At FeedbackRA we take the response to our work personally. An evaluation exercise that fulfills a compliance imperative and decorates the bookshelf of some mid-level functionary (instead of bestowing upon the mid-level functionary powers of evidence to punch above her weight) erodes our sense of purpose, and we don’t like it. So we spend a fair amount of time thinking through how we can promote use. One of the more effective solutions (also feasible, unlike the emotionally charged calls for anonymous acts of intimidation – geeks have a dark side too) is composing a stand-alone policy brief that accompanies evaluation reports but that can also be distributed independently of the full evaluation.
A policy brief is a succinct summary of the implications of evaluation findings for decision-makers. The idea is to produce a single A4 page that focusses deliberations on evidence and guides decisions. The policy brief is structured as follows:
Conclusion
The brief leads with the objectives and evaluative statements or conclusions of the evaluation, as well as key lessons learned. To keep it short only the lessons with the mnost convincing body of substantiating evidence from the evaluation – in other words the findings representing the most reliable basis for taking action – are included.
Prioritize
This section of the brief highlights the most urgent calls to action indicated by the evaluation. These are often programming priorities but may be policy related if policy processes are already under way and policy level decisions are immanent.
Formulate
Policy recommendations are presented in this section. The intention of the policy brief is to facilitate evaluation use at levels of decision making beyond programme implementation. The crafting of this section is especially important. It must contain reasonable, unambiguous and evidence based recommendations that are not only convincing to the audience but are also posited by the evaluation team with a high degree of certainty.
Fund
If the evaluation provided evidence for either the most cost-effective spend, or ommissions in the programme design that would enhance effectiveness, then funding recommendations are approrpiate and are presented in this section of the policy brief.
Measure
An evaluation will frequently reveal gaps in the monitoring and evaluation framework developed for the intervention. If there is obvious adjustment to the M&E framework that would deliver significantly improved, utilisation focussed results, then those adjustments are proposed in this section of the policy brief.
Programme
Gaps in programme design, shortcomings in fidelity and the prerequisites for effective replication of the programme (should a finding on replication be required) are all addressed in a set of recommendations in this section.
Provided it is ruthlessly succinct, unambiguous, and firmly grounded in the stronger evidence provided by the evaluation, a policy brief is an indispensable weapon in the arsenal of the lowly evaluation stormtrooper bravely doing his daily duty at the frontline of the utility wars.
