Example goal (what are we trying to achieve?)

Indicators  (how will we know if we’ve done it?)

Immediate outcomes

·       Stakeholders find engagement outputs useful.

·       Published outputs are read by members of the policy community.

·       Events are attended by the ‘right’ members of the policy community.

·       Media coverage.

 

 

·       Shares/engagements on social media

·       feedback from participants at events

·       Number of downloads/views of published documents

·       Comments/feedback received (e.g. public comments or comments received privately in response to dissemination activities)

·       Requests for further info/meetings

·       Invitation to join committee/advisory group

·       Number of media stories

Intermediate outcomes

Shaping the policy agenda

·       New items appear in political discussions

·       Changes in oral and written rhetoric

·       Items are framed in new ways within policy arguments

·       Increased attention paid to issue by policymakers

·       Media debate generated on a topic

 

·       Evidence used/cited in policy debate

·       Policymakers adopt new language (e.g. ‘tech abuse’)

·       PQs asked on a subject / EDMs tabled / debates etc

·       citations or acknowledgements in policy outputs (e.g. publications produced by local authorities/parliaments/governments/international agencies etc )

·       citations or acknowledgements in outputs by other policy stakeholders such as NGOs or think tanks

·       Research featured in other policy-related outputs (blogs, podcasts, videos etc)

·       number of media stories on a topic

·       Testimony from policymakers confirming research has informed policy

Relationship building / network building

·       New relationships, networks and coalitions established

 

·       Unprompted requests for information/expertise

·       Researchers invited to meetings and consultations

Capacity building

·       Policymakers develop new skills or improve knowledge

·       Number of participants on training courses.

·       Feedback from training courses demonstrates improvement in skill or knowledge.

Long-term impacts

Contributing to the development of policy

·       Change in policy direction (including withdrawal of a policy)

·       Key decision makers change knowledge, attitudes and behaviours

·       Decision makers express commitment/willingness to act on issue in public or private

·       Development of new policy options

·       Evidence used/cited in policy debate.

·       Citations or acknowledgements in parliamentary or government publications.

·       Testimony from policymakers confirming influence of research in policy design.

 

Decision making (legislation)

·       Change of legislation

·       Budgetary commitments

·       Private members’ bills

·       Evidence used/cited in policy debate.

·       Citations or acknowledgements in parliamentary or government publications.

·       Testimony from policymakers confirming influence of research in policy decision.

Implementation

·       The quality, accessibility, acceptability or cost-effectiveness of a public service has been improved.

·       Citations or acknowledgements in parliamentary or government publications.

·       Testimony from policymakers confirming influence of research in policy implementation.

Scrutiny / evaluation

·       Research prompts parliamentary scrutiny.

·       Evaluation concludes a policy is effective/ineffective.

·       Evidence used/cited in policy debate.

·       Citations or acknowledgements in parliamentary or government publications.

·       Testimony from policymakers confirming influence of research in scrutiny process.