Climate assemblies are organised to have impact – whether on policy, institutions, public discourse, or some other effect. But in most cases, we have no idea whether impact has happened.
This updated KNOCA Guidance Document presents a conceptual framework for evaluating the impacts of climate assemblies. It is created on the premise that assemblies differ, and that evaluations should be systematically planned in accordance with the individual aims and context of an assembly. Navigating the complexity of evaluating impact first and foremost requires adequate resources, including expertise, funding, and time.
While this document is not designed as a step-by-step guide, it provides a checklist to help evaluators understand the scope of potential impact and proposals to navigate the challenges of evaluating the relationship between an assembly and its impact. The Impact Evaluation Framework recognises that impact comes in different shapes and forms.
The updated KNOCA Impact Evaluation Framework distinguishes between two dimensions of impact: (1) areas of impact (State Actors, Non-State Actors and Civil Society and Systems and Structures) and (2) types of impact (Instrumental, Capacity and Conceptual). It encourages researchers and evaluators to consider the full range of potential impacts of climate assemblies – intended and unintended.
The Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) has worked with the Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies (KNOCA) to develop the Impact Evaluation Framework for climate assemblies. This revised and updated version of the Framework was published in December 2024. It builds on the earlier version of the framework published in 2022 and a KNOCA workshop held in late 2023 where lessons from the first evaluations as well as ideas from the broader KNOCA community were considered. You can download the previous version of the impact evaluation framework here.
We encourage use and adaptation of the KNOCA Impact Evaluation Framework. Please feedback any lessons you learn for improving the Framework.
The Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies (KNOCA) aims to improve the commissioning, design, implementation and impact of climate assemblies, using evidence, knowledge exchange and dialogue. We are an active community of policy makers, practitioners, activists, researchers and other actors with experience and interest in climate assemblies who co-create activities and knowledge.
