6 13 2014 laos policy advocacy final

8/12/2019 6 13 2014 Laos Policy Advocacy Final

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Policy Advocacy in SRI LMB

project

Vientiane, Laos 16-17/6/2014



Part I:Basic concepts of policy advocacy

and its relation with sustainingimpact of development

interventions



Results/outcomesof development

interventions

Policy advocacy

Sustainableimpact andleverage!

Why policy advocacy?



Because:

• Policy makers greatly influence the livelihoods of thepoor and vulnerable groups through their decisions andactions.

• Change (happen at outcome/impact level) takes time and

many projects fail when inputs cease. It requiresfollowing up.• Impact/improvement can only last for long time if it is

adopted, integrated and promoted by the government,with the government’s funding and by joint effort withgovernment’s officials!

• Only a wide-range of program strategies targeted atmultiple causes including policy causes will lead toreducing poverty and injustice.



Advocacy means “to speak out on behalf ofsomeone”

According to Oxfam:• Policy advocacy is the process of effecting positive change

in people’s lives through influencing decision-makers andindividuals to change their policies and practices, attitudes

or behaviours.• The ultimate objective is to pursue positive andsustainable change at scale in the lives of people living inpoverty in a SMART way.

• To do so, we need systematic and joint efforts at ALL levels

to transform power relations so that men and women livingin poverty have greater influence over the policies (andstructure, social norms) that affect their lives .



Other definitions:For UNICEF:• It is the deliberate process , based on demonstrated evidence , to directly

and indirectly influence decision makers , stakeholders and relevantaudiences to support and implement actions that contribute to thefulfillment of (someone’s) rights ;

For Care International:• It is the deliberate process of influencing those who make policy decision

to improve the livelihood of significant numbers of people• It targets policy makers and implementers at levels above the household

Other sources:• “To speak out on behalf of someone” (Latin originates)• “An advocate is someone who publicly supports or recommends a particular

cause or policy and a person who pleads a case on SOMEONE else’s behalf ”(Oxford Dictionary)



8 required foundations for successful policyadvocacy

I. CredibilityII. Skills and CapacitiesIII. Intra-office coordination and leadership

IV. Capacity to generate and

communicate evidenceV. Ability to assess risks

VI. Capacity to work with theproject’s stakeholderswhose theirlives/livelihoods areaffected by policies

VII. Partners and networks that forma broad base for advocacy

VIII. Sufficient resources

III

III

IV

VVI

VII

VIII

Source: UNICEF Advocacy toolkit



Main steps in advocacy

Source: Oxfam International

2. DEFINE POLICYOBJECTIVE WE WANT TO

ACHIEVE

Is it a law or policy? Is itthe implementation of alaw or policy ? Is it

behaviours?

3. IDENTIFYINSTITUTION/VIPS WHO AREDECISIVE FOR OUR SUCCESS

Who are the people orinstitutions that have powerto change the things we wantto change on our issue?Where are they?

4. SELECT TOOLS AND ACTIONS

How are going to achievethese changes?

Which tools are we goingto use?Research, media,alliances, lobby, mass

mobilization…

etc

1. IDENTIFY PROBLEMS ANDSOLUTIONS

What is the situation we want tochange? What is happening?

And what are the solutions?



Policy advocacy Process

Identify apolicy issueIdentify keyactors/institutionsAnalyze thepolicyenvironmentSummarypolicyfindingsIdentifyoptions forpolicy

change

Select apolicyissueSelecttargetaudiences

/keystakeholdersSet apolicy goalIdentifyallies andopponents

SelectroleIdentify

keymessagesDefineadvocacyactivities

Set atimelinePrepare abudgetPrepare alog framePlan formonitoring,evaluationandlearning

Analyzingpolicies

STEP 5

Integrate intothe program’splanCommunicatewith relevantstakeholdersAlways knowyour objectivesConsider youraudiencesChoose righttools for rightmessage/audienceCommunication and Mediaplan

Integrated intoprogram’s plan

&implementation

Outlining anadvocacy

strategy

Finalizing anadvocacy

strategyFraming a plan

STEP 4STEP 3STEP 2STEP 1



Essential principles to keep in mind while doing policyadvocacy:• It is about finding answers to the below questions:

1. What policy objective do we want to achieve?2. What are policy blocks? At which? level and why?3. How is the policy landscape?4. Who can make it happen?5. What do they need to hear?6. Who do they need to hear it from?7. How can we make sure they hear it?8. What do we have?9. What do we need?10. How do we begin to take action?11. How can we tell if it ’s working ?

• Advocacy roots from/fuels by programs, it requires organizing and organization. Thus, itneeds to be integral to all focus areas/core activities of a project/program/organization.

• One person/component alone will never succeed in policy advocacy! It needs to bemainstreamed.

• Advocacy takes place at ALL levels; involves and requires synergies and joint efforts fromdifferent key stakeholders, at different levels and involves multi-stakeholder actions.

• An advocacy of specific policy only succeed if it comes from a clear recognition of specificpolicy issue ; its policy targets are shared/owned by stakeholders of the project/program.



Part II: Policy advocacy in the

SRI-LMB project



Purpose and expected results

E R 4

• National research extension capacity strengthened and training capacity of farmer trainers,national trainers and local involved in smallhoder farmer extension program improved

E R 3

• Co-generated knowledge and learning documented, disseminated and pro-poor policy briefsdeveloped and shared with policy makers

E R 2

• Science based, profitable crop management practices developed, demonstrated and spread onlarger scale

E R 1

• Multi-institutional-multi-stakeholder networking developed and strengthened from local toregional level

Increased crop yield, productivity and profitability on sustainable basis atsmallholder farmers’ field in rainfed areas of Lower Mekong river Basin

Oxfam: leads policy advocacy workthat is underlined in the Expected

result 3, based on research andsystematic evidence collecting from

FFS, MEL and field’s case studies,

report!



Project modelExpected result 1

Development of location-specific technologies for LMB rice

Develop farm andcrop managementskills , productivity,

water use,productivity, cropvarieties, critical

thinking,communication skills

Build research andexperimentation

capacity of

smallholderfarmers

Horizontaldisseminationfarmer to farmer

Vertical disseminationof: 1) Technologies; 2)Participatory researchmethods/practices to

NGOs, researchinstitute, EU

Expected result 2:Documentation of participatory research process and results

Farmer’s level:record keeping,

results

Research level:Technologies, Process

of innovation,

Learning

EU partner level:programmesuccesses,

lessons learn

Policy maker level:Policy options,

Effectiveintervention



The project’s model ( cont)Expected result 3:

Development and delivery of policy recommendation for LMBcountries

Presentation ofprocesses

Presentation oftechnologies

Presentation ofincreased capacities

(systematic collection

of evidences)

Presentation ofresults, impact

Expected result 4:Integration of farmer centered research and farmer-generated

information into design of development policies

Linkage betweendeveloped/developin

g countryorganizations

Partnership betweendeveloping country

organizations

Creating, maintenance ofinnovation platforms at

local, country andinternational levels

Sharing informationbetween LNGOs,

governments,international agencies,

farmers throughinnovation platforms

Source: A summary of research conducted for Oxfam on November 2009 – January 2010 to review the SRI-LMB project



The role of policy advocacy in SRI-LMB project

Enhanced resiliencecapacities, food security

and income ofsmallholder farmers indemand-driven and

sustainable ways

CFPAR;

AR4D; FPAR;

FFS; Credible &scientific evidences;

Innovation platform

Policy advocacy basedon systematic, credibleand scientific evidence

Multi-stakeholders;

Multi-institutional;multi-levels networking;

synergies

Monitoring,Evaluation and

Learning;

farmer asresearcher



SRI-LMB’s strategy for policy progress

Integrated farmer-centered research

approach into the designof future developmentpolicy in LMB countries

Mainstreamingagricultural research fordevelopment via North-

South partnership

Structured/Unstructureddissemination

Research; evidence based-articulation of policy

recommendations

Experiment of CFPARcycle/FFS;

Documentation ; Publicize

the process & results

Establishment ofInnovation platform :

PMUS/LMUs; CFPAR; FPAR,

TOT/mini TOT



Foundations for policy advocacy in the SRI – LMB project:



Keep these in mind for external communicationand policy advocacy!Project’ overall objective : To contribute to enhance resilience of rain-fed farmers ofLower Mekong river basin region confronting climate change

Final beneficiaries : rain-fed smallholder farming households and their localorganizations (women and landless will be given opportunities to participate incapacity building activities to gain skills and knowledge based on their interest and

motivation)

Key added values of the project:Bottom up/demand – driven/decentralized approach and places FPAR at its core;Promotion of local innovation through improvement of farmer’s research capacities via FFS Formal/informal dissemination of best practicesGreen revolution in agricultural production using SRI as an entry point (grow more with less& continuous farmer innovation!)Offer opportunity for multi stakeholders, multi-level cooperationBalancing between scientific approach and community development and enrichment ofsocial capital for smallholder farmersOpportunities for women and landless laborers



Opportunities for policy advocacy at regionaland country level

The 4 th international rice congress: 27 th October – 1st November, Bangkok,Thailand;The World Food Day: Thursday 16 th October, 2014; Conference on Family Farming: A model that ensures our food security and asustainable rural development for our future?, June 27 th , Switzerland;Family Farming in the 21st Century: Opportunities and Challenges. Chennai,India, August 7-10 th ; Boun Khao Padabdin festival. 24 th September 2014The 7 th NSEDP for 2011- 2015:

Ensure food security and encourage agriculture for local consumption as well as export.Increase agricultural productivity applying of newer scientific and technological method.

MAF’s strategy 2011 – 2020:“Gradual introduction and increased production of modernized lowland market oriented agriculturalproduction, adapted to climate change, and focusing on smallholder farmers” “Conservation of upland eco -systems, ensuring food security and improving livelihoods of ruralcommunities”.Reaching a production level of 4.2 million metric tons of rice by 2015.



How policy advocacy will be done in the SRI-LMB project

Policy objective: Integrated farmer-centered research approach into the design offuture development policy in LMB countries

Who policy advocacyRegional level: AIT; FAO; OXFAMNational level: SRI secretariat; Department of Agriculture Extension and Cooperatives ; ProjectManagement Units; National Agriculture and Forestry Research InstituteProvincial level: Local Management Units; Provincial Agriculture and Forestry OfficesDistrict level: District Agriculture and Forestry Offices

Project’s key added values to communicate :\ach and places FPAR at its core;Promotion of local innovation through improvement of farmer’s research capacities via FFS Formal/informal dissemination of best practicesGreen revolution in agricultural production using SRI as an entry point (grow more with less & continuous farmerinnovation!)Offer opportunity for multi stakeholders, multi-level cooperationBalancing between scientific approach and community development and social capital enrichmentOpportunities for women and landless laborers

Researches Systematic dataevidences

Workshop; Policy dialogues; Pressrelease; Presentations; Seminars



An example of policy objective and keymessage:

Policy objective/impact goal:Concerned agency of the Lao’s government provides enabling legal and policyenvironment to support local innovation of smallholder farmers.Effect goal:Increase public investment in extension services to 7% by 2015

Possible key messages :Farmers have the rights to education through extension system to change their Knowledge,Attitude and Practice.Capacity of extension staff at district level need to be reinforced.Training for youth is important first step in building the bases for sustainable intensificationas today’s youth will be tomorrow’s farmers.The 7th National Socio-Economic Development Plan 2010-2015 should provide spaces forsmallholder farmers to present their voices re. any changes in their livelihoods.

Primary audience: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of AgricultureExtension and Cooperatives (DAEC); and Agricultural and Rural Development SectorWorking Group (Sub-Sector Working Group on Farmers and Agribusiness)



Thank you very much for your

attention!Questions and comments please!

6 13 2014 laos policy advocacy final

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