advocacy impact for health a workshop on policy advocacy strategy development clockwise from top...

Advocacy Impact for Health

A workshop on policy advocacy strategy development

Clockwise from Top Left: PATH/Monique Berlier, PATH/Mike Wang, PATH/Mike Wang, PATH/Satvir Malhotra

[Insert date of workshop][Insert location of workshop]

Introductions

• Your name• Your organization• Any experience you have with advocacy• What you hope to learn in this workshop

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Course learning objectives

By the end of this course you will be able to:

•Differentiate policy advocacy from other types of advocacy.•Identify the critical components of a policy advocacy strategy.•Identify policy change solutions to address global health challenges.•Design tactics for influencing decision-makers.•Develop an advocacy strategy using a 10-part framework.

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What is policy advocacy?

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:• Define policy advocacy.• Identify different types of policy change and policy implementation.• Differentiate policy advocacy from other related concepts.

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Policy advocacy definition

Policy advocacy is the deliberate process of informing and influencing decision-makers in support of evidence-based policy change and policy implementation, including resource mobilization.

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Policy advocacy definition

• Policy advocacy is a deliberate process.

• It aims to inform and influence decision-makers.

• Policy advocacy seeks changes that are evidence-based.

• The ultimate goal of policy advocacy is to achieve a desired policy change or ensure that an existing policy is implemented.

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Types of policy change and policy implementation

Policy change can include: •Elimination of a harmful policy.•Updating or amending an existing policy.•Developing a new policy.•Allocating or committing resources within a budget.

Policy implementation can include:•Disseminating a policy.•Enforcing a policy.•Disbursing allocated funds appropriately.•Demonstrating accountability for policy commitments and carrying out the provisions called for within policies.

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Introduction to the Ten Parts

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:•Identify the critical components of an advocacy strategy framework.

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Ten parts of a policy advocacy strategy

Part 1 Advocacy IssuePart 2 Advocacy GoalPart 3 Decision-makers and InfluencersPart 4 Decision-makers’ Key InterestsPart 5 Advocacy Opposition and ObstaclesPart 6 Advocacy Assets and Gaps Part 7 Advocacy PartnersPart 8 Advocacy Tactics Part 9 Advocacy MessagesPart 10Plan to Measure Success

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Part 1: Advocacy Issue

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:• Identify qualities of a good issue for advocacy.• Evaluate potential issues for advocacy.

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A good issue for policy advocacy is…

• A current objective or natural outgrowth of your program’s work.

• Based in evidence.• Readily improved with a policy change or implementation of

an existing policy. • Reasonably attainable in three to five years.• Suitably specific and clear.

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Questions about root causes

• Can a policy change or implementation of an existing policy help improve the root cause?

• Does your organization have programmatic experience with this root cause?• Do you have any evidence that this is a root cause?• Can the problem be reasonably (if not completely) addressed in three to five

years?

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Criteria for prioritizing advocacy issues

• Specificity and clarity.• Amount of evidence to prove the problem.• Potential for partnership to address the issue. • Amount of political will to address the issue.• Organization has unique experience and expertise to

contribute to addressing the issue.• Availability of resources (time, money, and influence) to

address the issue. • Risk to your organization to address the issue. • Likelihood the policy change or action will significantly

impact the problem.• Feasibility of success in three to five years.

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Part 2: Advocacy Goal

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:• Identify the essential components of an advocacy goal.• Develop a policy advocacy goal for your strategy.

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Four elements of a policy advocacy goal

• WHO: the decision-making institution with the power to take action on your advocacy issue.• WHAT: the change you would like to see relative to your advocacy issue.• HOW: the specific action the decision-making institution can take to accomplish the change.• WHEN: a time frame for the action to occur (often between six months and three to five

years depending on the particular advocacy effort).

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Daily feedback

On your index card:• On one side draw a “+” or a and write one thing you liked

about today’s session.• On the other side draw a “–” or a and write one thing you’d

like to see changed or done differently for tomorrow.

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Advocacy Impact for Health

A workshop on policy advocacy strategy development

Clockwise from Top Left: PATH/Monique Berlier, PATH/Mike Wang, PATH/Mike Wang, PATH/Satvir Malhotra

WelcomeTo

Day 2

Part 3: Decision-makers and Influencers

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:• Identify key decision-makers and influencers.• Target advocacy goals to the appropriate decision-makers.

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Definition of decision-makers

Decision-makers:

People with the formal power or authority to take the desired policy action and/or their key advisors or staff.

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Definition of influencers

Key influencers:

People or groups who can have a compelling force on the actions, opinions, or behavior of decision-makers.

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Part 4: Decision-makers’ key interests

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:• Evaluate the awareness and position of the key decision-makers on your issue and advocacy

goal. • Identify decision-makers’ key interests as a means to persuade them on your issue and advocacy

goal.

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Decision-maker’s awareness of an issue

• Unaware: not familiar with your issue.

• Aware of the issue, but inaccurately informed: has heard of the issue, but may have information that is outdated or inaccurate.

• Aware of the issue, but mostly uninformed: has heard of your issue, but may not have much information.

• Accurately informed of the issue: aware and correctly informed of your issue.

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Decision-maker’s position on an issue

• Opposed: clearly committed against your viewpoint. You are not likely to change their mind.

• Non-mobilized: doesn’t yet have an opinion or is undecided on their position.

• Low support: won’t oppose your goal but also not likely to be an active, visible promoter either. They are generally supportive of the issue.

• High support: actively working or speaking out on behalf of your goal as a visible and vocal champion to make a change.

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Part 5: Advocacy Opposition and Obstacles

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:• Identify mechanisms for addressing the resistance, opposition, and

obstacles to your policy advocacy goal.

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Analyzing your opposition

• Know the opposition and their motives. • Identify their tactics and arguments.• Assess the risks and benefits of confronting them.• Mitigate their influence. • Pick the right partnerships.

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Part 6: Advocacy Assets and Gaps

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:• List the types of skills, expertise, and resources needed for advocacy

efforts.

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Part 7: Advocacy Partners

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:• Assess qualities of a strategic partnership.• Identify different types of collaboration.

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Strategic reasons to partner

• Adds to the number of organizations actively working on the issue.

• Brings together new constituents demonstrating wide-scale and diverse support for the issue.

• Demonstrates benefit to multiple sectors of importance.• Improves ability to reach and persuade a wider set of decision-

makers and influencers.• Helps to mitigate the influence of the opposition.• Yields additional expertise, skills, and resources.• Helps fill an organization’s advocacy gaps.

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Effective partnerships

Ideal partners:

•Bring resources to the advocacy effort.•Are generally easy to work with.•Are aligned with your advocacy goal. •Bring few risks.

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Qualities of an effective partner

• Swift attention to problems• Shared power• Clear expectations• Mutual responsibility• Ample recognition, thanks, and praise• Inspiration and celebration• Strategic thinking• Persistence• Personal and regular contact• Regular flow of information• Focused goal-setting

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Types of collaboration

• Information and data sharing• Developing common messages • Mutual consultation• Joint planning and strategizing• Coalitions and alliances

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Daily feedback

On your index card:• On one side draw a “+” or a and write one thing you liked

about today’s session.• On the other side draw a “–” or a and write one thing you’d

like to see changed or done differently for tomorrow.

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Advocacy Impact for Health

A workshop on policy advocacy strategy development

Clockwise from Top Left: PATH/Monique Berlier, PATH/Mike Wang, PATH/Mike Wang, PATH/Satvir Malhotra

WelcomeTo

Day 3

Part 8: Advocacy tactics

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:• Design objectives to reach an advocacy goal.• Determine advocacy activities and tactics.• Develop an advocacy work plan.

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Definition of objective

Objective:

•Desired accomplishment or outcome that will contribute to the overall goal. •A step toward your advocacy goal.

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Elements of an advocacy objective

• WHO: which specific decision-maker or key stakeholder you want to take action.

• WHAT: what action the decision-maker should take.

• WHEN: a time frame for the action to occur.

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SMART objectives

Advocacy objectives should also be SMART:

• Specific• Measurable• Achievable• Relevant• Time-based

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Selecting advocacy activities

• Will the activity address our decision-makers’ key interests? • Will the activities catch the interest of our decision-makers

and/or their influencers?• Will the activity lessen the influence of any opposing groups or

counter their messages? • Do we have the expertise and resources to carry out the

activity? • What upcoming events, significant dates, or government

decisions could be opportunities for mobilization and advocacy?

• Does the activity pose any risk to our organization?

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Advocacy resources

• Staff: what type and how much staff time and expertise will be needed to carry out your desired activities?

• Partners: will you need the expertise or resources of partners to successfully implement an activity?

• Costs: what are the costs associated with these activities?

• Timeline: when should the activities be conducted? How long will they take? Is there a particular time that they should take place (e.g., to coincide with a day of observance or political process)?

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Part 9: Advocacy Messages

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:• Craft targeted and effective advocacy messages to influence decision-makers.• Evaluate potential messengers for advocacy communications.

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Qualities of a compelling message

• Brief• Focused• Solution-oriented• Supported by evidence• Targets key interests of the decision-maker• Uses non-technical language• Optimistic and hopeful• Has a clear request

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Four parts of an advocacy message

1. What is the issue?2. Why should the decision-maker care about the issue? 3. What is the proposed solution and how will it impact the

problem? 4. What do you want the decision-maker to specifically do

following your interaction?

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Ideal messengers

• Messengers should be diverse.• Messengers should represent a range of seniority.• Messengers should be effective public speakers.• Messengers should support your advocacy goal.

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Part 10: Plan to Measure Success

Session Objectives

After this session participants will be able to:• Distinguish between output and outcome indicators.• Develop indicators to help measure progress toward achieving your advocacy goal.

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Outputs

• Evidence that the activity actually happened.• Generally quantitative. (Larger numbers are not always better.

For example, one meeting might be enough to reach the key decision-maker.)

• Measure of productivity. For example:• Meetings with decision-makers.• Press releases issued.• Partners attending coalition meetings.

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Outcomes

• Effects or changes seen as a result of the activity. • Actions taken by decision-makers or others.• Quantitative or qualitative.• Measure of effectiveness. For example:

• Increased government funding allocations.• Changes to laws, regulations, policies, and plans.• Public statements of support from decision-makers.• Mentions of the issue in media outlets.

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CONGRATULATIONS!

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