Evaluation of the Swedish Millennium Development Goals campaign ”The Chance of a Lifetime”

1. Evaluation of the Swedish Millennium Development Goals campaign ”The Chance of a Lifetime” OECD/DAC Informal Expert´s WorkshopBonn, 18-20 march 2007 Ann Lundqvist

2. Why the campaign? • Improve knowledge - clarify that Sweden has a commitment to contributing. • Create public opinion to make this possible. Strong public opinion may also be seen as a tool for… • Creating policy space - making it easier for politicians to take the measures necessary for achieving the MDGs. • Participate in and inspire cooperation at international level strengthening the global opinion.

3. What were the objectives? • To keep the MDGs on the agenda in Swedish politics and in current debates; • To provide key groups with knowledge of the MDGs; • To create cooperation and opinion in favour of the MDGs internationally and globally.

4. ”The chance of a lifetime”Strategy - working as a catalyst, networking with keygroups Politicians/state officialsMeetings, educations, conferences, seminars and policywork - . Civil society/companies Universities etc - 85 org. joined the network and signed up for Ad-campaign Opinionleaders Putting the millenium goals on the political agenda Putting the millenium goals on the general agenda The general public

5. What were the prerequisites? • Organizational form/placement - Project, shared responsibility between the unit for global development and the unit for press, information and culture at the Ministry of Foreign Affaires. • Project group - three fulltime persons, after the first year an assistentwas included. • Budget -30 millions SEK= 300 000 EURO • Time available -approx. 3 years, from fall 2002 until the end of 2005

6. The EvaluationObjectives with the evaluation There were two different objectives – • The first request was a material that would help the department of Foreign Ministry deciding on how to carry on with work after the project was ended. • The second request was an overall evaluation of how the project group had succeeded in their mission. Had the objectives for the campaign been reached?

7. Evaluation designCriteria and indicators • For the first part - a deeper insight and experience was needed in order to collect ideas and suggestions for how to carry on. • For the second part there was a need to look at the overall performance of the project. A whole range of both quantitative and qualitative indicators were looked upon, when following up on the three objectives:

8. Evaluation designmethods 1) For the first part we mainly used a qualitative method – in depths interviews with 24 representatives; people who had been involved in the campaign and in the network.We also made telephone interviews with 289 politicians and other opinionleaders – which was more of a quantitative approach. 2) The second part of the evaluation was a desk research – goals, strategies activities and outcomes and weighed it with the prerequisites given.

9. Challenges during the evaluation? • The first part was rather uncomplicated - putting together a list of opinionleaders from which we could draw an representative sample. • The challenge with evaluating the whole project or campaign was to grasp and overlook all the activities that the project group had done over the three years.

10. Quantitative results • Articles on the MDGs - with a circulation totalling 47 347 300 from the start in 2003 to August 2005.. • Ad-campaign “The Chance of a Lifetime” in 2003-2004 has reached 3 611 000 Swedes. • Eurobarometer survey (Feb 2005), 27 per cent of Swedes know about the MDG,They responded to the question “Have you heard of the Millennium Development Goals?”. • A survey conducted by Sida (Sifo, Sept 2005) shows that it was 57%. “Have you heard of the MDGs, i.e. that poverty is to be halved by 2015?”.

11. Quantitative results • But… MDGs only turn up as an issue in parliament a few times per year • In ministers speeches they occur:7 times in 200423 times in 2005 • Hardly any connections made between the PGU – the politic of Swedish development and the MDGs. • 90 % of the interviewed politics say the know about the MDGs44 % have noticed the campaign - The chance of a lifetime“33 % say they have enough knowledge to discuss and debate the MDGs

12. Some Qualitative results • Positive experience of the project and the working group - fast, flexible, large network • They have put the MDGs on the agenda - but, maybe just amongst the ”inner circle” • More successful with the information/educational part then with the advocacy (create opinions) • Acted as a catalyst for professor Hans Rosling - using FN statistics for showing global development • For example - H&M nowadays are relating their efforts in CSR area to the MDGs

13. Qualitative results • Easy to sign up for the campaign under that we shall achieve the MDGs, but … HOW, is a completely different thing - there we disagree! • The network ought to continue • The role of MFA leading the campaign - in relation to ”independent” NGOs • For ongoing work - a strong political signal is necessary

14. Results was communicated… To the projectgroup • The Minister for International Development Cooperation • The State Secretary for Development Cooperation • Other units at the Ministry of Foreign Affaires, that were involved with development cooperation • The two written reports were sent out to representatives and Co-workers that had been interviewed. • They were also sent out to all 85 organizations in the network • And put on the website www.UD.se • An English translation of the short version was made and sent out to the network, The MDG responsible in NewYork, who put it on their website

15. Conclusions Looking at the two objectives:1) Keep the Millennium Development Goals on the agenda in Swedish politics and in current debates; The results of keeping the MDGs on the political agenda was rather poorly. One of the big obstacles was the lack of political interest and the lack of formally mandate. It was a mission given to a project group that despite their lack of a “door opener” still opened quite a few doors.

16. Conclusions Looking at the two objectives: 2) Provide key groups with knowledge of the Millennium Development Goals;But they did contribute to raise the awareness and knowledge of the MDGs within the keygroups. it was hardly an issue when the group started their work. But …Considering the given prerequisites the Swedish MDG campaign was in our view a rather successful project

17. Lessons learned About the campaign: • Political support are vital • Organisational placement important • The strategy worked well • Difficult role to play for the Ministry of Foreign Affaires? About the evaluation: • Objectives relatively high considering… prerequisites • But they were clear and working with follow ups and evaluations necessary and made the final evaluation possible