Principles of Strategic Advocacy

The following article gives you some ideas on how to advocate to government on a issue of concern. Sections include:

• Know your Issue
• Have a Solution
• Using the Media
• Plan your Advocacy

Back to Strategy: Strategic Thinking and Planning for Community Organisations

Know your Issue

First and foremost, when you are undertaking advocacy, particularly systemic advocacy, ensure you are well-versed in the subject matter. A clumsy or uniformed view of an issue can be easily dismissed and reflect poorly on your organisation, and mark you as being biased, ill-informed or trouble-makers.

Similarly, when you are working systemically to achieve change try to be familiar with the work of other organisations who are working in the same area. It is important that you know where you are positioned amongst other groups and individuals who may be advocating around similar issues, for example, advisory councils, other organisations, and respected experts. These people could be approached to support your position, or to assist with providing depth to your longer term goals. Forming a coalition or partnership is more powerful, particularly when you are advocating for a major or difficult change.

Meet with the people who oppose your position and discuss your differences. If several people approach government, with several different ideas as the way forward, then there is less impetus for government to act because there is no consensus on the solution. A common position is much more effective. Effective and strategic advocacy is aimed at making support for your position easy. Conflict can be used as an excuse to do nothing.

Have a Solution

Be aware of what is happening in other states and overseas so that you can advocate for an improvement based on good practice principles wherever they are happening. You can use the internet very effectively to assist you in this research.

Know about other solutions that have been tried so that you can avoid suggesting a way forward that was a mistake somewhere else. Understanding the bigger picture makes it clear to those you are approaching that you know what you are talking about and you have worked on finding a solution to this problem that is progressive.

Be very clear about what it is that you actually want. Simply insisting that "something isn’t good enough and must be fixed" may, in fact, make the situation worse. There are many examples of a government coming up with a solution that has been inappropriate or poorly targeted, because there were no concrete ideas on the table as to what would be an appropriate solution to the problem.

Using the Media

Think carefully about using the media. Sometimes you will need public support to help put pressure on decision makers and the media are a good way to achieve this. However, using the media can be a double edged sword. While you may alert them to a problem or issue, the resulting media coverage may not be the outcome you wanted.

The best strategy is to develop a media plan so that you can take advantage of any opportunity for good press coverage. This can include longer term relationships with journalists so that you can keep them briefed about the issues you face, and can raise public awareness through them when necessary.

A successful media campaign requires a clear message, expressed in basic language without jargon. This needs to be delivered by a media spokesperson who is comfortable in that role. Plan well and use the media effectively, not just for the sake of it.

Plan your Advocacy

Advocacy can be a long term project. It is very rare to raise an issue and get action or funding immediately. Usually it takes years of consistent work to achieve change through legislative mechanisms and government budgeting.

Advocacy is strategic and like life-planning - you have the short, medium and long term plans, and you allocate your resources accordingly. But to achieve systemic change you need to have a strong case over time, backed up by solid information and facts and supported by your consumers, boards of management and your allies.

In the meantime celebrate all your victories, and share your success stories within the community sector and the broader community!


Back to Strategy: Strategic Thinking and Planning for Community Organisations

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