The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) has funded local, short-term development projects in over 150 countries at 70 Canadian Missions, as well as targeted assistance to emergencies and natural disasters.
Part of the work of Canadian Missions is to advance Canadian values and interests through political advocacy, access and influence around the globe. For nearly 50 years, the CFLI has been one of the tools available to missions to support this work. However, as highlighted by an ongoing evaluation of the CFLI conducted by the Evaluation Division (PRA) at Global Affairs Canada (GAC), there is a lack of understanding and tools for measuring the results of these activities, and ultimately demonstrating the full value of the Fund.
Our role
We have been contracted to address these important gaps. Building on our innovative work for the UK Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) around measuring political access and influence (PAI), we will pilot-test an approach to measuring the effectiveness of diplomacy and advocacy efforts across 10 Missions, and building the evidence base for how the Fund contributes to promoting Canada’s international standing in countries where it engages.
We will:
- develop a flexible measurement framework and toolkit for political advocacy, access, and influence with broad applicability to GAC contexts and evaluations;
- pilot-test the framework and toolkit across ten Canadian Missions;
- produce ten succinct case study reports, as well as a final report detailing findings, insights, and recommendations; and
- support the rolling out the framework more widely across the CFLI.
