advocacy module

     Advocacy module

What is Advocacy?

›Advocacy is defined as any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others.

 Why is Advocacy Important?

•Decision makers react to those who can most effectively bring their issues to the forefront of the public agenda

• Advocacy can be done by any sized organization or even one person

• Whenever change needs to occur, advocacy has a role to play

 Advocacy Activities (some examples)

›Organizing: Build power at the base.

›Educate Legislators: Provide information on issues.

›Educating the Public about the Legislative Process: Introduce communities and constituencies to the legislators whose represent them.

Major Areas of Advocacy work

›Leadership development

›Coalition building

›Networking

›Political Lobbying

›Promoting legislative change

›Briefing media

›Counteracting opposition

Basic Elements of an Advocacy Strategy

›Define the issue

›Set goals/ objectives

›Data and research

›Identify audiences

›Develop key messages

›Develop an action plan

    - Build Coalitions

    - Make persuasive presentations

    - Fundraising

›Implementation

›Evaluation/monitor

Define the Issue

›What is your concern, focus or issue?

›Who does it affect? 

Setting Goals/ Selecting an objective

›What are your goals?

Identify how you will define success

Consider:

›Is the goal achievable?

›Will the goal really address the problems?

Data and Research

  Data and Research are essential for making informed decisions when choosing a problem to work on, identifying solutions to the problem, and setting realistic goals.

›Analyze current policy, program or practice

›Gather research which supports your cause

- facts, figures, case studies

›Define challenges and barriers

›Understand opposing positions

Sometimes good data itself can be the most persuasive argument!

Identifying Audiences

Direct advocacy efforts at:

›The people with decisions making power

(elected officials, government regulators)

›The people who influence the decision

 makers (staff, membership, media, public)

›You may have multiple audiences, so compile information to reach as many people as possible

Develop Key Messaging

  Develop a formal position including statements and key messages

• Avoid negative messages, be constructive and offer solutions

• Messages should be short - a few sentences.

Think about what message will get the selected audience to act on your belhalf?

Develop an action plan  

›Develop an action plan – include activities, timelines, assignment of responsibilities, inputs, outputs, outcomes, success indicators

Activities:

– Develop an Advocacy Committee

– Develop coalitions with organizations with common interests

– Face-to-face meetings

– Group presentations/workshops

– Use the media – Interviews, press conference, event launch, seminars

– Newspapers, magazines, tv, radio

– Letters/research/briefing notes

– Trade Shows/Conferences

– Website/Forums

 

• Timelines: set flexible timelines and revisit frequently

• Assignment of Responsibilities

• Consider inputs:

– Supplies

– Activities and events

– Printing and distribution (brochures, reports, fact sheets, meetings, press conferences, promotional items, briefing materials)

– Phone, fax, email/internet, postage)

– Training

– Travel

– Human resources - Staff/volunteer

Building Coalitions 

›Often, the power of advocacy is found in the numbers of people who support your goal. Especially where democracy and advocacy are new phenomena, involving large numbers of people representing diverse interests can provide safety for advocacy as well as build political support.

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›Even within an organization, internal coalition building such as involving people from different departments in developing a new program, can help build consensus for action.

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-Who else can you invite to join? Who else could be an ally? 

Making Persuasive Presentations

›Opportunities to influence key audiences are often limited. A politician may grant you one meeting to discuss your issue, or a minister may have only five minutes at a conference to speak with you. Careful and thorough preparation of convincing arguments and presentation styles can turn these briefs opportunities into successful advocacy.

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- If you have one chance to reach the decision maker, what do you want to say and how will you say it?

 Fundraising for Advocacy

›Most activities, including advocacy, require resources. Sustaining an effective advocacy effort over the long-term means investing time and energy in raising funds or other resources to support your work.

›- How can you gather the needed resources to carry out your advocacy efforts?

Develop an action plan 

›Outputs: The product of your advocacy activities (ex. # of letters written, presentations, meeting with officials, # of individuals attending your workshop, etc.)

›Outcomes: Measurable impact or changes that result because of your advocacy efforts (ex. behaviours, policy, knowledge, etc.)

›Success Indicators: Measures that will help you determine if you have achieved the project results

Implementation: Advocacy Tools

›The Media Advisory

›Public Service Announcement

›Media Release

›Interview with Media

›Advocacy Letters

›Group Presentations

  Monitoring/Evaluation

 

›Collect feedback from members, media, public, officials

›Revisit outcomes and success indicators

     – Changing knowledge, opinion or awareness of the target audience

     – Changing actions by policy makers, changes and enactment of policies, programs or funding

›Keep stakeholders informed of your progress

›Celebrate successes

 Advocacy: Tips & Tricks

›Position your issues within the decision makers agenda

›Build relationships with the people who impact your issues

›Know the core facts about your issue

›Believe that you have the power to affect change

Conceptual Framework for Advocacy

  Advocacy is a dynamic process involving an ever-changing set of actors, ideas, agendas and politics. This process can be divided into five fluid stages:

-Issue Identification

-Solution formation and selection

-Awareness building

-Policy Action

-Evaluation-

-These stages must be viewed as fluid because they occur simultaneously or progressively.

addition, the process may stall or reverse itself.