Campaigning in a post-pledge environment

1. Campaigning in a post-pledge environment Philip Hadley and Lewis Cooper, NUS NUS/NCVO

2. Campaigning In a Post-Pledge Environment (NUS/NCVO)

3. Focus • What are the best means of influencing election campaigns and how can we ensure our campaigns are strategically effective? • How do we campaign beyond using pledges and manifesto campaigns? • How can we best that our ‘asks’ are taken up by whomever forms the next Government? • To answer these questions, the project focuses on: • Exploring types of campaigning up to and during the 2010 General Election • Exploring changes in the campaigning landscape from 2010 to the present • Discerning effective campaigning strategies for the next General Election in 2015

4. Methodology We are aiming for an in-depth rather than broad understanding, to provide member-based campaigning organisationswith informed recommendations for 2015: • Interviews with campaigners • From a range of national member-based campaigning organisations and students’ unions • Online poll for students’ union staff and officers • To be launched July, open for one month • Other – range of third sector / NUS meetings and events • Literature review - of all relevant literature in regard to campaigning as well as the political landscape • Focus groups: • Two roundtables - campaigns officers from national charities, plus NCVO’s Campaign Effectiveness Advisory Board • Sessions with campaigns staff from students’ unions – Campaigns staff network and WIDAR annual conference

5. Themes so far • Localism • use of tools within localism Act • proliferation of targets • national charities need to ‘be local’ • User-led campaigning • tension between supporting beneficiaries/activists to campaign and running national campaigns • harnessing social media to ensure depth of involvement – devolving responsibility – some risks • Public sector spending cuts • narrative of cuts re: rallying call vs. impact on capacity • reform of public services • Coalition government • different parties in each departments – negotiation • role of parliament and committees / fixed-term parliaments • Right to campaign – under threat?

6. Split into groups With reference to your experience of campaigning within your students’ union, please answer the following questions: Activity • What were the key issues and challenges in the campaigning that you were involved in up to the last general election? • Re: strategies, challenges and successes, general thoughts etc… • What key themes do you think have characterised your campaigning since the last general election? • Trends and main challenges, successes, general thoughts etc… • What types of campaigns and campaigning strategies do you think might be effective for 2015? • Re: structures, approaches, themes, your own planning, general thoughts etc…

7. Feedback Thanks! • Report to be published in September, drafts circulated to participants • Comments anonymous • Get in touch with us if you want to be more involved – by having an interview • Philip.Hadley@nus.org.uk / Lewis.Cooper@nus.org.uk