1. Start with a clear timeline

Map the full process from start to finish: kickoff meeting to define key issues, expert interviews, sounding board engagement, scoring phase, validation, launch (ideally ~3 weeks before election), post-election reflection
Be realistic about external constraints (e.g. summer breaks, late party platforms).

2. Define your scope and map your stakeholders

Agree on which themes your scorecard will cover, and who should be involved in shaping it. Ensure your themes reflect an intersectional analysis, for example:

• climate and biodiversity
• migration
• democracy (and public participation, including rights of nature and ecocide)
• energy
• environmental racism
• economic models (degrowth, wellbeing economy)
• anti-gender
• mobility & transport

3. Make a stakeholder mapping

Broaden your definition of “expert” and include folks with lived experience, grassroots organisers, community leaders. So don’t zero down on just academics. This strengthens both legitimacy and analysis.

Map:

• who your primary audience is (e.g. young voters, or “moveable middle”)
• which actors should contribute to the analysis (actors active on the themes)
• who should be involved in validation
• who might lead on backlash against the campaign

Invite relevant stakeholders into:

• scoring group
• sounding board

4. Conduct targeted interviews with focus groups

It could be a good idea to set up focus groups or reach out to folks who work on the themes you settled on for the scorecard. Prepare guiding questions, and document discussions and use the outcome when you design the methodology later. Examples of what you might want to ask them:

• What is missing from current political debates?
• What should we be paying attention to in party platforms around theme x?
• Which narratives are misleading or incomplete around theme x?

5. Build a strong methodology

Together with the scoring group and sounding board, build the backbone of your scorecard, develop:

• key indicators per theme
• keywords to track in political texts related to the theme
• common misleading narratives to watch for

6. Organise the scoring process carefully

• Share methodology clearly with all scorers
• Allow ~2 weeks for individual review
• Work in smaller groups by theme
• Compare across all party platforms
• Build in flexibility for late releases.
• Clarify decision-making roles early
• Agree how disagreements will be handled (e.g. consensus, majority, facilitator decides)

7. Validate collectively

This step is crucial for credibility. Bring the full group together to:

• review scoring
• resolve disagreements
• ensure consistency

8. Plan your launch as a mobilisation moment

• Co-create the launch event with contributors
• Prepare press outreach and opinion pieces
• Build momentum on social media. If possible, allocate a budget for boosting content.

9. Build a launch campaign

Plan content in advance and align messaging across platforms. Think beyond the event:

• press releases
• opinion pieces
• reach out to podcasts
• short, accessible content for social media (e.g. explainers, narrative breakdowns)
• anticipate misinterpretation or backlash, agree simple responses in advance

10. Reflect and learn after the election

This turns the scorecard into a longer-term organising tool. Organise a debrief to assess impact, identify lessons learned and reflect on what the election results mean for your issues.

Resource the process, not just the output

Build a realistic budget early on and ensure participation is supported. Resourcing participation strengthens both the quality and fairness of your work. If possible, build a budget which includes: stipends for sounding board members, honoraria for interviewees, accessibility needs, design and platform development.

Click here to learn more about our Ecofeminist Scorecards