Evaluating Your Male Ally Efforts

The first step in developing any strategic plan and evaluation is to identify your objectives (what you hope to accomplish). You should then decide on a set of initial strategies for achieving these objectives. Finally, determine what metrics you will use to demonstrate the extent to which these efforts have been successful.

Below is a template that illustrates some sample objectives, strategies, and metrics you might use to evaluate your efforts to raise awareness about male or “majority-group” allies. We also provide a blank template for your own planning purposes.

Sample Objectives

To increase awareness about WHY male allies or advocates are important

To increase awareness about WHAT men should be advocating for

To encourage ongoing dialogue and begin motivating action

To engage male allies in a set of actionable steps (see the Start Small, Start Now section of this toolkit)

Sample Strategies

Host a “kick-off” event (e.g., research highlights and mixed-gender panel)

Host a series of smaller, ongoing follow-up discussions (e.g., brown bags, team discussions)

Periodically distribute articles, email tips, blog posts, etc. based on research-based info (e.g., The Tricky (And Necessary) Business of Being a Male Advocate for Gender Equality)

Sample Success Metrics

Level 1: Basic Tracking of Events/Activities

# of events held
# of people attending kick-off and follow-up events (men and women)
# of senior executives attending/publicly supporting

(Sample tracking form here)

Level 2: Quality of Events/Activities: Post Event Survey

Attendees report high levels of satisfaction

learning something new
changing or expanding their thinking in some way
being motivated to learn more
being motivated to take some kind of action
finding the activity/event relevant for their contexts

(Sample post event survey here)

Level 3: Longer-Term Results: Awareness & Action

Ongoing Employee Survey or “Pulse Check”

Employees report high levels (or increases over time) of the following:

agreement that male or “majority group” allies are important for creating more inclusive cultures
comfort talking about these issues (less fear, anxiety, hesitancy about saying or doing the wrong thing; awareness that it is okay to make mistakes)
ability to create an inclusive environment
support from male or majority group allies
attention paid to whose voices are heard in meetings and other contexts
having taken one or more actions to create a more inclusive environment
having encouraged (other) men to be allies

(Sample Questions for Ongoing Employee Surveys/Pulse Checks here)

Qualitative Measures

Interviews, focus groups, anonymous online feedback systems, and/or informal accounts of ongoing, positive discussion and actions related to these issues

(Sample questions and tracking tools for qualitative measures here)