1. Policy Advocacy What is Policy Advocacy?
Deliberate process to inform and influence decision makers
Must be evidence based so as to achieve a desired policy change.

2. Policy Change can be in different forms
Eliminate a bad policy
Update or Reform an existing policy
Develop a new policy
Fund a policy - includes informing and influencing budgets and the allocation of resources
Note - In policy Advocacy, time is a factor that needs to be taken into account.

3. Types of Policy a)Law b) Strategic Plan
c) Act d) Presidential Directives
e) Guidelines f) Manual
g) Regulations

4. 10 Part Policy Advocacy Strategy
1. Identify the Issue
2. What is the Advocacy Goal
3. Identify the Decision makers and Influencers
4. What are the Decision Makers key interests
5. Advocacy Opposition and Obstacles

5. 10 Part Policy Advocacy Strategy - 2
6. Advocacy Assets and Gaps
7. Advocacy Partners
8. Advocacy Tactic
9. Advocacy Messages
10. Plan to Measure Success

6. Identifying the Issue
In identifying an issue be certain it has clarity
is specific and evidence based
has partnership potential with little to no risk
will have a significant impact if addressed successfully
and is feasible within 3 to 5 years.

7. Advocacy Goal A goal describes the change you are trying to achieve.
In selecting a goal use same criteria as for identifying an issue.
Ask questions such as What will new policy do? When will it be implemented? Who will implement it? Where will it be implemented?
Objectives are derived from a goal. They state how the goal will be achieved by certain activities.
Outputs are what you expect to produce and Outcome is the change that would have been caused by the policy advocacy.

8. Decision makers and Influencers
Identify the person who will make the change possible.
Map power centres to achieve this.
An influencer is someone or organization/s that can assist the decision maker to make the difference.

9. Decision Makers Key Interests
Know the decision makers key interests.
Do more research on decision maker s interests.
Example if the Minister’s 14 year old daughter is pregnant and your issue might be that you want school going children from the age of 13 and above to have access to FP Commodities.
This might interest the Minister .

10. Opposition and Obstacles
Know who or what will create opposition to the advocacy issue.
Why are they opposing your advocacy
What influence do they have on the decision maker?
What tactics will they use to try and influence the decision maker?
Do as much research as possible about the opposition to lessen their influence.

11. Advocacy Assets and Gaps
What skills, expertise and resources do you have that will be an advantage to your advocacy campaign?
Identify which areas that you lack in ?

12. Advocacy Partners
There is strength in numbers, but also too many cooks spoil the broth.
Where you find that you are lacking in your advocacy it is always good to partner with a person or organization/s that has a particular strength.
Be careful that that partner has same interests as yours.
Together you are likely to be heard quicker than as an individual.

13. Advocacy Tactics
Draw a plan to be used in pushing your advocacy strategy. How will you approach the decision maker, when will you do it, through whom will you do it.
Develop activities to meet the objectives of the goal.
Activities can include Research, Production of IEC materials, Meetings and engagement of media.

14. Advocacy Messages
Based on what you know about the decision maker come up with advocacy messages.
Questions such as What is the proposed solution and its likely impact on the problem and what do you want the decision maker to specifically do will help you come up with concise advocacy messages.
Messages should be brief, focused, solution oriented and backed by evidence.

15. Plan to measure Success
Objectives of the Policy advocacy should be tied to outputs and outcomes.
Monitor and Evaluate

16. THANK YOU