1. MODULE 4 Civil society engagement in drug policy advocacy

2. Aim and learning objectives
AIM: To consider ways civil society can maximise its influence on drug policy and to develop solid advocacy work plans
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Gain an understanding of:
What advocacy is as it relates to drug policy
Identifying general principles, goals and strategies for effective advocacy
Developing a comprehensive advocacy plan
Offer methods of monitoring and evaluation of advocacy tools and methods

3. Session 4.1: What is drug policy advocacy?
Advocacy is an on-going process to change values, attitudes, actions, policies and laws by influencing decision-makers and opinion leaders, organisations, systems and structures at different levels.
From: International HIV/AIDS Alliance (2003), Advocacy in action: A toolkit to support NGOs and CBOs responding to HIV/AIDS

4. Session 4.1: Key characteristics of drug policy advocacy
Ongoing in nature
Pragmatic and opportunistic
Non-linear, incremental and dynamic to achieve a range of outcomes
Aiming to achieve realistic results within a specific timeframe
Targeted at various levels – local, national, regional, international

5. Session 4.1: What is drug policy advocacy?
Policy window: convergence of:
Issue being perceived as a problem
Whether a policy alternative exists
How this fits in the overall political environment

6. Session 4.2: Objectives of drug policy advocacy
Develop policies
Place an issue on the policy agenda
Adopt a new policy
Block the adoption of a policy
Monitor and evaluate a policy
Maintain a specific policy
Reform harmful or ineffective policies

7. Session 4.3: The importance of planning drug policy advocacy

8. Charting the national
response

9. Session 4.4: Charting the national/regional response
Responses are usually multi-sectoral
Responses happen at different levels of society:
Local (e.g. community-based, hospitals, clinics, etc.)
National (e.g. human rights institutions, national ministries)
Regional (e.g. EU, CICAD, regional NGOs)
International (e.g. UN, international NGOs)

10. Session 4.5: Selecting the issue

11. Session 4.5: Selecting the issue
To what extent can this issue be solved by drug policy advocacy?
How many people will benefit from the change?
Is the potential for success realistic?
Can people directly affected by the issue be involved in the advocacy work?
What are the personal/organisational risks associated with the change?

12. Session 4.6: Analysing and researching the issue – Why?
To influence and inform targets and allies
To provide evidence for our position
To disprove statements from people who oppose us
To change perceptions of a problem
To disprove myths, rumours and false assumptions
To explain why previous strategies have not worked

13. Session 4.6: Analysing and researching the issue – Cause and effect flowchart
Centre of the page: problem
Bottom: causes – causes of the cause
Top: effects – further effects
Which causes can be changed?
What solution(s) can there be to the problem?
Centre of the page: problem
Bottom: causes – causes of the cause
Top: effects – further effects
Which causes can be changed?
What solution(s) can there be to the problem?
Further effect
Further effect
Further effect
Effect
Effect
ISSUE
Cause
Cause
Cause of cause
Cause of cause
Cause of cause

14. Session 4.6: Analysing and researching the issue
Do you have legitimacy to advocate for change?
Are you the most appropriate NGO/Coalition to advocate on the issue?
Are others already addressing the issue?
Can you access the kind of information we need as evidence?
Can/should those affected by the problem be addressing the issue themselves?
Do you have the skills, time and resources to achieve the solution?

15. Session 4.7: Developing specific objectives Definitions
Aim/Goal: Long term result that you are seeking to achieve
Objective: Short-term target that contributes toward achieving the long term aim; objectives describe the desired outcome or end result of activities
Strategy: Individual activities that will accomplish the objectives

16. Session 4.7: Developing specific objectives Definitions

17. Session 4.8: Identifying targets for advocacy work - Diagram
Middle – objective
Names of groups, organisations, businesses, government departments, individuals, etc.
Circles – biggest for those targets that are the most influential
Underlined – those that agree with your objective
Direct target – full line / Indirect target – dotted line

18. Session 4.9: Identifying allies
Other people directly affected by the issue
Other drug user service organisations, human rights and health organisations
Other components of civil society (e.g. religious institutions, community leaders)
Business people
Supportive journalists
Supportive local/national government officials
Allies in other parts of the country, or in other countries

19. Session 4.10: Identifying resources

20. Session 4.10: Identifying resources
You need resources for advocacy work:
Human resources – including staff and volunteers
Money and equipment
Skills, expertise and information
Access to media and to distribution networks – for example, newsletters,
Coalitions with allies, sharing resources
Plan for activities that are possible with the resources
Fundraise for advocacy campaigns?

21. Session 4.11: Creating an action plan – Selecting advocacy activities
Advocacy methods depend on:
Target person/group/institution
Advocacy issue
Advocacy objective
Evidence to support the objective
Skills and resources of coalition
Timing

22. Session 4.11: Creating an action plan – Selecting advocacy activities
Delivering a message efficiently:
Clear and simple, using positive images
Importance of choosing the messenger who will be taken seriously by the audience
Importance of delivering the message consistently, through various channels

23. Session 4.11: Creating an action plan
Objective
Target
Activities
Resources required
Person /
organisation responsible
Timeframe
Expected outcome
Objective 1: By July 2013, 3 influential community leaders will make positive statements on harm reduction
Influential community leaders
Community members
Meetings with 3 leaders and their communities
Team leader, community leader, money, vehicle
Travel insurance for 3 leaders & 1 team leader
Team leader, community leaders
Early February 2012
July 2012
Positive support from 3 leaders willing to make public statements
Public statements in support of harm reduction

24. Session 4.12: Lobbying exercise
Background: A government-sponsored study in your province has just revealed that the largest growth in new cases of HIV/AIDS is among people who inject drugs. Your organisation has suspected this for some time and wants to start a needle and syringe programme, and perhaps a simultaneous opioid substitution treatment service as well. You need government support because no programme exists in your area and the kind of actions it requires does not appear in current law or policy in any form. It is unclear if the actions that are being advocated for are illegal.
Aim: To gain provincial government support of a needle and syringe programme and endorsement of the idea to provide opioid substitution treatment to people who inject drugs who might seek it, particularly future HIV positive clients.
Target: Your target is the chief aide to the provincial governor. You have just learned, through your research and advocacy planning, that the aide is a former senior staff member of UNAIDS who fully understands the problem and the appropriateness of the solution. You know, through your advocacy partners in the local support group of people who use drugs, that this aide is in fact the most trusted advisor to the governor.
The chief aide had agreed to meet with you for an hour, but due to an unexpected event, he/she can only give you five minutes of his/her time.

25. Session 4.13: Monitoring and evaluation – Understanding their importance
To learn how to improve the capacity of advocates
To demonstrate the quality and impact of our advocacy activities
To review our progress and, if necessary, revise / adjust our strategies
To inform the planning of future advocacy work
To demonstrate evidence-based approaches to drug policy advocacy
To learn from our mistakes and our experience in advocating
To improve our understanding of the issues and improve our strategy
To account for funding and demonstrate results
To demonstrate results to mobilise more resources for future advocacy work.

26. Session 4.13: Monitoring and evaluation – Definitions
Monitoring: continuous process that tracks or records the activities we carry out
Evaluation: periodic assessment of how we are doing things, if we are achieving our aims, or if we are achieving unexpected outcomes, and why we are achieving these

27. Session 4.13: Monitoring and evaluation

28. Session 4.13: Monitoring and evaluation
Focus on interim/short-term outcomes
Focus on ‘contribution’ rather than ‘attribution’
Prioritise areas of evaluation
Develop new/creative outcomes and indicators of evaluation
Take into account political sensitivities

29. The IDPC Drug Policy Advocacy Training Toolkit is available here:
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