ADVOCACY

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ADVOCACY

• A presentation by Roger Wamara to community
  Health and Information Network (CHAIN) Workshop
  on Strengthening Literacy and care programs in
  Uniformed Forces. Ranch on theLake Kajjansi 6th
  December 2006

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ADVOCACY

• Getting an advocacy campaign off the ground
• What is advocacy? How is it different?
• How do you prepare for advocacy?
• You will need to start your planning process
• Why is it important to learn survival skills?
• Why is it important to plan?
• Several ingredients for effective advocacy

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• Advocacy is active promotion of a cause or
  principle
• Advocacy involves actions that lead to a selected
  goal
• Advocacy is one of many possible strategies, or
  ways to approach a problem
• Advocacy can be used as part of a community
  initiative, nested in with other components
• Advocacy is not direct service
• Advocacy does not necessarily involve
  confrontation or conflict

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Understanding the Issue

• Why is it important to understand the issue?
• What do you need to know?
• How do you research your issue?
• Where can you gather information about the issue
  in your community?
• How can you find out how ordinary citizens feel?

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Why do you need a thorough understanding of your
issue?

• Arguments at your fingertips convince members
  issue is important keep fired up.
• Persuade allies to join your cause with
  irrefutable they cant ignore
• Know why your opponents are taking the line they
  do financial or other interest
• Know better what needs to be done to correct a
  situation necessary steps are fairly easy to
  take,
• Best strategic style "in your face" or act behind
  the scenes, or something in between.
• When and if the dispute becomes public--as you
  may want it to do--you will have the answers.
• Ready with facts any time for opponent or media

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Recognising Allies

• What are allies?
• People or groups that have the same interests as
  you
• Why do you need allies?
• They will help you achieve your mission
• How do you find allies?
• Do you and your allies care about the same
  things?
• Find out your allies risks benefits
• Using your allies
• Which ally should you contact first?
• Use the Power Grid Contact your allies

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See table of Allies power.
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Identifying Opponents

• Why should you identify your opponents?
• Determine the power of your opponents
• What do your opponents have to lose?
• Opponent's Tactics
• Dealing with opposition

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Their Dtactics

• Deflect -- divert the issue to lower official
• Delay -- you think they are addressing the issue.
  Whereas not.. Commission..
• Deny your claims .. solutions, invalid.
• Discount -- minimize importance of problem,
• Deceive -- No real intention to consider your
  issues.
• Divide -- and Conquer" strategy. Sow the seeds
• Dulcify -- appease or pacify your group jobs..
• Discredit -- group's motives and methods.
• Destroy -- legal, economic, or scare tactics.
• Deal --, working to a mutually acceptable
  solution.
• Surrender -- may agree to your demands, but note
  victory is not complete until promise fulfilled.

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Survival Skills for Advocates

• What are survival skills for advocates?
• They are guidelines used successfully by other
  advocacy efforts
• Why have survival skills for advocacy?
• To be effective in promoting your cause
• Survival skills for advocacy

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• 1. Accentuate the positive!
• 2. Emphasize your organization's values and
  accomplishments to the community.
• 3. Plan for small wins.
• 4. Present the issues in the way you want others
  to see them.
• 5. Develop your own public identity.
• 6. Check your facts.
• 7. Keep it simple.
• 8. Be passionate and persistent.
• 9. Be prepared to compromise.
• 10. Be opportunistic and creative.
• 11. Stay the course.
• 12. Look for the good in others.
• 13. Keep your eyes on the prize.
• 14. Make issues local and relevant.
• 15. Get broad-based support from the start.
• 16. Work within the experiences of your group
  members.
• 17. Try to work outside the experiences of your
  opponents.
• 18. Make your opponents play by their own rules.
• 19. Tie your advocacy group's efforts to related
  events.

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Encouraging Involvement ofPotential Opponents as
well as Allies

• Why involve potential opponents?
• When should you involve potential opponents?
• When shouldn't you involve potential opponents?
• How do you involve potential opponents?
• 1. Decide that you want to involve them
• 2. Narrow your targets
• 3. Clarify your goals
• 4. Make the commitment

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• 5. Identify the stakeholders
• 6. Make contact with your opponent
• 7. Establish ground rules
• 8. Set an agenda
• 9. Organize subgroups
• 10. Search for information
• 11. Find a mediator
• 12. Involve other stakeholders
• 13. Hold a meeting
• 14. Meet again
• 15. Understand the twelve "talking points"
• 16. Close the deal
• 17. Sell the deal
• 18. Structure the agreement
• 19. Monitor the agreement

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Developing a Planfor Advocacy

• How is planning for advocacy different?
• Create the plan up front, but make sure it is
  flexible
• A comprehensive plan includes
• 1. Goals
• 2. Resources and assets
• 3. Support and opposition
• 4. Targets and agents of change
• 5. Strategy
• 6. Tactics
• Goals should be SMARTC
• Create an inventory of resources

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION