1.6 How can the guide be used?

The Advocacy Planning Framework — An Overview

Principles that form the basis of effective policy advocacy (Chapter 2)

The following five principles have consistently emerged from the literature and real world advocacy case studies as underpinning effective policy advocacy:

• It is a two-way process of negotiation and mediation towards the transfer of ownership of the findings and proposals developed in the research to key target audiences.
• It is messy and normally takes time, commitment, and persistence.
• The most likely outcome is policy influence, rather than direct impact.
• It involves the “softening up” of specialist expert audiences and also more interest-based coalition-building and bargaining with more political audiences.
• Context is key, as processes are always specific, evolving, and unpredictable.

The Advocacy Planning Framework (APF) (Chapter 3)

The APF is a practical, multidimensional mapping and planning tool for effective advocacy that is built around three main pillars or circles and a strategic core, the overlap in the center. This core overlap represents the target outcome of the planning process: a strategy for realistic policy change.

Detailed mapping and planning process (Chapter 4, 5, 6)

The three overlapping circles of the APF provide a foundation and direction for an in-depth mapping and planning process by presenting a set of questions that are key to planning any advocacy campaign:

• The way into the process—what is the best approach to get your ideas into the target policy debate and who will be your target audience(s)?
• The messenger—who should lead or be the face of the campaign and what kind of support do you need from others?
• Message and activities—what can you say to the key target audiences that will engage and convince them and how can you best communicate that message to them through carefully chosen advocacy activities and communication tools?

Core strategic focus of your campaign (Chapter 3)

By working with the APF to develop answers to the questions in each circle, you will plan a nuanced approach to mediate between what you want to achieve and what is possible in the policymaking process. This should generate the best possible chance to achieve policy influence, that is, locate the core overlapping part of the circles or the core strategic focus of your campaign. In this process, you are continually looking to develop answers to three questions:

• Current obstacles to change—what is currently blocking the policymaking process from moving in the direction you want?
• The leverage you can bring and use—what can you bring to and use in the process to move it in the direction you wish?
• A feasible policy objective—considering the obstacles that exist and the leverage you have, how far do you think you can move the process?

Way into the process (Chapter 4)

The top and most important circle in the APF is called the “way into the process.” Through this circle, advocates map out and consider the target decision-making process, people, and thinking in relation to the advocacy effort they are planning. This sets the scene and points you in the right direction by guiding you in planning how to bring what you have learned from research into a target decision-making process. This circle is broken down into six elements:

• Demand—What is the level of interest in the researched policy issue in the target policy process?
• Actors, networks, and power—Who are the key decision makers and opinion leaders that you need to influence?
• Decision-making practice—How does the decision-making process really work?
• Timing and openings—What is the best timing/opportunity to start or continue your advocacy effort?
• Current thinking—How do the stakeholders understand the target policy issue and the potential solutions?
• Current positions—What are the current positions of key actors in relation to any proposed change in policy?

The messenger (Chapter 5)

In advocacy, the messenger is often as important as the message. The legitimacy that comes with the support from others and a lead advocate or organization with a solid reputation are key factors in getting doors to open throughout the advocacy process. The planning in this circle involves a frank assessment of the reputation and capacity in choosing the right messenger(s) and supporters:

• Reputation—Do you have the resources, credibility, reputation, visibility, and support to be taken seriously by the key players?
• Skills—Do you have the range of communication and interpersonal skills required to successfully take on the multiple roles the messenger plays?
• The face of the campaign—Who should be the face of the campaign? You or someone else? Can you identify a suitable policy broker to play a specific role?
• Other support—What other support do you need for your campaign to be taken seriously?

Message and activities (Chapter 6)

This APF circle focuses on making plans for the communication of what you want to say and how: in other words, your “message” and your set of advocacy activities and communication tools. Informed by your planning in the other APF elements, the following five steps will guide you in making plans for constructing your message, deciding on advocacy activities, and managing the advocacy communication process:

• Audience profile—Why do your target audiences hold the current positions that they do? Will it be easy to move them from these positions?
• Shaping messages—What message would appeal to and convince your target audiences? How can you make your messages striking, memorable, and portable?
• Activities and communication tools—How will you get your message to your target audiences (e.g., papers, video, social media)?
• What kind of events and meetings do you need to allow you to engage your target audiences enough to convince them?
• Strategic risk—Will you upset powerful or influential people with the positions you will advocate for? Is there any risk to your sustainability or even safety in the positions you will put forward?
• Challenges and responses—What responses or challenges do you expect from the audiences that you will present to? How will you defend or respond to these challenges?

The APF tool—Advocacy planning in a team (Chapter 7)

To make it easier for you to use the APF as a tool for real planning, we have brought together the key questions from each element in a single, user-friendly document in Chapter 7, ready for photocopying. For example, below is first element from the “way into the process” circle:

1. Gauge the level of demand

Key questions

• Is your issue already on the government agenda? If not, is there another group of people talking about it or advocating for it?

• Does interest and momentum already exist around the issue or do you have to create it?

Explanations and illustrations

It is generally easier to influence policy if there is already some level of demand for your ideas and proposals. The best case is if the government has chosen to act on the problem you are also focusing on. If not, see if there are other researchers, NGOs, government agencies, or stakeholders discussing it. It is better to feed into an ongoing discussion than to have to create one.