An Introduction to Advocacy: Training Guide

An Introduction to Advocacy:Training Guide Ritu R. Sharma Women Thrive Worldwide

How to use this guide • This Introduction to Advocacy Training Guide provides the tools for people to start engaging in the advocacy process, and is thus designed to: • inform a diverse audience of potential advocates about advocacy and its methods; • build some basic skills in advocacy; • increase the use of available data to inform the advocacy process; • give confidence to those who are embarking on advocacy efforts; • encourage the democratic process by providing people with the skills to make their voices heard. • How can the Guide be used and adapted? • This presentation, along with the text, is written primarily for use in training sessions, but it can also be used by potential advocates as a tool to help them start their own advocacy work. • Pick and choose which of the ten modules you want to use • For additional activities, content, and case studies, refer to the text of An Introduction to Advocacy: Training Guide

This training guide has ten modules: • What is Advocacy? • Identifying Policy Issues • Selecting an Advocacy Objective • Researching Audiences • Developing and Delivering Advocacy Messages • Understanding the Decision-Making Process • Building Alliances • Making Effective Presentations • Fundraising for Advocacy • Improving your Advocacy

Module 6: Understanding the Decision-Making Process • The Decision-Making Process • Identify and analyze the formal and informal steps in the decision-making process • Policy Process Mapping • Explore mapping the policy process • Alternatives to the Formal Process • Examine alternatives to the formal process This module follows pages 65-80 of An Introduction to Advocacy: Training Guide by Ritu R. Sharma.

6.A) The Decision-Making Process • Formal Process: the official procedure as stated by law or by documented organizational policy. • For example, within an organization or institution regulations for instituting policy changes may have to be voted on by the board of directors, or officially approved by the president.

6.A) The Decision-Making Process • Informal Process: activities and procedures in the decision-making process that occur concurrently with the formal process, but are not required by law or organizational policy. • For example, an organization’s president may informally discuss the proposed policy change with each board member before the board meets to vote on it.

6.A) The Decision-Making Process • Alternative Process: a process to influence decision-making that exists wholly outside the official process. • For example, if the president of an organization feels that a decision by her board of directors is not warranted for a minor policy change, she can discuss the change with key staff, make a decision and implement the change without ‘official’ action.

6.A) The Decision-Making Process Stages of Decision-Making • Stage 1: Generate ideas/proposals within the decision- making body. • An issue is added to the action agenda of an institution. The institution develops a policy proposal. Ideas may come from outside or inside the organization. • Stage 2: Formally introduce the proposal into the decision-making process. • The formal decision process for the proposal begins. For example, an act is introduced into parliament, a proposal is sent to a board of directors for consideration, or an item is added to the agenda of a ministry meeting. • Stage 3: Deliberate. • The proposal is discussed, debated, and perhaps altered. For example, a group of decision makers has a discussion or the proposal is debated on the floor of parliament.

6.A) The Decision-Making Process Stages of Decision-Making • Stage 4: Approve or reject. • The proposal is formally approved or rejected. For example, a vote is taken or decision makers reach consensus or one or several decision makers reach a decision. • Stage 5: Advance to next level, implement, or return to a previous stage. • If the proposal is approved, it may move to the next higher level of decision-making. If the proposal is accepted at the highest level of decision-making, it will move to implementation. If rejected, it may return to a previous stage for alteration or reconsideration.

6.B) Policy Process Mapping • Key questions to ask in order to understand fully the process you are trying to influence: • What organization or policy-making body will make the decision you are trying to influence? • What is the formal decision-making process for this institution? What are the steps in the formal process? When will each step take place? • What are the informal workings or .behind the scenes. actions for the decision-making process? • Who is/are the key decision makers at each stage? • Which steps are open to outside input? Which stages in the process can you influence? How can you influence these stages?

6.B) Policy Process Mapping

6.C) Alternatives to the Formal Process • What if the formal process simply will not respond to your thoughtful and persistent advocacy? Do not give up on the formal process, even if you are going to try some alternative methods. • Does your advocacy objective require an official policy or programmatic change to be successful? If not, you might try the alternative process. • Who can effectively implement the policy/program change without an official decision or action? • How can you reach these people and help them make change? • Would these people later join your advocacy effort to change the official policy/program?

An Introduction to Advocacy: Training Guide