NGO Advocacy Work

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• NGO Advocacy Work
• Czech NGOs Advocacy experience
• Petr Patocka
• Prague Global Policy Institute - Glopolis

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NGOs/CSOs Advocacy work

• What is the NGO advocacy work
• Why the NGOs should be involved in policy making
• The networking
• The advocacy strategy
• The advocacy tools and acivities
• The Czech CSOs advocacy experience
• How to encrease the advocacy skills

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1. What is the NGO advocacy work

• Definition of the NGO advocacy work
• "Advocacy is an effort made towards decision
  makers on changing a specific policy or law at
  different levels.
• "Advocacy is a strategy, act or process aimed at
  bringing about change of attitude, policies,
  traditions, laws and ideologies for a desired
  positive result.
• "Advocacy is a process aimed at reversing,
  improving, changing or containing an existing
  situation."

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1. What is the NGO advocacy work

• Aims of NGO advocacy
• Sensitising the public or decision-makers on a
  specific issue
• Persuading or influencing decision-makers in a
  certain direction
• Provide a solution to a problem that affects the
  beneficiaries.
• To create a people-oriented government system
• Defend a right or a benefit

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1. What is the NGO advocacy work

• Who is a target audience?
• Policy-makers
• Government officials
• The public
• Professional associations (the expert groups)
• Enterprises / businesses
• Donor organisations
• Trade unions
• NGOs
• Media

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2. Why the NGOs should be involved in policy
making

• The CSOs participation in policy making process
  can improve the concrete legislative, laws etc.,
  but mainly strengthen the transparency of
  decision making process and strengthen the public
  confidence in the politicians and in the
  democratic system as such
• Civil society can make a difference!!!
• People working together can make a difference.
• Lobbying is a democratic right

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3. The networking

• Why we should to do the advocacy work within the
  networks/ coalitions?
• Working together can create pressure on decision
  makers and legitimacy for the issue
• Facilitate exchange of information, skills,
  experience, materials, resources etc.
• Coordinate activity and reduces duplication of
  effort
• Bring together a diverse range of people who
  would not otherwise meet

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3. The networking

• Why we should to do the advocacy work within the
  networks/ coalitions?
• A wide variety of perspectives creates a
  broader,holistic picture of the issue enhances
  problem solving strengthens outreach and impact
  and increases credibility
• A diversity of talents, work styles and resources
  in needed to carry out a comprehensive action
  plan
• Provide critical mass for change strength in
  numbers!!!

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3. The networking

• Some potential problems when working in networks
• Can lack clear objectives
• Differing visions of the goal and objectives
• May be dominated by one powerful organisation
• Coalition becomes too large and bureaucratic to
  function
• May suffer from a lack of trust between members
  of the network
• Organizations can lose their own identity

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4. The advocacy strategy

• Identify the issue
• Research
• Set goals and objectives
• Identify target audience
• Develop the message
• Build support (by NGOs, public, donors,
  experts..)
• Develop implementation and activity plan
• Implement the plan
• Revise advocacy plan

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4. The advocacy strategy
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5. The advocacy tools and activities

• Policy Research
• Watchdog Activities
• Petitions
• Poster Campaign
• Networking
• Demonstrations
• Surveys
• Media outcomes
• Newsletter

• Lobbying
• Negotiations
• Lobby letter writing
• Meetings
• Interviews
• Round Table
• Press Releases
• Public Forum
• Press Briefing

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6. Czech CSOs Advocacy experience

• FoRS - Czech Forum for Development Co-operation
• platform of Czech NGOs and other non-profit
  subjects, involved in development cooperation
• FoRS was founded by 15 NGOs and legally
  registered as an association of legal entities in
  October 2002
• By the beginning of 2009, FoRS already
  represented 29 member organisations and 17
  observers

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6. Czech CSOs Advocacy experience

• Structure of FoRS
• FoRS is governed by all its members represented
  by the General Assembly. The Executive Board and
  the Advisory Board are elected by the General
  Assembly.
• The Executive Boards Chairperson and
  Vice-Chairperson(s) are elected by the Board
  itself.
• The daily agenda and the organisational and
  financial management are carried out by the
  Secretariat lead by the Director

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6. Czech CSOs Advocacy experience

• FoRS Working Groups
• FoRS member organisations and observers come
  together into working groups according to the
  thematic and geographic focus of their
  activities.
• FoRS Working Groups are the key way for members
  of FoRS to involve in common activities .
• They can participate in the formulation of
  positions and the overall direction of FoRS

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6. Czech CSOs Advocacy experience

• FoRS Working Groups
• 1. Long-term Working Groups
• Policy Working Group
• Working Group Awareness
• Working Group Development Education
• Working Group Development Studies
• 2. Working Groups formed for the CZ EU Presidency
  
• Working Group Migration
• Working Group Sustainable technologies and Local
  Energy
• Working Group Agriculture and Food Security

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6. Czech CSOs Advocacy experience

• Policy Working Group
• Share, gather and disseminate information
• Recommend joint advocacy work and organise joint
  lobby meetings
• Occasionally invite others to share information
  on specific issues
• Make proposals for thematic and policy dialogue
• Coordinate the preparation of policy briefs,
  lobby letters, documents on policy issues (e.g.
  AidWatch reports) and proposals for common
  positions of FoRS

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7. How to encrease the advocacy skills

• For effective advocacy process is necessary to
  develop within the network or advocacy group the
  following skills
• Policy analysis of legal and regulatory issues
• Language and writing skills
• How to develop a communications strategy,
  planning and management
• Interviewing skills
• Presentation and negotiation skills
• PR and media relations
• Financial management
• Fundraising skills

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• Used resources
• Advocacy and Lobbying Manual, Secretariat of the
  African Decade of Persons with Disabilities,
  Lindblom/Nylund 2006
• Advocacy expert, CIVIL SOCIETY AND ADVOCACY, Pact
  Tanzania
• Advocacy Manual, Sampark -Advocacy
  Communication Consultants
• NGO Advocacy Why The Shift, And How It Affects
  NGO Programing, Catharina Maria

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Thank you for the attantion!

• Prague Global Policy Institute -
  Glopolis.Jeséniova 10120 00 Praha 3Czech
  Republic
• E-mail patocka_at_glopolis.org
• Web www.glopolis.org