1. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

2. Outline  Tailoring Messages  Advocacy communication model  Information  Persuade  Move to Action  PBO South Africa  Concluding Points

3. Tailoring Messages  Tailor your message to a particular audience  E.g. a message delivered to a minister of finance may be distinct from that delivered to a civil society or labour union.  Tailoring messages does not mean compromising basic arguments or objectives.  It means trying to see an issue from a different perspective and understanding the attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge that the message recipient utilises when making a decision.  Likewise, it requires an understanding of the individual’s role in the decision making process and their realm of influence.

4. Advocacy communication model InformationPersuade Move to Action

5. Information  Be keenly aware of the audience’s present level of knowledge on the subject and provide information that is readily understandable and relevant.  A thorough problem analysis supported by credible investigation will have a good basis on which to develop and adapt your advocacy message.  You will be undermined if you:  communicate incorrect information;  submit evidence of dubious or low quality; or  Fail to understand the language of the target audience.

6. Persuade  It is particularly important to have assessed the target’s potential support and interest in the issue.  Messages crafted for allies will likely be very different than those directed at individuals who have expressed opposition or may be undecided.  Be as informed as possible about the audience’s specific issues and utilise messages that anticipate and refute their arguments.  Remember that your purpose is to persuade, not impose.  Using factual evidence and referencing real institutions and/or people is often an effective tactic.

7. Move to Action  Appeals for general support rarely produce results.  Instead, an advocate needs to present a solution to the problem at hand and encourage the target audience to take action to achieve it.  The particular action may be:  to cast a vote;  formally endorse a proposal;  approve funding;  Help establish communication with a decision maker.

8. PBO South Africa  At present we are not disseminating information/outputs to the public.  This partly reflects our current orientation toward internal support and advice to committees, rather than publishing independent opinions for the general public.  In the SA context, MPs are representatives of the general population, one of the things we are constantly grappling with is communicating effectively to Members.  National Treasury itself only recently started producing a 'budget guide' that is accessible and published in newspapers.

9. Concluding Points  Use clear facts and numbers; avoid over-using statistics and jargon.  Use precise, powerful language and active verbs.  Present a message in a way in which the target audience will understand.  Anticipate the likely objections of the target audience.  Deliver a consistent message through a variety of channels over an extended period of time.

10. Thank You