The Foundation Of Policy Advocacy

Week 1 Lecture
Policy Advocacy

Advocacy
 What is Policy?
• Today policies are an integral part of our society. They control what
we buy, where, what we eat, how much we pay, transportation, the
environment, sports…everything.
• Basically, policies are about the people.
• They outline our socially accepted norms and practices to assure
some form of predictability in the allocation of scarce resources so
that we all can contribute towards a social outcome.
Policies are clear plans about how
a social, political or economic
vision will be achieved and how
ideas will be implemented as
actions.
They are the courses or principles
of action adopted or proposed by
a government, party, business, or
individual.
 Policy
Origin:
• Policy is a Late Middle English word derived from Old French ‘policie’
which means ‘civil administration’.
Classifications of Policy:
• Generally, policies can be broken down into personal, organizational
and public – each reflecting the realms of jurisdiction to which they
apply
 Advocacy
• Basically, advocacy and the word “advocate,” come from ancient
Roman law.
• The term was used to describe those who were called to the aid of
someone, or who took the role of champion on behalf of others, such
as lawyers and barristers in the legal system.
• The term has also been used to describe protectors or champions.
• Advocacy is the basic tenet of democracy: a vital tool for surfacing the
voices of marginalised or vulnerable citizens and for participation in
the vital issues facing communities.
• It is a high-leverage, high-impact strategy with proven return-on-
investment.
 Policy Advocacy
• Policy Advocacy is a deliberate process of influencing those who make
policy decisions.
• It is used to influence the choices and actions of those who make laws
and regulations and those who distribute resources and make other
decisions that affect the well-being of many people.
• It involves delivering messages that are intended to influence
thoughts, perspectives and actions of leaders, politicians, policy
makers, planners and others in authority.
 Refining harmful
or ineffective
policies
Ensuring good
policies and
Creating followed,
policies where implemented and
non-existent enforced

Advocacy is essentially about policy change in three areas;

Cont.…
• Policy Advocacy is usually characterized by the following ideas,
• a strategy to affect policy change or action
• a primary audience of decision makers
• a deliberate process of persuasive communication
• a process that normally requires the building of momentum and
support behind the proposed policy idea or recommendation.
• conducted by groups of organized citizens.
Policy advocacy is the process of
negotiating and mediating a
dialogue through which
influential networks, opinion
leaders, and ultimately,
decisionmakers take ownership
of your ideas, evidence, and
proposals, and subsequently act
upon them.
To summarize, policy advocacy:
Types of Advocacy
There are three types of advocacy.
(Different wording may be used in
different countries or settings, but
the goals and outcomes are
essentially the same.)
• Case Advocacy
• Issue Advocacy
• Policy Advocacy
 Case Advocacy
• Case advocacy (often called casework) attempts to solve one
person’s, one family’s, or one community’s problem at a time.
• For example, if Abu Maher’s family does not have potable water in
their home, we work with the local authorities to address this
problem for his family and his home.
 Issue Advocacy
• Issue advocacy is about raising awareness around a broader problem
or issue.
• For example, if a local community does not have access to potable
water or if domestic violence is not being taken seriously by the local
police, we launch a publicity and activism campaign about these
problems to draw attention to them and, ideally, create change as a
result.
 Policy Advocacy
• Policy advocacy is solution-based.
• Instead of solving a problem for one person at a time, or simply
raising awareness about a problem, in policy advocacy we analyse the
causes of a problem and develop policy-based solutions to address
these in a manner that creates sustainable and enduring change.
• Formal policy mechanisms, such as laws or government regulations,
are a key part of policy advocacy as this type of work often seeks to
alter the way that official institutions address or spend money on the
issue.
Importance of Policy Advocacy
 Why to engage in advocacy?
It is important to engage in advocacy because it;
• assists partners and local communities to have a deeper understanding of
what policy analysis, networking and lobbying entail
• helps partners and local leaders develop strategic capacities and new
competencies as analysts, reform advocates, animators, catalysts and
change agents.
• trains partners to develop tools and sharpen skills in social mobilization,
political strategy and trend analysis.
• equips partners with skills and capabilities in mobilizing voluntary energy
to catalyze system and policy change, monitor policy formulation and
implementation and engage effectively in networking and solidarity
building.
• influences policy change and get commitment to action from those in
authority.
 Difference between Policy Influencing and Advocacy
Policy Influence
Policy influencing is all about: -
• Participating in policy planning
• Leveraging change through campaigns on an
existing policy
• Helping in the interpretation of a policy
• Initiating a framework for a new policy
• Monitoring implementation of a policy
• Reviewing content, process, participation
and structure of a policy
• Developing a shadow policy or come up
with an alternative policy process.
• Transforming policy priorities and actions
• Engaging in policy dialogue
• Building coalitions, partnerships and
networks around policy
Advocacy
Advocacy, however, is about;
• Politics, social change, values, beliefs,
consciousness, knowledge, perspectives,
demands and identity
• Influencing those in authority about
problems which affect the people,
especially, the socially excluded
• Building strong identities, coalitions,
networks and or democratic organizations
and social movements, which hold those in
power accountable.
• Enhancing citizens’ capacities, skills and
perceptions to influence direction or course
of policy processes.
• What policies are you trying to change? And
why have you decided to do this?
 What approaches are viable in advocacy?
• There are no standard strategies for advocacy work.
• They are mostly influenced by the socio-political context, target
institutions, objects, policy problems and actors.
• But, whatever the context, one needs to weigh risks, possibilities and
opportunities that each approach offers and cultivate powerful allies
both inside and outside the system.
• The ultimate goal should be to open up political space for
negotiations.
• The main strategies of doing advocacy work include but not limited to
campaigns and lobbying;
 Advocacy Strategies
• Advocacy strategies are often classified into two main areas; Campaigning
and Lobbying.
• Campaigning is mobilizing public concern in order to achieve a social,
political or commercial aim. It is a series of activities designed to influence
the policies and practices of public or private bodies (e.g. governments,
institutions, companies).
• Campaigning is a motivational exercise. It narrows the focus of attention in
order to get people to do something that will lead to change.
• Lobbying is any attempt by individuals or private interest groups to
influence legislation through communication with: (i) Any member or
employee of a legislative body, or (ii) any government official or employee
(other than a member or employee of a legislative body) who may
participate in the formulation of the legislation, but only if the principal
purpose of the communication is to influence legislation.
 Examples of Advocacy Strategies
Campaigning Lobbying
 Social mobilization, Awareness & sensitization  Policy dialogue

 Behind-the-scenes machinations  Boardroom negotiations & trade-offs

 Mass action e.g. demonstrations, boycotts, vigils,
picketing, processions
 Public rallies/forums
 Picketing boycotts & strikes
 Community & social mobilization
 Research and information dissemination or sharing
 Media campaigns, public forums, civic education {IEC}
 Partnerships, Cooperation & collaboration
 Policy analysis and briefs
 Role models & good practice
 Case studies
 Leveraging change through resources by supporting
processes
 Information packaging and policy drafting

  Education, training and persuasion

  Use of allies e.g. donors to leverage change

  Use of innovations and good examples

 4 Advocacy Campaign Examples
• Example #1: Post it Forward
(The aim of launching “Post It Forward” was to break
down silos of cyberbullying, body shaming, and issues
related to sexuality.)
• Example #2: He for She
(UN women initiated the “He for She” campaign towards
the advancement of gender equality.)
• Example #3: Hashtag Killer
(“Water is Life” launched the hashtag Killer campaign to
bring clean drinking water to the world’s poorest
populations.)
• Example #4: Big Tobacco Be Like
(Truth launched the “Big Tobacco Be Like” campaign to
dismantle delusions surrounding social smoking. The
campaign made use of the popular #BeLike meme with
humorous spin-offs.)
 Activity
Study about the 4 Advocacy Campaigns mentioned on the previous
slide and give a
• Brief summary of each.
• How these campaigns succeeded?
• What are the major takeaways for us, from each of these.
 Core Components of Policy Advocacy
• Many political and civil society organizations develop along a ladder that
looks like the one below, starting at the bottom and progressing to the top:
 Organizational Capacities for Policy Advocacy
• One way to assess your organization’s level of preparedness for policy
advocacy is to conduct a capacities assessment. Consider the
inventory list of key capacities for policy advocacy below. Review
each category and the accompanying questions.
Thank You!