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Developing Lobbying and Campaigning Skills. Karen Sweeney Senior Project Officer TWN – Training for Women Network. TWN. Evolved from a Women’s Group Formally Established in 1996 Sectoral Partner in 1996 Intermediate Funding Body in 2001. Objectives.
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Developing Lobbying and Campaigning Skills Karen Sweeney Senior Project Officer TWN – Training for Women Network
TWN • Evolved from a Women’s Group • Formally Established in 1996 • Sectoral Partner in 1996 • Intermediate Funding Body in 2001
Objectives • Promote, develop and coordinate the provision of high quality vocational and pre-vocational education and training for women, leading to sustainable employment. • Facilitate vertical and horizontal integration of women in the labour market.
Objectives • 3. Promote good practice in training of women. • 4. Encourage women to take up leadership roles and become involved in decision making and public life.
TWN Three Distinct Strands Membership Organisation Commercial Arm Intermediate Funding Body
Intermediate Funding BodyFor Peace II Priority 1 – Economic Renewal Activity 5 - Positive Action For Women £10.2m - 87 projects
Projects • Examples of Training Funded Include: • I.C.T. • Counselling • Tourism • Business Development • Personal Development • Management • GCSEs
TWN Membership • Operates on an annual basis • Over 200 members from the Voluntary/community sector, Public and Private sector as well as individuals and students
Membership Services • Provision & Dissemination of Information • Benchmarking & Promotion of best practice • Membership of Enterprising Womens Forum • Admission toTWN events at reduced rates. • Members only pages on TWN Website • Networking Opportunities
Membership Services • Dissemination of Information: - • E-mail alerts • Publications and News Sheets • Flyers / leaflets • Virtual Library/ Physical Resources • Website • Enquiry Service
Seminars/Events • Conferences • Information Seminars • Training Workshops • Discussion Groups • Report launches • Annual General Meeting
Commercial Arm - TWN Enterprises • Sustainability Strategy in 2004 • To support the work of the TWN
What is Lobbying? Lobbying has been described as: ‘Action designed to influence the actions of the institutions of government….Its scope includes legislation, regularity and policy decisions as well as negotiations on public sector contracts or grants’ Charles Millar (1999)
Aim of Lobbying • To educate and inform key decision makers • To raise awareness and share expertise • To improve decision making • To produce policy and legislation that better fits your need • Using persuasion to make things happen to your benefit
Who Can You Lobby? • Key decision makers – these could be anyone depending on your need: • Ministers/Departments • Parliament – local/UK/EU • MPs/MLAs/MEPs • Local Councillors/representatives • Government Organisations • Businesses/Schools/Colleges
Who Can You Lobby? • Influencers – these could be: • Political Researchers • Political Party Colleagues • Advisers • Trade Unions • The Wider Community • The Media
The Benefits of Lobbying • Good lobbying supports: • The democratic process – gives people a voice in policies that affect them • Society – provides information/feedback from grassroots, giving the decision makers enough information to develop useful policies and practise • You/your group/your organisation – helps build communications and relationships between you and the decision makers • Individuals – enables individuals to develop skills and confidence in expressing their need
Thinks to Think About When Planning Your Lobbying What would you like to happen? What needs to happen to achieve the outcome? Who has responsibility for making this happen? What do you need to have to persuade them?
Planning Your Lobbying Your Strategy: What you want to achieve and what can be done. Is something set in stone or not? Set out your case clearly – can quickly and easily explain Check demands are realistic Ask for small changes towards a larger goal
Planning Your Lobbying • Do your Research: • Gathering enough information to plan and back your lobbying campaign is essential • Evidence – collect evidence on the need for change • Intelligence – who, when, how • Target Audience – list all the people you will need to reach – a tree diagram with the most influential at the top
Target Audience – Your Tree • Start making contact with those you already know or know you can connect with – local reps • Decide how to reach each target audience • Letter • Meeting • Briefing Paper • Invite then to an event
Create Alliances • Lobbying is more effective if you can join forces with others because it: • Gives you a stronger voice • Shows that there is wider support • Brings in more ideas and wider communities • Helps spread the work load • Gets to more people • **COMMUNICATION IS KEY**
Balance Inside & Outside Lobbying • Inside Lobbying – means working with politicians, councilors, civil servants & their advisers • Outside Lobbying – means using support activities to push issues up the political agenda, e.g. media activity, local lobbying, letter writing, rallies, legal interventions