As public communication campaigns become more sophisticated and strategic, evaluation is not keeping pace with their innovation. While funders ask for more information on results, evaluators struggle with how to make their way in this developing challenging field. They are trying to understand the strategies and theories that guide campaigns and how to choose the right outcomes and methods to evaluate them. In that sense, a framework is needed to develop and evaluate public communication campaigns systematically. This paper presents the results of an environmental analysis of what has been happening in the field of public communication campaign evaluation in recent years and what choices evaluators have been making in terms of their evaluation designs and methods. Drawing upon pertinent research and evaluation studies and literature, it examines evaluation challenges, criticism, and practice. It also maps potential opportunities in the future. This research involved an exemplary, rather than a comprehensive, review of public communication campaign evaluation practice. Primary research questions are to define: 1) the challenges and current criticisms of evaluation in this field; 2) the characteristics of existing campaign evaluations-in terms of theory, methodology, and outcomes; and 3) opportunities lay ahead for improving evaluation. To this end, a literature review was conducted primarily in the fields of communications, persuasion, social psychology, public health, and social marketing. Additionally an examination of past and present campaigns was conducted in terms of campaign evaluations.
Key words : public communication campaign, campaign design and evaluation, framework, individual behavior change, public will