WHY EU GOVERNMENTS SHOULD SUPPORT POLICY ADVOCACY EFFORTS ?

Advocacy is a process of articulating a position on a particular cause or issue. It involves engaging relevant power centres and influencing the policy-makers to take or abandon a particular position. The role of policy advocacy is to set up a counter dialogue or promote policy dialogue to demonstrate to policy-makers where policy change is required. Policy advocacy can fill institutional and geographical space while bridging language and communication barriers between policy-makers and those unable to articulate their concerns.

The development of advocacy capacity is essential for EU governments to support the implementation of reforms. It is premised on the understanding that stakeholders must be well positioned to do this. However, in order for stakeholders to take up their rightful place in the process, they need specific skills and capacities in policy analysis, policy advocacy and lobbying. These skills are essential in undertaking independent monitoring, influencing policy and promoting accountability.

For policy focused stakeholders, the practice of policy advocacy also brings with it  indirect benefits by building the capacity and confidence of their staff enabling them to be effective players in society. On the other hand, society also benefits by developing a better understanding of critical policy issues and by having the democratic process reinforced through the practice of policy advocacy.

Stakeholders have a critical role in influencing policy-makers on behalf of their constituents. They must engage policy-makers to take action regarding specific issues through mutual agreement and/or negotiation to reach a compromise position which best serves the perceived needs. There are therefore positions of agreement, disagreement or compromise. To this effect, stakeholders need to be specific on what the 'actual' needs are. While the policy makers have the 'power' to change things, stakeholders have the responsibility to convince them on the 'perceived' issues. In order to undertake effective advocacy, stakeholders should understand the different forms and locus of power.

Successful lobbying and advocacy is achieved by identifying the power bases and utilizing them enables the stakeholders to achieve their desired goals as formulated from time to time.

Regretfully, key limitations still prevail for stakeholders and practititioners to fully and effectively engage in policy advocacy. Indeed, policy advocacy stakeholders often complain about:

• the lack of democratic space;
• the fact that their legitimacy to advocate is being questioned;
• the lack of 'relevant' policy advocacy information;
• the limited access to policy makers;
• their lack of appropriate advocacy skills;
• their insufficient understanding of the politics of the policy making process.