Communicating Crime Reduction

Research and evaluation in communication

Research and evaluation as part of the communication planning process

Stage 3: Strategy and Plan – How do we get there? 

In developing your evaluation strategy decide the type of research to use – quantitative such as polls and studies, or qualitative such as focus groups or interviews.   You should also consider whether you would like to measure of outputs, out-takes or outcomes.   Output records only what went out and what was seen or heard as a result. Out-take determines what the audience understood by the message. Outcome records how opinions, behaviour or attitudes changed. 

Stage 4. Ongoing measurement – Are we getting there? 

You might consider several periods of measurement with milestones, or a continuous measurement process. How do results measure up against your objectives, benchmarks and milestones? What should we continue, stop doing or adjust? Examine the reasons behind unexpected results before taking corrective action.     

Stage 5. Results and evaluation – How did we do? 

Quantify the outcome. Were the objectives achieved – all of them or just some of them, and to what degree? What kind of return has there been as a result of communication activity? What did we learn and what would we do differently next time? What can be fed back into the planning loop to inform future communication and crime reduction strategies?

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