Save the Date: Advocacy Evaluation Breakfast on Dec. 15th
Colleagues from the United Nations Foundation will be dropping by on Dec. 15th at 8:15am to describe their new internal performance management plan designed to quantify and measure advocacy impact. Central to the plan is the concept of a “Champion Index”, which helps quantify the action or inaction of key policymakers, as well as a “Constituent Commitment Curve” to help track grassroots engagement. RSVP here by Dec. 12th or risk losing your access to fine coffee and finer goodies.
Changing the Conversation
The New York Times this week published a piece about the role of the Occupy Wall Street slogan—“We are the 99 percent”—in engaging the American public and sustaining the movement going forward. A useful case study on the importance of a compelling (and pithy) message, the article shows what can happen when a concept goes “viral.” As a protester claims online, “you can’t evict an idea.” Nice.
Making the Grade
Brookings’ Brown Center on Education Policy recently released its “Education Choice and Competition Index,” a tool comparing 25 school districts based on a set of 13 policy and practice criteria. While the topic of school choice is still controversial in some circles, education advocates now will benefit from another snazzy tool to push the nation to talk more seriously about the challenges facing our education system.
