Download Key advocacy approaches

Key approaches
of Advocacy
N. Assifi
UNFPA/CST,
Bangkok
Key advocacy
approaches
• Involving leaders
• Building partnership
• Mobilizing the
community groups
• Capacity building
• Working with mass
media
Involving leaders
Leaders refer to those who
are extremely influential in
facilitating changes in
national issues of
population and
reproductive health.
Law makers
: Those who make laws
Policy makers : Those who make policies
Decision makers: Those who implement policies
How to reach leaders
Formal settings….Meetings, seminars,
conferences, etc.
Informal settings...Public gatherings,
festivals, sport
events, at home, etc.
Directly…………..
Meetings, letter,
media, etc
Indirectly…………Through their
colleagues, friends,
spouse, etc.
Building
Partnerships
Partnerships are
formed by groups
of individuals that
join together
aiming to
accomplish a
common purpose.
Coexistence
Communication
Cooperation
Coordination
Collaboration
Working in partnership
Advantages
• Enlarges the of support
• Provides safety for advocacy efforts
• Magnifies existing resources
• Increase financial and programmatic resources
• Enhances the credibility and influence of
advocacy efforts
• Help develop new leadership
• Assists in individual and organizational
networking
Working in partnership
Disadvantages
• Distracts from other work
• May require to compromise your
position
• Views of larger organization may
influence the view of others
• Individual members may not get credit
for their work
• If partnership breaks down it may
harm all members’ advocacy efforts
Building effective partnership
Key questions to ask yourself before
approaching potential partners
• Who should constitute the partnership?
• Who should lead the partnership?
• How will resources be accounted for?
• How big should be the partnership?
• Should it be limited to the national level or
other levels should be involved as well?
Mobilizing community groups
Purpose
• To draw attention of the leaders to key
population and RH issues and to encourage
them to take action
• Provide feed back on community needs and
feelings
• Help planners to collect data, testimonials and
other information in support of a given issue
• Disseminate information among public and
create public support for a given issue
How to organize and mobilize
community groups?
• Involving community leaders, influential and
religious leaders
• Identifying key existing community groups
• Identifying existing community channels for
information dissemination
• Organizing the group (identify group
members, group leader, terms of reference)
• Mobilizing the group through village
meetings, group discussions, folk and
traditional media, live entertainment etc.
Capacity Building
Capacity building approach is used to:
• Leadership development
• Expanding network of advocates
• Maintaining high level of
knowledge and skills
• Keeping up with new trends and
new challenges
Requirements for an advocate
Academic Background and skills
• Academic background and experience in
communication
• Work experience in population, health, RH, FP etc.
• Experience in group organization/mobilization
• Ability/skills in public speaking and group
facilitation
• Ability/skills in speech writing, writing articles etc.
• Experience in working with media (media relations)
• Orientation on research, capability to translate
research-based information to advocacy messages
Requirements for an advocate
Personal Qualities
• Articulate, good listener, good
communicator
• Interested to work with people at
different levels
• Willingness to be trained and open for
further professional growth
• Committed to the programme
Working with mass media
Reasons for Dealing with Media
Enhance visibility of your
programme and/or
organization (name
recognition)
 Inform the decision makers
and the public about your
activities
 Stimulate discussion on
issues you are promoting

Dealing with Media… (cont’d)
Generate public support
for your activities and
organization
 Increase fundraising
(sponsorship) or
membership or supporters
to your cause

Promote a Good Media
Coverage
1.
2.
3.
4.
Invest in building media contacts
(Roster)
Keep up with media trends,
techniques and technologies
Facilitate journalists’ access to
relevant information and data
Treat journalists and other media
professionals with respect.
Promote Good media…
5. Be guided by the “Five Fs” of media
relations: Fast, Factual, Frank, Fair
and Friendly
6. Establish a channel of regular
communication with media
gatekeepers
7. Thank and reward deserving
journalists and other media
professionals through awards and
other motivators.
8. Develop a media strategy
Develop a Media Strategy
Two Critical Elements:
1.
Your message


Briefly tell journalists what your
organization stands for and does:
Central message
Ensure everyone in your
organization shares the same
message: Consistency
Media Strategy…

(cont’d)
Audience and appropriate media



Identify the information needs of
target audience
Identify media they use – and trust
Determine for what purpose you
want to reach them:





To
To
To
To
stimulate discussion
inform them on new issues
educate them on values
help them form opinions
Choose your media accordingly
based on above
Media Strategy…
(cont’d)
Audience and appropriate media

Printed media
Appropriate to reach
 Tends to be an elite
influential people,
medium
politicians & policy
 Radio
makers
 Tends to be a medium
 Appropriate for
for a very broad
information
audience
dissemination, e.g.
 Remains in places
news, interviews
where TV has arrived
 Entertainment function
 Television
but useful for
 Tends to be a medium
information
for entertainment
dissemination
