THE ALPHABET OF PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY WORK

Policy advocacy refers to advocacy tactics, strategies and initiatives which target changes to policies and legislation. These advocacy initiatives seek to establish new policies, improve existing policies or challenge the development of policies. Policy advocacy usually seeks to engage various sectors of the government which includes: public servants, bureaucrats, political appointees, elected officials and legislators. As can be seen here below most of what is involved in public policy work has more to do with education rather than the act of influencing legislation. The term "advocacy" covers a much broader range of activities to push for changes in public policy, and these activities may or may not include lobbying. One way of differentiating between lobbying and advocacy is to understand that lobbying always involves advocacy, but advocacy does not necessarily involve lobbying.

Aspects of advocacy work include:

• ADVISING (Offering advice, information, suggestion, recommendation, notification).
• CAMPAIGNING
• COMMENTING (Making comments, remarks, expressing fact, opinion or explanation).
• CONSULTING (Providing advice, exchanging views).
• DISSEMINATING INFORMATION (Dissemination of research reports, policy briefs, position papers etc.).
• EDUCATING (Education of policymakers, encouraging members of the public to express support for, or opposition to specific legislation/proposition/regulations, public information campaigns).
• ENGAGING (With policymakers and discussing issues).
• EVALUATION ACTIVITIES (Evaluation of the effecttiveness and outcomes of existing programmes, policies, benchmarking).
• GIVING VOICE (Written or spoken expression of opinion to be heard and considered).
• INFLUENCING (Encouraging legislators to vote for or against specific legislation/proposition).
• INITIATING NEW IDEAS AND PROCESSES
• MEDIA ADVOCACY
• MEETING (With public officials, with stakeholders).
• MOBILIZING (Constituency and coalition building, capacity development).
• MONITORING (Keeping close watch on legislation, tracking to collect information, supervising, controlling).
• NEGOTIATING (Reaching an agreement).
• ORGANIZING
• POLITICAL ACTION
• PROMOTING (Contacting elected or appointed officials, staffers and advisors to promote changes in policy, regulations, guidelines etc.).
• PROVIDING INPUT
• RELATIONSHIP BUILDING (Openness: fostering two-way communication, listening, sharing information, being responsive, respectful, candid, honest; Trustworthiness: building trust among public officials and stakeholders by being reliable, non-exploitative, and dependable; Cooperation: engaging in collaborative decision-making that ensures that the needs/wants of the organization and its stakeholders are met; Alignment: sharing interests, rewards, and goals with stakeholders; Compatibility of Views/Opinions: fostering mutual understanding and agreement).
• RESEARCH AND POLICY ANALYSIS (Preparation of studies, research reports, policy briefs).
• SOCIAL ACTION
• TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ( Providing technical assistance or advice to the European Parliament or Committee in response to a written request).
• TESTIFYING (Hearings in front of parliamentary committees)