Advocacy Campaigns

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Advocacy Campaigns

• Developing Political Strategies

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In lobbying campaigns,

• Strategies and tactics are used in the context of
  a campaign to influence public decision-making.
• A campaign can be defined as a series of action
  designed to influence the public and bring
  decision-makers to the bargaining table.
• Strategies are a long-term plan of action that
  involves a series of small steps used to achieve
  a goal.
• Tactics are the small steps that are carried out
  in the context of a larger strategies. In
  legislative advocacy, letter writing, use of
  media, rallies, the formation of coalitions, and
  developing specific policy proposals are types of
  tactics.

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Tactics may involve

• Planning, fact-finding, and problem-solving.
• Cooperation and consensus-building in the context
  of working with individuals and groups.
• Contest or confrontation (putting pressure on
  decision-makers through personal contacts, letter
  writing, rallies, protests, boycotts, etc.)

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Planning Legislative Campaigns
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Tactics are generally consistent with a specific
approach or strategic orientation to change.

• Legislative advocacy is generally considered to
  be a type of social action (strategy to affect
  social change).
• Social action is often associated with putting
  pressure on legislators but tactics can also be
  oriented toward developing exchange relationships
  with decision-makers and other power brokers.

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According to Mondros (2005)

• In legislative action, collaboration and
  persuasion are the most often used tactical
  methods.
• Common types of tactical methods can include
• Meetings with legislators
• Letter writing
• Securing legislative sponsors
• Issue reports and data on legislative issues.
• Educating and persuading the majority party to
  support the legislation.
• Obtaining the support of the executive branch
• Testifying at Hearings
• Using amendments to promote favorable outcomes
  (p. 277)

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The choice of strategy often depends on whether
the change agent uses an insider or outsider
approach

• Insider approach working through the system and
  approaching decision-makers directly,.
• Outsider approach influence by indirect means
  including legal action and protest.
• Decision is based on how much contact or access
  that the change group has to decision-makers.
  Most change agents aspire to becoming insiders.

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Consequently, most campaigns employ cooperative
tactics and then gradually escalate tactics in
order to bring opponents to the bargaining table.
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Choice of methods is partly determined by

• Extent of policy change desired.
• Whether one is supporting or blocking the change.
• The time frame involved.
• Current positions of decision-makers on the
  issue.
• The power of the decision-makers and the power
  held by the group taking action.
• Salience or importance of the issue to
  decision-makers and the public. How important is
  it to the public?

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An important step in the process is assessing the
power of decision-makers

• Force field analysis (identifying supporters and
  opponents)
• Background research on decisionmakers,
  previous votes, vested interests, campaign
  donations, positions on issues, allies and
  opponents, etc.

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Community Organizers and Legislative Advocates
generally look at the following types of
information to assess power

• Who donates money to candidates/organizations.
• Friendship or kinship ties.
• Business relationships.
• Membership in interest groups or associations.
• Linkages among interest groups and other
  organizations.
• Interlocking boards or memberships social and
  other types of networks.
• Overall power resources possessed by individuals
  and organizations
• Political power who is elected and who actually
  votes.

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Planning a campaign involves the use of a
problem-solving model that includes some
additional steps

• Problem Identification
• Problem (and power) analysis
• Informing the public
• Development of policy goals
• Building public support and legitimacy
• Program design
• Implementation
• Evaluation and assessment

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Types of Campaigns

• Initiate a new policy proposal
• Change others proposals
• Oppose others initiatives
• Assume no role (bystander)

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Things to keep in mind when developing a strategy

1. Adapt strategy to the setting and the policy
   actors involved.
2. Constituents (people involved in the change
   effort or those who will benefit) should also
   have a role (preferably) a leadership role in
   developing the strategy.
3. The people who carry out the strategy should be
   comfortable with the style and intensity of
   tactics chosen.
4. Framing the issue in a manner that will solicit
   the most support from decision-makers and the
   public is the most critical part of the process.
5. The choice of strategies and tactics are often
   situational and often must be changed as
   conditions on the ground change.

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Recurring steps in a Strategy

• Organizing a team or coalition
• A coalition is a partnership among groups with a
  common interest on at least one issue.
• Coalitions are formed because there is strength
  in numbers.
• Establish policy goals
• Specify a proposals content and find legislative
  sponsors
• Establish a strategic approach or style.
• Select power resources and assign tasks
• Implement Strategy
• Set up a mechanism for evaluating strategy and
  revising it as needed.

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And most importantly

• Always have a Plan B or several options
• It is especially important to have contingency or
  back up plans when escalating the intensity of
  tactical methods.

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Here are a few of the things to consider when
developing your campaign planhttp//northstar.si
erraclub.org/campaigns/politics/guide/legPlan.html

• Issue Focus What is the main issue focus of your
  campaign? What environmental problem are you
  seeking to address? How does it relate to the
  Sierra Clubs local, state, and/or national
  conservation priorities?
• Campaign Goals What are the long term,
  intermediate, and short term goals of the
  campaign. Try to describe specific outcomes that
  will allow you to measure your success.
• Organizational Considerations What does your
  group or committee bring to the campaign? What
  are its strengths and weaknesses? How do you want
  your group or committee to be strengthened by
  undertaking the campaign?
• Allies and Opponents Who cares enough to join or
  help? What specific groups or people will be
  willing to contribute their resources to help you
  achieve your goals? Who stands to lose if you
  win? What specific groups or people are most
  likely to expend effort to prevent you from
  achieving your goals?
• Targets A target is always a person. Who has the
  power to give you what you want? Who are your
  secondary targets (the people who have influence
  on the opinions of your primary targets)?
• Tactics and Timeline What actions will you take
  to put pressure on your targets and convince them
  to grant your goals/demands? In what sequence or
  order will you implement those tactics? When
  exactly will you do each of these activities and
  who will do them?
• Media Strategy What is your strategy for getting
  the media to cover your campaign and the tactics
  in your campaign plan? What are the public
  audiences you want to reach? What is the message
  and story that you want to convey as part of your
  campaign?

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Types of Tactics
Direct Lobbying Grass-roots Lobbying Media Campaign Protests Mobilization Legal
Face to Face Meetings Urging others to write letters Working with the press on coverage Rallies Developing large coalitions Influencing development of regulations
Letter writing Email Campaigns Giving interviews Demonstrations Using media Internet to recruit Pressuring decision makers to comply with regulations or enforce them.
Email Campaigns Designing websites Letters to the editor Street theater Generating excitement Public Records Request
Disseminating research reports Using blogs Guest editorials op-eds Boycotts Getting large numbers of people to participate. Asking attorneys to press for legal compliance
Writing policy briefs Public forums Using alternative media sources Other types of protest and direct action Legal challenges to laws or policies
Providing testimony Ad campaigns Class action lawsuits
Finding Sponsors Coalition-building
Working with Legislative Staff