Teresa GuthrieCentre for Economic Governance and

AIDS in Africa (CEGAA)

The participants will have an opportunity to:

Understand the key elements of advocacy

Find out about the key elements of advocacy strategy

Learn how to develop a strategic budget advocacy objective

Understand the relevance and importance of developing a budget advocacy strategy

Recognize why it is essential to link the budget analysis and budget advocacy component of the strategy

Practice identifying and framing a budgetary advocacy goal

Presentation of the lessons focus on two aspects

Planning for advocacy which covers – definitions, developing messages, identifying audiences

Stakeholder Analysis Doing advocacy which covers the

tools, strategies, approaches e.g. media, alliances building, lobbying

What is advocacy? Name three outcomes of effective advocacy.

What kind of activities does advocacy involve?

Definition 1: Advocacy is strategic action that influences decision making in order to improve the social, economic, political environment towards improvement of the community

  Definition 2: support and enable

people to better negotiate on their own behalf, for basic needs and basic rights (ActionAid)

Definition 3: organised political process that involves the coordinated efforts of people to change policies, practices, prejudice, and exclusion (L. VeneKlasen & V. Miller)

Definition 4: is the planning and carrying out of actions that seek to change policy, attitudes and practice in favour of the poor. It can take many forms; from face to face discussions with politicians to mounting a media campaign to raise public awareness of the issues (Water Aid)

It is a strategic action that influences decision making in allocation and implementation of public budget, to enhance effective use of resources and provision of services, transparency and accountability.

People have a right to influence the public choices that shape their lives.  Public budgets are the chief instruments by which governments make these decisions and civil society (engagement) the greatest in ensuring that people are part of that process

Internal analysisExternal analysisStakeholders’ analysisResource mapping

Use various tools such as SWOT analysis, participatory methodologies, etc

Identify problems & issues Develop a problem statement Use of participatory assessment & approach to defining the problem

Focus groups Stakeholder meetings Interviews

Analyse priorities Compare impacts & solutions Analysing root causes ~ can you have an impact on these?

Prioritise the problem you wish to address

Who are we? Identify ourselves and our interests (internal analysis)Engaging in budget advocacy is a strategic choice that will have a major impact on the organisation hence need to look at vision, mission, strategies, etcWhy does the organisation want to get into budget advocacy? What skills and capacities are available internally?

Every context has its own distinct characteristics that lead to ever changing political opportunities and challenges

Hence contextual analysis is critical

Mapping the political landscapeMapping civil societyStakeholder analysis

Factors that shape advocacy include timing, context & organisational capacityContext: political environment, opportunities, constraints e.g. access to information, legislative framework, political willTiming: each historic moment presents different political opportunities & constraints e.g. elections, bills in the house, national or international conference, global & local movement or changesOrganisation: SWOT, potential, allies, etcStakeholders – allies, opposition, undecided

Problems and issues have many causes and many solutions and it’s essential to identify the most appropriate strategy to achieve the intended results

Mapping alternative strategies

What are some of the advocacy strategies that you could employ?

Collaboration Protest Litigation Public Awareness, Education & media Research Persuasion (includes lobbying, negotiation)

Organisation and constituency building Empowerment Others.....

• Advocacy Aim ~ Your vision of what you wish to achieve/ change

• Advocacy Objectives ~ to achieve the aim

• Must be SMART:•Specific•Measurable•Achievable•Realistic•Time bound

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Specific Specific • WHAT would you like government to do?

• Specify an action - NOT what the problem is, rather the solution that you want.

• Not that a group has worse health outcomes, but that information on health rights is not available to them

• Be specific and clear

• Instead of setting a goal to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS….. set a specific goal to introduce a harm reduction program.

www.internationalbudget.org

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Measurable Measurable • If you can't measure it, you can't

manage it. • Here ‘measurement’ refers to THE

AMOUNT you want government to raise or spend differently.

• We want 1, 000 Manat to be spent on harm reduction program, not ‘government must put in place a harm reduction program’

• Not all problems can be solved by the budget.

• Discrimination against Roma communities

www.internationalbudget.org

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Attainable Attainable • Goals you set which are too far out

of reach, you and your partners probably won't commit to doing, at least not a second time.

• ‘Make Poverty History’ not attainable in the short term. But annual report on MDGs.

• Big enough to matter, Small enough to make a difference

www.internationalbudget.org

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RealisticRealistic • Budgets are rigid because of

political compromises, budget rigidities etc• Not everything can be changed immediately

• Propose a plan or a way of getting there which makes the goal realistic.

• How can what you propose be done in this year’s budget?

• How much do you want government to

spend and where should they get it?   www.internationalbudget.org

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TimelyTimely • Be realistic, but set a

timeframe for the goal: for this financial year, the MTEF, 2015.

• If you don't set a time or too long a timeframe, the commitment is too vague.

• For big and long-term goals - progressive realisation

www.internationalbudget.org

Teresa Guthrieteresa@cegaa.org