Key approaches of Advocacy

1. Key approaches of Advocacy N. Assifi UNFPA/CST, Bangkok

2. Key advocacy approaches • Involving leaders • Building partnership • Mobilizing the community groups • Capacity building • Working with mass media

3. 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

4. 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.

5. Building Partnerships Coexistence Communication Partnerships are formed by groups of individuals that join together aiming to accomplish a common purpose. Cooperation Coordination Collaboration

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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?

9. 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

10. How to organize and mobilizecommunity 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Reasons for Dealing with Media Working with mass 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

15. Dealing with Media… (cont’d) • Generate public support for your activities and organization • Increase fundraising (sponsorship) or membership or supporters to your cause

16. Promote a Good Media Coverage • 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.

17. 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

18. Develop a Media Strategy Two Critical Elements: • Your message • Briefly tell journalists what your organization stands for and does: Central message • Ensure everyone in your organization shares the same message: Consistency

19. 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 stimulate discussion • To inform them on new issues • To educate them on values • To help them form opinions • Choose your media accordingly based on above

20. Printed media Tends to be an elite medium Radio Tends to be a medium for a very broad audience Remains in places where TV has arrived Television Tends to be a medium for entertainment Appropriate to reach influential people, politicians & policy makers Appropriate for information dissemination, e.g. news, interviews Entertainment function but useful for information dissemination Media Strategy…(cont’d) Audience and appropriate media