Evaluation the myth vs' the reality a case study Catrina McDiarmid NZAID

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Evaluation the myth vs. the realitya case
study Catrina McDiarmid - NZAID
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New Zealand Context

• Low public awareness for NZs aid efforts
• Significant skepticism about the effectiveness of
  aid
• Limited capacity in many agencies for evaluation
  and planning

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After the Tsunami

• NZs largest aid contribution
• Very visible NGO involvement over 50 agencies
  received funding
• Huge media interest

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Lessons Learnt

• Researcher commissioned to discuss and debrief
  tsunami process with NGOs, NZAID and other
  stakeholders
• 2 key communications recommendations
• continuing to engage and strengthen relationship
  with media
• Accounting back to the public

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Collaboration

• Strength in numbers focussed resources
• Inclusion small community groups same
  opportunities as large agencies
• Message focus rather than identity or fundraising
  campaign

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Strategy

• To say thanks to NZ for their generosity
• To demonstrate how public and government
  contributions to the relief effort are making a
  difference
• For those involved in NZs response to work
  together in a cooperative and constructive manner
  increase credibility
• Proactively and positively counter potential
  criticism around the tsunami response be the
  first ones to talk about corruption, delays, lack
  of coordination etc

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Website

• Formal Evaluation Pass
• Web page views good, although trending down
• Reality Success
• Agencies want a repository for material
• Fluid format appropriate for subject matter
• Useful resource for anyone wanting information on
  NZs response work

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Media Pack

• Formal Evaluation Success
• 400 kits produced on time and delivered to
  comprehensive media list
• Material from packs appears in clippings
• Reality Pass
• Resource intensive to produce
• Duplication of efforts vv website
• Timing was off

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Media Visit

• Formal Evaluation Pass
• 4 stories on main network news over Christmas
  break
• 8 features in major dailies
• 1 feature in major weekly current affairs mag
• All key messages visible
• Reality Fail
• One visible negative story damaged whole campaign
• Agencies scared off the media
• worried to court media attention
• Do people watch tv over Christmas?

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Collaboration

• Formal Evaluation how to measure?
• Reality Success
• Despite uncertainties around effectiveness of
  campaign, getting 40 agencies to collaborate
  under one banner is a significant achievement and
  should continue

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Where to next?

• Interest in tsunami story is now difficult to
  generate will not be a Two Years On campaign
• Mixed results (and feelings) about success of
  campaign
• Website will continue to be updated and
  administered by NZAID
• Collaboration will continue with an annual
  scholarship/award for development reporting

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Evaluation continues

• Campaign is now being used a case study in a
  graduate paper on NGOs engagement with the media
• Critically assessed in wider context
• Recommendations on fine-tuning and improving
  future initiatives

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Blogging

• First tested in One Year On campaign
• Now key communication tool for NZAID
• First public sector organisation in New Zealand
  to blog