Transcript What is advocacy

Objectives:
1. To learn why advocacy is one of the
roles of CSOs.
2. To learn the process for developing an
effective strategic advocacy campaign
3. To learn practical tools to develop an
advocacy campaign
Advocacy
is the process of managing
information and knowledge strategically
to change policies/practices or
attitudes/behavior/beliefs that
affect the lives of people, especially the
disadvantaged.
Changes in
policy/decis
ion-making
Changes in
people’s
ideas/awareness
of policies and
practices
Changes in
policy
implementati
on (practices)
AUSTRALIAN LAUNCH 6
OCTOBER 2009 SYDNEY,
AUSTRALIA
Technical expertise in advocacy and
campaigning
Thematic expertise of the issue being
addressed
Political expertise on the relations of
power that affect the issue (the key target)
Mission/mandate
Issue
Evaluation
Problem
Action
External Context
Strategy
Internal Resources
Phase
Stage of the issue
Approaches
1
New demand/issue
Awareness raising
2
Raising awareness
among decision makers
Taking the issue
forward
Workable plans,
implementation begins
Solutions implemented
Policy proposals
3
4
5
Negotiate support
Demand resources
Monitor the impact
 Select
an issue that will make the foundation
of your advocacy plan (e.g. HIV/AIDS,
gender justice, literacy, climate change,
education financing, youth empowerment)
 Process:
1. Work in your learning groups
2. Share each process
3. Strategic advocacy plan for your
learning groups
4. Brief report of plan
 Inadequate
problem
analysis leads to
• Focusing on effects of
problems
• Addressing the issue in a
broad and complex
manner
• Making unrealistic,
irrelevant, wrong
demands
 Adequate
problem
analysis helps us to
• Define specific
objectives and priorities
• Have clear
answers/suggestions
CSOs can use community level data for policy analysis
1.
2.
3.
List all the possible problems affecting
an issue
Map them onto a problem tree
Identify
 Effects – as branches – Goal
 Core problem – as trunk – Aim
 Causes – as roots – Objective
2. Context and Internal Resources
 SWOT analysis
• Internal strengths and weakness
• External opportunities and threats
 Maximize
strengths and use
opportunities
 Reduce weakness and avoid threats
 Realistic strategy to impact on issue
 Strategies include
• Aims
• Objectives and indicators
• Targets: individuals not institutions
• Audiences: influential with the target
• Approaches: based on resources and stage of
issues, access to audiences
• Action plans
• Resources & budgets
(Background information: political context,
previous related work, consultation process)
 Aim: general
declaration of intent for
advocacy e.g. Governments should
contribute at least 3% of their national
education sector budget to adult literacy
programs
 Objectives: must be SMART
S: Specific
M: Measurable
A: Achievable
R: Relevant
T: Time specific
A
stakeholder is anyone who is affected
or who has some influence over the issue
you are working on
 Analysis
to identify who you should
influence (target)
• Not only who we will mobilize
Brainstorm all the people (not
institutions) who have interest or a
potential influence over the issue.
1.
•
•
2.
•
•
Be specific
Be creative
Ask two questions for each
stakeholder
How importantly does the stakeholder view
the issue?
How influential is the stakeholder over the
decisions made on the issue?
 Identify
target (decision maker)
responsible for change
• Informal and real decision maker
• Make decision vs approve decision
 Who
and how audience influence target
1.
2.
3.
4.
Rational: influencing through the weight of
rational argument, e.g. child labor
Collaboration: influencing by collaborating
with the target, e.g. seminar
Legal: using independent legal system
e.g. suit against offending companies
Political: mobilizing outside through pressure
e.g. labor union, faith groups,

Use politics, not use anyone politically
Election Campaign in India
Financing for Education
Campaign Mobilization
 Requires
logistical skills
 Opportune moment and location
e.g.
• G8 summit
• Literacy day (Sep. 8)
• EFA high level group meeting
• CONFINTEA
 Impact
• Was the policy changed?
 Do not confuse success in activity with policy
change
 Difficult due to the question of attribution
 Efficiency
• Cost effectiveness
• Any alternative measures?