1. 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

2. 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 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:

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. The overarching framework for an advocacy plan1 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?

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

10. The overarching framework for an advocacy plan1 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?

11. Establishing a leadership position1 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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)
UN at country level teams/unct-home/
Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)
Library representatives at the national level play a key role here: ALIA, NSLA, CAUL …

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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?

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. When you think about people with influence, you must also think about your message1 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

23. Beyond the stories… you need to have a clear message1 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

24. 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

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

26. 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

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

28. 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

29. 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?

30. 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

31. References
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2011). Global Libraries advocacy guide. EBADFCA884&id=69D9A1EBADFCA884%21321&parId=69D9A1EBADFCA8 84%21118&o=OneUp IFLA (2018). Libraries and the implantation of the UN 2030 Agenda. development/documents/libraries-un-2030-agenda-toolkit.pdf Open Societies Foundation (2010). An introductory guide to successful advocacy. successful-advocacy pdf Image credits for icons: