, linear and overall successful, even if this is was not the evaluators’ feedback. 

Influencing & Dissemination: Reflections from JRF Project Laura Stock [email protected] Pauline Meyer [email protected] 

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Policy Briefings 

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Influencing & Dissemination Politics of Representation: Systemic issues 1.  Complexity vs Simplicity 2. Policy-Ready Messages 

3. Inclusion/Exclusion & Being Seen 4.  What Counts As Evidence 5. Political Impartiality 

6.  Visual Representation 7. Team Dynamics 8. Engaged With Current Affairs 

So Research Dissemination is ….. 

What Next? •  Keeping Social Media momentum – Family Poverty Field •  New projects & animations – Adoption Support, others? •  Capturing Learning – paper & dynamics evaluation course •  Taking forward strategically – new strategic initiative? 

Transacting Knowledge Richard Allen 

Knowledge co-production 

Just build me a dashboard ToC complexity perspective 

Discovering Knowledge 

Shaping and using knowledge Proving vs improving 

empirical, rational, institutional theory driven, complex, systemic 

Seeing the client in context Theory of change Positioning Stakeholders Beneficiaries Resources 

References •  DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W., W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 14–160. •  Duymedijan, R. and Rüling, C., (2010), "Towards a Foundation of Bricolage in Organization and Management Theory", Organization Studies, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 1333-151. •  Nicholls, A. (2009), " 'We do good things, don't we?': 'Blended Value Accounting' in social entrepreneurship", Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 34, pp 755-769. •  Weick, K., (1995), Sensemaking in Organisations, Sage, London. 

Communicating results: your experience A reflective activity 

Personal reflection (10’) •  Can you think of an evaluation that you were involved in where there were challenges of the kind discussed earlier? •  If yes, how did you cope with this challenge? •  Have any of the idea presented earlier suggested ways in which things might have been handled differently? 

In pairs (15’) Share your cases with each other, note differences and similarities and how you each coped in that situation 

In whole table group (15’) Discuss •  How do you now feel about the ‘challenging situation’ you described •  Did any new insights come up as you were discussing this in pairs? •  Generally – how did you find this exercise? 

In plenary (15’) Thank you!