Media Handbook for National Human Rights Institutions • Apologise quickly and sincerely if there is a genuine mistake; and explain what you are doing to put it right. • Brief your spokespeople; make sure that they are available and prepared for any interviews. • Have good internal communications; staff need know how the issue is being handled and the process for dealing with inquiries from journalists. • Consider your partner organizations; depending on the circumstances, they could make a statement of support. More detailed information about dealing with a crisis situation is available at page 11. 3.10. MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE CAMPAIGN Monitoring and evaluation is a critical aspect of every successful campaign. An ongoing process of review helps the NHRI to track the progress being made, identify problems that may have occurred, put in place alternate strategies if needed and, finally, assess the overall impact of the campaign. The IFEX Network defines monitoring as “a continuous process of gathering and recording internal and external data. Evaluating is a periodic process of reviewing monitoring data and drawing conclusions from it.”25 The campaign goal and SMART objectives (see page 41) should, if framed correctly, provide a clear, measureable framework against which the success of the campaign can be evaluated at its conclusion. However, ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the various elements that make up the campaign – such as media coverage of the campaign launch, engagement with social media and participation in public events – provides valuable information about what is working well and what could be improved during the course of the campaign to increase the likelihood of achieving your goal and objectives. Collect and review data regularly The methodology for monitoring and evaluation should be developed at the same time that the campaign is being designed. It should set out what information will be collected and how often, as well as the benchmarks or indicators that will be used to measure success. For example, the following questions provide a lens through which the effectiveness of the campaign launch could be measured: • How many of our key stakeholders attended? Was this above, below or in line with expectations? If above or below expectations, what are the likely factors? • How many journalists attended? Was this above, below or in line with expectations? If above or below expectations, what are the likely factors? • What media coverage did the campaign launch receive? Was the coverage accurate? Were the campaign messages communicated clearly? Did the story lead the news that day or was it a “second tier” item? How could this be replicated or improved? • What was the response of our target audiences (for example, press releases, social media postings, emails received by the NHRI)? By collecting and reviewing this type of data in relation to the launch, the NHRI can assess whether the campaign has started “on track” or whether more work is needed to communicate the campaign messages and build awareness among different audiences. 25 IFEX Network; “Developing a Campaign Strategy: Monitoring and Evaluation”; available at www.ifex.org/campaigns/developing_ campaign_strategy/index6.php. Chapter 3: Media advocacy | 55