Advocacy

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Advocacy
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Definitions

• Advocacy is a strategy that is used around the
  world by non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
  activists, and even policy makers themselves, to
  influence policies.
• A policy is a plan, course of action, or set of
  regulations adopted by government, business or an
  institution, designed to influence and determine
  decisions or procedures.

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• First, advocacy is about influencing those who
  make policy decisions.
• Second, advocacy is a deliberate process,
  involving intentional actions.
• Third, policy makers can encompass many types of
  decision makers.

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What Advocacy is not

1. Extension work.
2. Information, Education, and Communication.
3. Informing the government about your Organization.
   
4. Fund-raising.

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Types of Advocacy

• Budget Advocacy
• Bureaucratic Advocacy
• Ideological Advocacy
• Legislative Advocacy
• Professional Advocacy
• Mass Advocacy

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Building Foundation for Advocacy

1. Gathering policy and political information
2. Assessing risk
3. Building strategic relationships
4. Establishing your credibility as an advocate
5. Maintaining focus

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Advocacy

• Analyzing policies
• Outlining an advocacy strategy
• Finalizing an advocacy strategy
• Framing a plan

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Step 1 Analyzing policies

1. The policy causes,
2. Key actors that influence policies and their
   interests, and
3. The policy environment.

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Step 1.1 Analyzing Policy Causes

• What is the problem?
• Who does it affect?
• What are the SUPPORTIVE POLICIES?
• What are the RESTRICTIVE POLICIES?
• Which programs support or Hinder POLICY
  ENFORCEMENT?

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Step 1.2 Analyzing Actors

• Who are the Main Actors?
• The Level of Influence they have on Policy?
• The Resources this Actor Controls.
• What is the Motivation for this actor to act.

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Step 2Outlining an advocacy strategy

1. Select the policy issue that can effectively be
   addressed through advocacy and which will have
   the greatest impact on the problem.
2. Identify target audiences - those with the
   ability to actually influence the policy issue
   you select.
3. Set a specific policy goal for your initiative.
   
4. Identify potential allies and opponents

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Step 3 Finalizing an advocacy strategy

• Select an advocacy role. There are many
  different ways to advocate. E.g, Expert
  Informant, Honest Broker, Capacity Builder,
  Lobbyist and Player.
• Identify key messages. An advocacy message is
  what you want your target audiences to hear. It
  specifies what policy change you would like them
  to support.
• Define advocacy activities. Advocacy activities
  are the steps you will take to convey your
  messages to your target audiences.

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Step 4 Framing a plan

1. Select a Timeline.
2. Prepare a Budget.
3. Prepare a Logfram.