Advocacy-Theory to Practice

WHRAP-SEA Partners Capacity Building Workshop on AdvocacyAnd Mid Term Progress Meeting4-7 April 2011Hanoi, Vietnam

Exercise 1:

What does advocacy mean to you?What is not advocacy? What is your role as an youth advocate ?

Some Definitions of Advocacy? Influencing change in political and bureaucratic

processes on behalf of someone or some group

The process of using information strategically to change policies that affect the lives of disadvantaged people (BOND 1999)

Advocating on behalf of the voiceless. Global Women in Politics 1997

Advocacy is a planned strategic process which development agencies, civil society groups and individuals can use to bring about change.

“Advocacy is the act or process of supporting a cause or issue. An advocacy campaign is a set of

targeted actions in support of a cause or issue. We advocate a cause or issue because we want to: build support for that cause or issue; influence others to support it; or try to influence or change legislation that affects

it.”

—International Planned Parenthood Federation: IPPF Advocacy Guide 1995

Definitions of Advocacy “Advocacy is speaking up, drawing a community’s

attention to an important issue, and directing decision-makers toward a solution. Advocacy is working with other people and organizations to make a difference.”

-CEDPA: Cairo, Beijing and Beyond: A Handbook on Advocacy for Women Leaders

“Advocacy is defined as the promotion of a cause or the influencing of policy, funding streams or other politically determined activity.”- Advocates for Youth

International

National

Community

Individual

Exercise 2:

Advocacy can occur at different stages of decision making, can lead to change in :

Who makes the decisions: community representation, participation of civil society

What is decided: legislation, polices, budgets, programmes practices

How it is decided: accountability and transparency; participation of local communities to be affected

How it is enforced or implemented: accountability, awareness raising.

Exercise 2:Are there any ethics or principles we should be clear on before engaging in any sort of advocacy?

Ethics and principles

Are we advocating ‘for’ or are we advocating ‘with’?- Community controlled process or people-centered advocacy

Accountability Transparency Self-awareness

Since the community controls the process it has a voice and is enabled to learn new skillswhich: Strengthens its capacity, organisation and power

and its involvement in decision-making Increases the legitimacy of community

participation

Improves the accountability of public institutions

Improves the material situation of individuals

Expands their self-awareness as citizens with both responsibilities and rights.

Making an Advocacy Plan

7 steps to advocating

Analyze the IssueResearch. Speak to people. Understand everything you can about the issue to know you are

interpreting the problem correctly. Find credible and recognized data that supports and is evidence for your cause.

Be clear on your basic messageBe extremely clear on your information, your understanding of the issue you are advocating for.

What change do you want? You should be clear of your objectives. What are you advocating for? What’s the aim of this

entire process? What are some of the challenges you could address or the compromises you would address?

Identify your Targets Identify who the right person is that you need to be advocating to. Who can effectively help

you begin the process of change? Consider a simultaneous strategy to build support. Community/Media/Government-Policy Makers/Young People/Educational Institutions/Adults-

Parents/Community Leaders.

Identify your Resources Whose support do you need? What is the right time to do this?

What resources are required to get this done? How much is this going to cost you?

7 Steps to advocatingIdentify Your Allies and Know Your Opposition

Who are the people likely to support you? Can you build partnerships with them? Who are your opponents? What are some of their arguments likely to be? Who can you create alliances

with?

Create An Action PlanDeliver Short Messages Effectively. Global Need – Local Context. Facts. Make it about more than

you. Precise, short, memorable, customize it to your audience.

The concept of resonance Prioritize! Prioritize! Prioritize!

Different ways of delivering messages (lobbying, print, statements, media, demonstrations) [Tools: position papers, fact sheets, newsletters, statements, draft language…]

Be strategic Offer language examples, preferably negotiated text (agreed language)

Offer data, statistics, report findings (relevant, recent, reliable) Use media (be strategic, be prepared, own the agenda, redirect questions)

Implement. Monitor. Evaluate Carry forward relationships. Get feedback. Keep pushing your message out there!

Process of Advocacy Step 1: Research, Analysis and Gathering

Data Organizational analysis (SWOT) with different

stakeholders –Youth organisations and youth advocates

Analyzing the Issue▪ The Problem Tree Analysis-separating the main

problem, consequences and root causes▪ This can be done in different ways with a variety

of stakeholders

Step 2: Setting Goals and Targets

Smart objectives are:Specific: what do you want to happen?Measurable: will you know when you’ve achieved it?Achievable: is it possible to achieve given your resources and time?Relevant: is it relevant to all stakeholders and the real problem?Time-bound: when do you want it to happen?

Step 3: Identifying Key Players Beneficiaries Allies, Opposition (degree of opposition) Influencers Decision makers

Create strategies for building alliances (networks, coalitions, support groups)

Transparency:Common PurposeAcceptance of different approaches

Step 4: Choosing your approachPolicy analysisproving the case for change and alternativesDemonstrating solutionsthrough positive project work Action research

documenting the impact of the policies or good practice of other groups especially their impact on the poorAwareness raisingeither with the individual or the general publicCampaigninghighlighting, publicising and mobilising public support

Step 4: Choosing your approachBuilding partnerships and networkingMedia workraising awareness to the media, and

through them the general public and others

Mobilising the general publicto put pressure on the decision makersCreating ways for people to act for

themselves(WaterAid – A guide to advocacy, p48)

Tools that can be used

Meetings

Mass media

Electronic media

print Visual/audio

Lobbying

Television

Website Reports Theatre

Meetings

Radio Email Letter writing

Slides

Demonstrations

newspaper

video Leaflets

Project visits

Magazines

Step 5: Create a Plan of Action

Objective

Activity Indicator to measure success

Timeframe

Peopleresponsible

M and Esystem

ReviewTimeline

Step 6: Monitoring and Evaluation What are you monitoring and looking to

evaluate? What are the indicators of success? Based on these indicators- what are the

questions you will ask to assess whether indicators are being met?

Examples of indicators:project progress, organisational reputation

with targets/influencers, media coverage , stakeholder attitudes, public opinion.

Advocacy for CSE should lead to: Developing a learning climate that firmly and

frequently re-affirms the principles of respect, responsibility, diversity and rights is extremely important.

Capacity training & rights inclusion – Peer educators, especially teachers, require skills building disseminating information based on principles mentioned above.

Sustainable stakeholder involvement: Not isolating young people, as well as the involvement of multiple stakeholders within communities is important as any prevention/ awareness strategy cannot be focussed solely on the youth.

Some Sources

Advocacy in Action-Council of International Development Resource Unit

Advocacy Building Skills for NGO Leaders-The CEDPA Training Manual Series

Advocacy in Action Toolkit-HIV/AIDS Alliance