ALIA ASIA-PACIFIC SDG SUMMIT FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS Workshop 2: Establishing a leadership position for libraries and raising awareness of the global goals

These workshop materials were developed by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) for the ALIA Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Goals Summit, held on the Gold Coast, Australia, on 29 July 2018. The ALIA SDG Summit was part of a program of activities coordinated by ALIA to support the take up and delivery of the SDGs in Australia and the Asia-Pacific Region. The program was made possible through funding from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) International Advocacy Programme. The workshop materials are licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International Licence. Contact: events@alia.org.au

Workshop 2 builds on Workshop 1 We have learnt that the SDGs provide a valuable framework for library advocacy We have seen that libraries are already contributing to the full range of SDGs We can communicate the real impact that libraries have Our impact is supported by valid evidence about the achievements that are made We need to be able to communicate this with those individuals and organisations that can influence decision making We also need to be able to communicate within our own organisation and across the wider community

The value of advocacy We want to ensure that the library sector, through the programs and services it delivers, is acknowledged to be an integral partner in the achievement of the SDGs The ultimate goals are: To increase awareness about the SDGs and the role that libraries play, amongst our own staff and in the community To encourage agencies in the government, not-for-profit and private sectors to recognise the potential opportunities for partnering with libraries To ensure that our funders provide ongoing support for libraries To strive to see increased funding granted to the library sector

Let’s revisit the definition of ‘advocacy’ Advocacy refers to “the actions individuals or organizations undertake to influence decision making at the local, regional, state, national, and international levels that help create a desired policy or funding change in support of [public] libraries” Global Libraries Advocacy Guide (2011), p.2

Workshop 2 therefore focuses on: Exploring ways in which we can establish a leadership position for libraries within the UN 2030 Agenda Identifying opportunities for library staff to raise community awareness about the SDGs These are arguably quite different in terms of their socio-political focus, but advocacy is central to both

The advocacy cycle Step 1 Identify and analyse the issue Step 2 Set the goals and the objectives Step 3 Identify the decision makers Step 4 Define the message and the ‘ask’ Step 5 Set your timeline Step 6 Assess resources, choose tactics & implement Step 7 Monitor, evaluate, and share Adapted from Open Society Foundations https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org

The overarching framework for an advocacy plan 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Step 1: Identify and analyse the issue What issue/problem/challenge do you want to address? Step 2: Set the goal and the objectives What do you want to achieve? Step 3: Identify the decision makers Who do you need to influence? Step 4: Define the message and your proposal What is the focus of your campaign? Step 5: Set your timeline When should you do it? Step 6: Assess resources, choose tactics & implement Who will be involved and how will you do it? Step 7: Monitor, evaluate, and share How will you measure success?

Part 1: How we can use our achievements to establish a leadership position for libraries

The overarching framework for an advocacy plan 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Step 1: Identify and analyse the issue What issue/problem/challenge do you want to address? Step 2: Set the goal and the objectives What do you want to achieve? Step 3: Identify the decision makers Who do you need to influence? Step 4: Define the message and your proposal What is the focus of your campaign? Step 5: Set your timeline When should you do it? Step 6: Assess resources, choose tactics & implement Who will be involved and how will you do it? Step 7: Monitor, evaluate, and share How will you measure success?

Establishing a leadership position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Establishing a leadership position Step 3: Identify the decision makers Who do you need to influence? Opportunities to demonstrate leadership lie in your abilities to influence other players Your own experience, conviction and commitment will be the key attributes for success You (will) have the stories, supported by compelling evidence, to demonstrate that libraries are already key players in the SDG agenda

Step 3: Identify the decision makers “Advocacy involves influencing people with the power to effect change: these decision makers are your primary targets.” Local influencers National influencers Regional influencers Global influencers Local National Regional Global

Step 3: Identify the decision makers The particular issue you seek to address will naturally determine the people with whom you need to engage You need to consider the range of stakeholders who are critical to ensuring you achieve your goals Various players in the library sector also play different roles Local National Regional Global

Local influencers Local government decision makers Mayors and councillors State or provincial government decision makers Local MPs and the relevant ministers They may represent a bridge between the community and the national government They are often more accessible and more willing to be engaged than decision makers at other levels Within your own communities, it is most likely that local influencers will be your main target

National influencers National UN delegation Often with the national Ministry of Foreign Affairs Parliamentarians with responsibility for specific issues that are relevant to your interests: education, health, youth etc Community leaders at the grass roots, who have influence over public debate UN Resident Coordinator and the UN at a country level UN Development Group (UNDG) https://undg.org/home/resident-coordinators/ UN at country level https://undg.org/home/country- teams/unct-home/ Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) Library representatives at the national level play a key role here: ALIA, NSLA, CAUL …

Regional influencers Regional Requires an understanding of regional politics, e.g. ESCAP: UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ASEAN: Association of South East Asian Nations Pacific Islands Forum Pacific SDG Taskforce Not all countries have equal bargaining power in international negotiations There may be regional or thematic alliances to advance common interests Within the region, some countries may be more powerful than others, which in turn influences the regional perspective Regional representatives in the library sector play a critical role: CONSAL, AFLI, EBLIDA etc

Global influencers UN agencies IFLA is the key player here United Nations Social Policy and Development (DESA/DSPD) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) International Labour Organization (ILO) World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) IFLA is the key player here

Other potential influencers Others The private sector In the context of the SDGs, many private sector players are interested in exploring ways to engage in the development agenda UN Global Compact To translate the SDGs into innovative business practices around the world National initiatives: e.g. UN Global Compact Network Australia (GCNA) Sustainable Business Australia (SBA) Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) Australian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (ACCSR) Who might be relevant in your own context, and in your own communities?

If you are meeting a decision maker in government or in a large organisation Do your research: To know all about what the organisation is already doing in the context of your issue To be clear about the role(s) the decision maker plays: Is it in the policy area? Is it related to practice, programs or service delivery? To understand the limits the decision maker has to effect change To anticipate questions and challenges that will be posed, so you can tailor your ideas and recommendations appropriately

How will you know who to meet with? Can you identify the key decision makers? Will you be able to get direct access to these people? Do you actually need to work with other people who are well positioned to influence the decision maker? Sometimes it is actually more effective NOT to approach the key decision makers directly Instead… Find out about who and what influences them Focus your efforts on this Enlist the support of people who really can shape the decisions made by the decision maker

Find out as much as you can about the person/people you will meet What is their background? What are their values? What sort of argument will persuade them? What obstacles will you need to overcome in order to persuade them? How should the arguments be presented? Summary report High level private dialogue Widespread press coverage

When you think about people with influence, you must also think about your message 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Step 4: Define the message and your proposal What is the focus of your campaign? Your message describes the issue, offers compelling evidence, and presents why you think people and policy makers should care The problem, the evidence and the ‘why’ were all considered in Workshop 1, when you scoped your stories

Beyond the stories… you need to have a clear message 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 “Good messages are short, clear and persuasive” The messages you create can be drawn from your stories, but they must be concise and focused Your communication will need to be tailored to your audience, to align with the interests of different influencers To highlight the central issue To state what needs to happen to address the issue To target the policies and practices that they have influence over To indicate the change you wish to see

Activity 1. Who will you need to influence Activity 1. Who will you need to influence? What will the focus of your message be? In your groups, focus once again on a specific target, within one of the SDGs, which is relevant to your immediate context You want your library service to be recognised as a key player in the achievement of the development goals Think about who the decision makers might be. Who will you need to influence, at what levels? Local National Regional What will the key messages be? Please use the sticky notes to capture your ideas

Who will you need to influence? What are your key messages?

Drafting a letter to the decision maker It is important that you are able to write a letter which will be noticed by the decision maker – and most likely his or her staff who manage the correspondence received Some guidance on writing letters to people of influence is presented in the IFLA Toolkit: Libraries and implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda

Part 2: How we can raise community awareness about the global goals

We also need to increase awareness about the SDGs and the role that libraries play Internal groups Your immediate team Senior management and other areas of your parent organisation Other connected groups The partners you already work with Other community organisations that operate in your context

Activity 2. Raising awareness about the SDGs Today, you have gained a lot of new knowledge about the UN 2030 Agenda, the SDGs and what is already happening in the library sector How can you take this information and raise awareness about the SDGs, in order to increase active interest and engagement? What can you do within your own organisation? What can you do in the wider community? What will it take to make these ideas reality?

Summary Workshop 2 has focused on helping you to actualise your ideas You need to go beyond creating your stories about the achievements the library makes towards the SDGs, to use them to full advantage: To demonstrate the real value of libraries and to secure ongoing funding To build relationships that will open up new opportunities for funding To bring your colleagues and staff on board To engage the wider community in the UN 2030 Agenda Further resources to help you are available in an additional PowerPoint file APLIC_SDG_Workshop_Resources.pptx

References Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2011). Global Libraries advocacy guide. https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AE7zcm5eCCcPauk&cid=69D9A1 EBADFCA884&id=69D9A1EBADFCA884%21321&parId=69D9A1EBADFCA8 84%21118&o=OneUp IFLA (2018). Libraries and the implantation of the UN 2030 Agenda. https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/hq/topics/libraries- development/documents/libraries-un-2030-agenda-toolkit.pdf Open Societies Foundation (2010). An introductory guide to successful advocacy. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/guide-to- successful-advocacy-20100101.pdf Image credits for icons: https://www.flaticon.com/authors/gregor-cresnar