ADVOCACY STRATEGIES: KEY QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS

Identifying the problems and the policy issues

1. What is the issue to be addressed?
2. Why is it important and to whom?
3. Does this problem have a policy dimension?
4. What current policies reinforce the problem?
5. What changes in policies could lead to improvement? Who is responsible for those policies?

Defining the advocacy goal
 

1. What positive change can be expected to result if the initiative is successful?
2. Is the initiative intended to improve access to information, to promote dialogue, or to strengthen voice and influence?
3. Will it contribute to all of these things?
4. Or to broader development goals?
5. Who will be the primary beneficiaries of the initiative?

Consulting and building relationships
 

1. Has any similar initiative been tried before?
2. If so, what were the results?
3. Is anything similar being considered or planned?
4. Are there opportunities to build a partnership-based approach from the outset?

Establishing credibility as an advocate
 

1. Does it have a mandate to speak on behalf of those who are expected to benefit?
2. Does it have specialist expertise?
3. Does it have influence with decision makers?
4. What could be done to strengthen the credibility of the initiative – for example, further research and consultation, better alliances?

Identifying relevant policies, laws and regulations
 

1. What policies are already in place (for example, national/EU strategies, media development, ?
2. How are these reflected, or not, in current laws and regulations?

Mapping relations of power and decision making
 

1. Where are policy decisions taken and who has influence over them?
2. Is the focus on government policy and, if so, which ministries and departments are responsible?
3. What other ministries have an interest in the impact of the current or proposed policies?
4. Are there other public bodies with relevant influence or responsibility, such as a communications regulator or a national media council?
5. What about the legislature or parliament – are there interest groups in the policy area?
6. Can support be usefully mobilised across different political parties?
7. Who else has influence over the key political decision makers?

Considering the options for policy change
 

1. Would a change in policy alone be sufficient to achieve the advocacy goal?
2. Might the proposed policy change also require legal and/or regulatory change?
3. What about the economic impact – are there taxation or public spending implications that should be taken into account?
4. Are there alternative approaches to be considered?
5. Could the goals be achieved incrementally or do they require a fundamental change in policy?
6. What policy options are most likely to attract support, or generate opposition?

Identifying allies and opponents
 

1. What other organisations share similar goals and concerns?
2. Would they support the initiative, be open to partnership or to joining a broader coalition?
3. Are there already coalitions in place?
4. What risks might there be in alliance or coalition building?
5. What groups or organisations might feel threatened by the proposals?
6. Could this coalesce into organised opposition?
7. What can be done to reduce the risk of opposition?

Selecting the advocacy approach
 

1. What advocacy strategies are most likely to influence the target audiences?
2. Will it be effective to work through dialogue and negotiation with policy makers?
3. What is the likely impact of public pressure – can it be expected to lead to a positive response or to resistance?
4. What sort of treatment can be expected from the media: supportive, hostile, or indifferent?
5. Are there incremental strategies that might be more likely to achieve results?
6. Through what mechanisms might competing interests be brokered?

Identifying the key messages
 

1. In relation to the goal and objectives, what messages are likely to be persuasive with the primary audience?
2. What about the secondary audience – are different messages needed for different audiences?
3. If the approach taken is public or based on a broad coalition, what key messages are likely to mobilise the broadest support, gain traction in the media, or have a viral effect, with the audience itself acting as a multiplier?

Risk assessment
 

1. What are the main risks to successful project implementation?
2. How can the high and medium risks be managed to reduce their impact and/or likelihood?

Building partnerships and coalitions
 

1. What partnerships and alliances are most likely to assist in mobilising broad-based support?
2. What processes can best achieve trust, collective ownership, and effective collaboration?
3. Should the initiative operate as an open coalition and, if so, what mechanisms are needed to enable participation and to assure accountability?
4. Is support needed to build the advocacy capacity of partner organisations?

Employing tactics and negotiation
 

1. What alternatives might be considered?
2. What counter proposals can be expected?
3. What is non-negotiable and what could be up for discussion?