Website: Getting Equity Advocacy Results

Posted by on November 19, 2012

GEAR (Getting Equity Advocacy Results) is the new online suite of benchmarks, methods, and tools to help advocates, organizers, and their allies track the results of their equity campaigns.

Agents for change are working hard, on the ground, to create just and fair inclusion. They’re making sure that schools provide the education children need to reach their full potential; that communities are healthy; that jobs are broadly available and pay living wages; that those who were formerly incarcerated can return to jobs and democratic participation — and so much more.

No matter where you are in the advocacy change process, it can be hard to assess progress. GEAR helps by guiding advocates in identifying and tracking the essential components of equity advocacy for policy change. Here’s how:

GEAR hones in on the basics at each stage of the work: build the base; name and frame the equity solutions; move the equity proposal; and build, advance, and defend the argument while always applying organizing, capacity building, research, and communications strategies as key points along the way.
GEAR helps advocates stay on track and on message, build toward the achievement of equity goals, and navigate the inevitable twists and turns of equity campaigns. Equity advocacy leads to fair and just systems, to policies that address the priorities of low-income people and communities of color.

GEAR was developed with generous funding from The James Irvine Foundation. The foundation calls it “…a thoughtful and systematic assessment tool that will help numerous civic organizations to increase their effectiveness.  We look forward to sharing GEAR with our colleagues in the field.” — Amy Dominguez-Arms, Director of the California Democracy Program at The James Irvine Foundation

Advocates who have used GEAR say:

“This handy toolkit and framework will guide you forward towards equitable systems change. GEAR is like a GPS navigation system for equity advocates — it helps you map and measure a clear path to your destination — the enactment of equitable and inclusive policy change.”
— Terry Keleher, Director of the Midwest Office of the Applied Research Center and Program Director of the Racial Justice Leadership Action Network

“The GEAR benchmarks are very helpful in helping organizations articulate their outcomes and results to members, policymakers, and funders. It includes the most important dimensions of equity advocacy, including power analysis, trust, political struggle and communication, and capacity building.” — Elsa Barboza, Campaign Director, Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE)

“I very much like the GEAR model to develop and measure policy change efforts on issues of equity — it takes on important issues, such as the role of data in influencing equitable change, and the importance of measuring power within communities. This will be a useful resource for both advocates and action researchers alike.” — Paul W. Speer, Associate Professor, Department of Human and Organizational Development, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University

GEAR equips advocates with the information and strategies needed to sharpen efforts and increase impact. We invite you to learn more, download materials, and interact with GEAR at http://www.policylink.org/gear.