The fight for a safe climate, fair energy transition and protection of biodiversity needs individuals and organisations with evidence-driven approaches on how to win change. The Smarter Action project aims to make the Australian climate and nature movements smarter and stronger. The project builds movement capacity for research and impact evaluation, and supports ongoing learning ...
Commons Library
Smarter Action: Research & Evaluation Capacity for Nature & Climate
GOAL
$35,000
Australia > National / Multi-state > Metro and Regional
Field of Interest
- Civic engagement and democracy
- Environment conservation and climate change
Target Population
- General population
Commons Library
The Commons Social Change Library is an online collection of free educational resources on campaign strategy, community organising, digital campaigning, communications and media, working effectively in groups, fundraising, diversity and inclusion and much more.
Project Summary
The fight for a safe climate, fair energy transition and protection of biodiversity needs individuals and organisations with evidence-driven approaches on how to win change. The Smarter Action project aims to make the Australian climate and nature movements smarter and stronger. The project builds movement capacity for research and impact evaluation, and supports ongoing learning and innovation by making research insights available and accessible to all.
The project will have many benefits:
* Individuals will increase their skill levels in research and impact evaluation
* Organisations will be more able to assess their impact and tell the stories of their campaigns, leading to increased engagement and effectiveness over time
* Funders will get a better sense of the impact of their donations, enabling them to choose interventions that will make the most difference
* More strategic and evidence-based action, leading to more wins to address the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis
“I can’t overstate how useful and important the Commons is when it comes to building the capacity of those of us fighting for a just world. From comprehensive resources to expert advice, the Commons is making an enormous impact, and is my go-to recommendation to anyone needing help, resources or inspiration for their next campaign.” – Justin Whelan, Senior Campaign Manager, RE-Alliance
Project Outcomes
The Smarter Action project will consist of the following outputs:
(1) A social movement research clearing house, informing climate and nature movement participants about relevant research insights. This will be an ongoing and accessible resource to support learning, innovation and evidence-based strategy.
The project will bridge the gap between academics and advocates by 'translating' materials to highlight the key insights, and support the newly formed Advocacy Research Network, connecting volunteer researchers with groups seeking research to strengthen their activities.
(2) Increased research skills in the Australian climate and nature movements, through accessible research guides and a research fellowship. The Commons will recruit four trainee researchers with strong ties to the climate and/or nature movements. The fellows will be supported to undertake research queries and produce educational resources. They will also access training in ‘translating’ their findings into engaging social media content.
The research fellowship will enable diverse organisations and individuals to apply research approaches to their work and maximise learning from experience across sectors and campaigns.
(3) Increased knowledge and uptake of impact evaluation in the Australian climate and nature movements, through development of accessible tools and the provision of training and support. This will strengthen capability to develop impact case studies over time to further support movement learning and adoption of effective practice.
Grassroots groups will receive additional support such as facilitating campaign debriefs, designing surveys, and undertaking one-to-one interviews.
See the PDF for details of each outcome area, testimonials, team members and background on the project.
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $50,000
FUNDING
| Funding source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Confirmed contributions | $15,000 |
| Funding gap | $35,000 |
EXPENSES
| Expense item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wages & Superannuation | $38,300 |
| Research Fellowship Honorariums | $5,000 |
| Conference Registrations & Travel | $1,500 |
| CANA membership | $700 |
| Administration | $4,500 |
Support Commons Library
Got a question about this organisation or ready to contribute? Contact us.
Are you an ACF Fundholder? Log in to your Fund Portal to request a grant from your Fund.
Add your organisation to the Funding Platform
Is your not-for-profit organisation seeking funding? Add your organisation to the Funding Platform or upload your funding needs for a project.
Is this your organisation profile? You can request updates by resubmitting a Funding Platform Submission.