One piece of advice that seems to come from all commentators is that timing is crucial in advocacy.1 Simply put: in order to have the best chance of influencing a policy decision, you must try to have your research or analysis ready to feed into the target discussion at the time when decisions are going to be made on the issue, that is, when policy windows are open.2 Having a deep understanding of the people and processes around a particular policymaking process will effectively guide you in understanding when such windows may open and also when is the best time to make your move. Two of our policy advocacy cases are illustrative of getting the timing right.
Case 1: Kazakhstan
Improving One Stop Shops (2006–2007)
Policy fellow and civil servant
One Stop Shops were introduced by presidential decree in Kazakhstan a few years prior to the research as the solution to corruption and weak public service delivery. Following much public and media criticism of the implementation of One Stop Shops, the researcher knew that the government agency with the task of making the One Stop Shop model work had really not done the required research or evaluation and had little capacity to do so. There was clear demand from the Ministry of Justice to get this input and they immediately took the research on board.
Case 4: Mongolia
Preventing the signing of an ill-considered mining contract between Mongolian government and international mining consortium (2006–2007)
National and international NGO Coalition
(Open Society Forum, Mongolia and Revenue Watch Institute)
The Open Society Forum and Revenue Watch had been trying and failing to get information on and access to the draft agreement between the mining consortium and the government while it was being negotiated in a ministerial working group for nearly a year. Once it came to a parliamentary discussion, it was suddenly available and they acted immediately to prevent the signing of what they judged to be a contract not in the best public interest. We often experience that such discretionary processes mean there may be very short time given for stakeholders, especially NGO actors, to respond to drafts of policy proposals or legislation.
Plan to have your research and analysis ready for when a decision is being made.