Outputs vs Outcomes in Public Affairs
At PoliMonitor, we like to think that we are at the forefront of what is possible in public affairs, making heavy use of cutting-edge technology to bring our clients the information they need, as fast as possible.
It is often true that, when implementing new and powerful technology, there can be unintended side-effects. It is important to understand the overall goal you are trying to achieve and to make sure that the steps you are taking move you in the right direction. Just because something is easier (or faster, or shinier) than it once was doesn't mean it's the right thing to do right now.
It is all too easy for any of us to lose sight of the outcome we are trying achieve as opposed o the outputs we are producing along the way. Outputs are easy to maximise (and in our industry are becoming ever easier) but outcomes remain just as hard as they always were.
Ultimately, the outcomes of the public affairs industry are to get politicians to do something differently. This might just mean raising awareness, or it might mean changing someone's mind about how to vote on a particular issue. Because we are talking about affecting a relatively small number of people, this is a difficult job and is (and always has been) best approached in a carefully considered and bespoke way.
And here's the problem. Measuring progress on these outcomes is hard. It is much easier to measure the number of outputs that have been delivered along the way (number of emails sent, words of coverage in the press, people at an event, number of blog posts produced etc) without really considering whether they have helped or hindered your overall goal.
For instance, these days, it's very easy to blast every MP with three emails week - but please don't. This just creates more noise and more work for MPs and their staff to - without actually getting a message across and without getting them to do anything differently. Yes, the number of emails you've sent is an easy way to demonstrate how busy you've been, but it says nothing about the impact you've had.
That said, if you're interested in thinking more about the outcomes you are trying to achieve and how you can measure your progress on the way, we'd love to hear from you. We are always thinking about what the next generation of public affairs tools will (and should) look like and where we can add value. Better systems for measuring progress towards outcomes, rather than just measuring inputs and outputs, are surely in everyone's interests.
