Harry Jones from RAPID just published a background note written as a part of a project that we worked on last year with Jeremy Clarke to develop a How to Note on M&E of Policy Influencing for DFID (the HTN is forthcoming but maybe this presentation on M&E of policy influence I did for the Think Tank Initiative may be of interest). The project was based on the lessons learned (and the limits of) on a review of DFID’s health policy influencing and a How to Note on Policy Influencing I worked on with Matt Gordon and Jessica Proust based on the RAPID Outcome Mapping Approach (ROMA).
From Harry’s paper:
This paper provides an overview of approaches to monitoring and evaluating policy influence, based on an exploratory review of the literature and selected interviews with expert informants, as well as ongoing discussions and advisory projects for policy-makers and practitioners who also face the challenges of monitoring and evaluation. There are a number of lessons that can be learned, and tools that can be used, that provide workable solutions to these challenges. While there is a vast breadth of activities that aim to influence policy, and a great deal of variety in theory and practice according to each different area or type of organisation, there are also some clear similarities and common lessons.
Rather than providing a systematic review of practice, this paper is intended as a guide to the topic, outlining different challenges and approaches, with some suggestions for further reading.
Also very useful is CIPPEC’s manual for M&E and KM of policy influence (in Spanish).