Barcelona Principles 3.0: Seven overarching principles intended as the foundational basis on which communication measurement and evaluation takes place.
Campaign: A planned sequence of communications and interactions with audiences that uses a compelling narrative over time to deliver a defined and measurable result.
Community of Practice: An informal network of professionals that shares good practices and advice on specific topics.
DICOMs: Communications directorates in France’s government ministries and public agencies.
Evaluation: The process of measuring the performance and impact of communication activities against tangible objectives.
Formative evaluation: Evaluation related to baseline analysis, insights, and listening to shape the communication activity.
Impact: The long-term goal of the communication function linked to the organisational objective, contributing to improved policies and services, behaviour change, compliance, public trust, and democratic resilience.
Indicators: Specific, measurable, relevant metrics that provide evidence of progress towards achieving a goal.
KPI: Key Performance Indicator, a priority metric that demonstrates how effectively an organisation is achieving key objectives.
MEL: Measurement, Evaluation, and Learning model, which applies a cyclical lens to the recurring collection and analysis of communication data.
Metrics: In contrast with indicators, metrics are the actual data points collected to measure these indicators. For example, an indicator might be "increase in website traffic," while the metric would be the number of website visits.
Outputs: The communication resources deployed or activities realised, and their immediate reach and effects.
Outtakes: Immediate audience responses to a communication activity or content. Also referred to as short-term outcomes, these are intermediate audience actions that precede an outcome such as a change in behaviour.
Outcomes: Deeper changes in the audience as a result of exposure to communications, such as awareness, attitudes, behavior changes.
Post-test: Evaluation done at the end of a communication campaign to measure the impact through a survey.
Pre-test: Evaluation done before the launch of a communication campaign to measure comprehension and adherence.
Process evaluation: Pre-testing content and messages, interim KPI measurement.
ROI: Return on Investment, a monetary measure of the value created with a financial investment.
SIG: Service d’Information du Gouvernement, the governmental agency with the primary responsibility for public communication in France.
SMART objectives: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound objectives.
Summative evaluation: Captures the aggregate results and lessons from the communication activity.
Theory of Change (TOC): A model that forces communicators to break down the assumptions that underpin their proposed communication strategies by working backwards from the intended impact.