Advocacy and Negotiation Process for Changing Institutional and Governmental Policies

8/9/2019 Advocacy and Negotiation Process for Changing Institutional and Governmental Policies

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ADVOCACY AND NEGOTIATION: A PROCESS FOR CHANGING

INSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENTAL POLICIES 1997 (5-B

edii!"#

by

John RuthrauffTania Palencia

Rob Everts

edited by Elizabeth Zechmeister

CONTACT: John RuthrauffCenter for emocratic Education!"#$ Colesvilee Rd%& 'uite ()#'ilver '*rin+& , )#-.#/$$0! 1'A

Tel% $#./2!-/-$!$3a4: $#./2!-/$2#2email%cfe**5aol%com

Co*yri+ht .--( by the Center for emocratic Education

TABLE OF CONTENTS

E4ecutive 'ummary

efinition of Advocacy6ac7+round8oalPo9er AnalysisObectives'trate+iesActivitiesTools for Advocacy

;etter ): ?nfluencin+ a 'ocial ?nvestment 3und: JamaicaCase 'tudy >$: ?nfluencin+ a omestic @iolence Act: 6elizeCenter for emocratic Education

E$ECUTIVE SUMMARY

Advocacy& lobbyin+& and ne+otiation are actions 9hich or+anizations and individuals ta7e toe4ert *ressure for chan+es in a s*ecific *olicy or behavior of a +overnment& an or+anization&or *ossibly a sin+le individual% This article *resents a summary of the elements to be ta7en
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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into account in the desi+n of an advocacy cam*ai+n for non/ +overnmental& *o*ular& andcommunity based or+anizations%

.% E3?N?T?ON O3 TE 8OA;: 3irst one must choose and define a *roblem or tar+et forthe cam*ai+n% This should be a s*ecific issue 9hich members of an advocacy cam*ai+n 9ish

to chan+e // a *olicy or behavior 9hich is the focus of the cam*ai+n% ?t is vitally im*ortant tohave a very s*ecific and narro9 focus for the cam*ai+n% ?t is also essential that all +rou*s inan advocacy cam*ai+n alliance are in a+reement 9ith the selection and definition of the tar+etof the cam*ai+n% The +oal is a statement of the desired chan+e in the lon+ term& +enerally overseveral years%

)% PO


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?n this manual advocacy& lobbyin+ and ne+otiation have the same definition: actions 9hichor+anizations and individuals use to e4ert *ressure for chan+es in a s*ecific *olicy or behaviorof a +overnment or institution% These can be& for e4am*le& social investment funds& the


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BAC.GROUND

?n its broadest sense advocacy brin+s to+ether associative +rou*s and individuals to influencethe desi+n& e4ecution& and chan+e in the *olicies and behavior of institutions 9hich have

*o9er over them% At the same time& advocacy is a fundamental and lon+ term *rocess 9ithindemocratic societies in 9hich +rou*s of citizens have the ri+ht to influence *oliticalinstitutions%

Partici*ants in advocacy cam*ai+ns should have a clear idea of 9hose interests are defendedby their 9or7& that is& 9ho are the *ersons 9ho share directly in the benefits of their advocacy9or7% This is im*ortant for t9o reasons // first& because it is this base +rou* 9hich *rovides

the necessary *olitical force in an advocacy cam*ai+n& and second& advocacy 9or7 mustfollo9 a rhythm 9hich is often different from that of the base +rou*% 6oth rhythms must besynchronized to avoid com*etition for or+anizational resources& centralization& anddema+o+uery%

As a result& and since advocacy is such an im*ortant *rocess& it should follo9 certain norms inorder to be effective% The follo9in+ is a list of these norms:

.% 8rou*s involved should identify the issue for 9hich advocacy 9ill be carried out%)% ?t is im*ortant to understand the selected issue and to have enou+h information on it to

be able to ar+ue consistently%

$% Advocacy *artici*ants should be *re*ared to +et into intensive and e4tensive 9or7%They should assume that this is a collective tas7 in 9hich it is necessary to have:

o a democratic leadershi* reco+nized by the +rou*&

o an e4*licit division of labor so that actions do not become centralized&

o the res*onsibility of informin+ and trainin+ themselves in order to fulfill the

division of labor&o the res*onsibility of re*ortin+ and achievin+ consensus 9ith the base +rou*s or

associates they re*resent& ando the ability and efficiency to ma7e ra*id& timely decisions%

"% A 9or7 *lan should be develo*ed 9hich contains a clear definition of the advocacyto*ic& the desired +oal& the *o9er analysis& the obectives to brin+ about the +oal& the

strate+ies to be carried out& and a chronolo+y of activities 9hich are sufficient to brin+about the desired result%

2% 3inally& advocacy cam*ai+ns are fluid and do not follo9 the e4act *ath desi+ned bythe advocates% The various results of actions ta7en should be evaluated and 9ei+heda+ainst 9hat 9as *roected% ?f actual results vary from *roections& immediate ste*sshould be ta7en to correct this imbalance% The faster these corrective actions are ta7en&the more *robability e4ists that the desired +oal 9ill be reached%

The follo9in+ is a summary of elements to be considered in the desi+n of an advocacy&lobbyin+& and ne+otiation strate+y for non/+overnmental& *o*ular& and community basedor+anizations%


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THE GOAL

The +oal is a statement of desired chan+es in the lon+ term% ?t is im*ortant to clearlydetermine the fundamental +oal of any ty*e of *roect to be carried out% ?t is useful toestablish the +oal by o*en& *artici*ative brainstormin+ follo9ed by debate and by a *rocess of

refinin+ and *rioritizin+ resultin+ ideas% The +oal should be clear& understandable& and limited%?t is im*ortant that the +oal be attainable% 3or the selection of a +oal& certain 7ey *oints should

be 7e*t in mind& such as:

?s the +oal s*ecific or is it subect to a variety of inter*retationsF

?s the +oal reachableF

?n 9hat time *eriod can the +oal be reachedF

Are sufficient resources financial and humanD available to reach itF

PO/ER ANALYSIS

The *o9er analysis is a brea7do9n of those individuals 9ho ma7e decisions 9ithin theinstitution or entity 9hich is the subect of the cam*ai+n% The *o9er structure of a+overnment or an international or+anization is com*licated& but can +enerally be determined%?t is necessary& before underta7in+ an advocacy cam*ai+n& to understand the *o9er structureof the tar+et institution& its decision ma7in+ methods& the timin+ of its decisions& and itsobectives%

Additionally& it is im*ortant to identify the actors 9ho ma7e decisions re+ardin+ the +oal ofthe cam*ai+n% These actors may be su**orters or o**onents of a *articular *olicy& and mayhave influence over the achievement or bloc7a+e of the desired chan+es 9ithin a s*ecific

issue%

A *o9er analysis also focuses on the net9or7s and relationshi*s bet9een 7ey *ersons andinstitutions and ho9 to influence them% ?t is im*ortant to understand 9hich are the *ersonsand institutions 9ho 9ant to chan+e current *olicy and 9hich 9ant to maintain that *olicy%


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victory if the members of the alliance have not a+reed to a symbolic or educational cam*ai+n%?f members of a cam*ai+n are not a9are of the im*ossibility of achievin+ victories they 9ill

become discoura+ed and either 9ithdra9 from the cam*ai+n andIor refuse to oin a futurecam*ai+n%

?n summary& it is necessary for a *o9er analysis to identify:

The forces or actors 9hich maintain the *olicy or behavior%

The forces or actors 9hich are *ushin+ for a chan+e in *olicy or behavior%

The actors 9ho have influence over a chan+e in *olicy or behavior%

The influences to 9hich *rinci*al actors are subect%

=ey decision ma7in+ times%


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?dentify allies and o**onents 9ho can influence the outcome%

?dentify advisors to 7ey actors%


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P!+ii&'+:These are related to the *o9er analysis and focus on achievin+ the +oal and obectives%They include *ressurin+ *oliticians and staff throu+h direct meetin+s& letters& *etitions&

demonstrations& etc%& and coordination 9ith allies%Di,,ei"'i!":

This includes the communications media& *ress conferences& articles& *aidannouncements& etc%

E&!"!i&:These include develo*in+ the resources necessary to carry out the cam*ai+n& travele4*enses& communications& etc%

O)2'"i3'i!"'+:

This includes 9or7sho*s to 7ee* the base u* to date& increase its members& hel* themto identify 9ith the cam*ai+n& etc%

Adi"i,)'i%e:

These include corres*ondence& secretarial tas7s& meetin+s& *hotoco*ies& and *hone andfa4 calls%

Once a list of *ossible tas7s has been identified& it is necessary to define certain *oints: 9ho9ill carry out these activities& ho9 lon+ 9ill they ta7e& and 9hich are the most ur+entactivities 9ith the hi+hest *riority% ?n order to achieve clarity& it is im*ortant to ans9er anumber of uestions:


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somethin+ 9hich you a+ree 9ith the reci*ient of the letter% ?t is im*ortant that the letters havecorrect s*ellin+ and *unctuation% Al9ays 7ee* a co*y of the letter% All si+ners of the lettershould receive a co*y% ?t is often useful to send co*ies of the letter cc:D to other influentialactors& for e4am*le: the


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The *hysical security of the demonstrators both durin+ the demonstration andtravelin+ to and from the demonstration site need to be considered%

4 Ne2!i'i!",

urin+ an advocacy cam*ai+n it is e4*ected that an alliance 9ill need to enter ne+otiations9ith 7ey actors% ?t is im*ortant to remember that a ne+otiation is a +ive and ta7e% An allianceneeds to enter ne+otiations 9ith the understandin+ that it 9ill not be able to obtain its full

*osition // it 9ill need to com*romise on some of its *oints% ?t is im*ortant for the alliance todecide several 7ey *oints *rior to startin+ ne+otiations:


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This is a case study of 9or7 underta7en by N8Os in 8uatemala& the 1nited 'tates& Canada&and Euro*e *rior to the


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?t *rovided the contacts and or+anized the 8uatemalan N8O dele+ation to


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meetin+ 9ith a staff member and his *resentation at a 9or7sho* on the Consultative 8rou*meetin+ held by the Technical Team in ,arch%

?n ,arch the Technical Team held a 9or7sho* to orient a lar+er +rou* of 8uatemalanor+anizations to the Consultative 8rou* meetin+ and to enlist their su**ort%


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the lead economist for Central America chairin+ the session% The meetin+ lasted over t9ohours and 9as ended by the 8uatemalan or+anizations%

urin+ the Consultative 8rou* meetin+ three im*ortant events occurred:

The 8uatemala +overnment admitted that the *artici*ants in the Consultive 8rou*meetin+ had been lobbied by the 8uatemalan N8Os%

The head of the 1%'% dele+ation& ,ar7 'chneider& Assistant Administrator at the 1%'%

A+ency for ?nternational evelo*ment& read the 7ey *oints of the 8uatemalan N8O*osition *a*er durin+ his *resentation%

The 8uatemalan +overnment *ublicly a+reed to involve 8uatemalan civil sector in the

*re*aration of the +overnmentHs *osition *rior to the ne4t Consultative 8rou* meetin+%

Ad%!&'& C)!"!+!2

.% 6riefin+ documents 9ere develo*ed and distributed to 8uatemalan N8Os by the

Center for emocratic Education%)% N8O allies 9ere recruited in the 1%'%$% A Technical Team of N8Os be+an *re*arin+ for the C8 meetin+% ?nitially this

consisted of t9o N8O federations& CO?NE and CON8COOP& as 9ell as a number ofindividual N8Os includin+ the research center A@ANC'O% ;ater additions of other

N8O federations includin+: A'?NE' AsociaciLn de Entidades de esarrollo y de'ervicio no 8ubernamental& 1'A? fundedD& CON8 Conseo de Or+anizaciones,ayas de 8uatemalaD& and 3oro de ON8s y Coo*erantes%

"% A fundin+ *ro*osal 9as submitted by the 8uatemalan N8Os to 1%'% and Euro*eanfunders%

2% The 8uatemalan N8O Technical Team develo*ed a *osition *latform%0% Allies 9ere recruited in Canada and Euro*e%(% The 8uatemalan Technical Team held an educational seminar to broaden *artici*ation

and to orient local or+anizations to the C8 meetin+% The ;atin America


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o 1nited Nations evelo*ment Pro+ram

o Canadian +overnment

o 6el+ium +overnment

o 1nited =in+dom re*resentative at the


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(% The *osition *a*er is *resented to the


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A ;atin America


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?n .--0 the Jamaican +overnment established a 'ocial ?nvestment 3und '?3D 9ith the su**ortof the


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decrease follo9in+ the a**roval by the


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?n 3ebruary of .--.& si4 model le+islations 9ere tabled at a Caribbean Economic CommunityCAR?CO,D ,inisters meetin+ held in 6elize% These models& because they all addressedissues of maor concern to 9omen in the re+ion for e4am*le& domestic violence and se4ualharassmentD& created the im*etus for develo*in+ +ender focused cam*ai+ns% 6ecause oflimited resources& ho9ever& there 9as a need for each country to *rioritize this list of

le+islation and 9or7 at *assin+ them into local la9s one at a time%

The


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E@'*+e ! '" A&i%i /!)= P+'":

Obectives

Activities

Tas7s

o


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Ce"e) !) De!&)'i& Ed

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Advocacy and Negotiation Process for Changing Institutional and Governmental Policies