7.4.1 Developing an Advocacy Strategy

Developing a single overarching objective is critical in formulating an effective advocacy argument. This should be:

• Specific, focused and narrow.
• Achievable within an agreed timeframe and given available cluster resources.
• Of interest and value to FSC partners and stakeholders in order to generate commitment and support.

The strategy should cover:

• Who will collaborate, when and what resources are required.
• At what level will the advocacy be undertaken, e.g., national, sub-national, community.
• Which channels will be used to reach which targets with which message.
• What the risks and mitigation strategies are. 
• How the activities will be monitored.
• What the anticipated results are.

Advocacy will only be as strong as the information and analysis that form its evidence base. This includes:

• A clear understanding of the underlying causes of the issue.
• The cultural context (community values, needs and expectations).
• The political context (political issues relating to the problem, including guiding policy or absence of policy, power relations).

The next stage is to determine the audience, i.e., the individuals or institutions that have the power to bring about change. This is done through a stakeholder analysis, to provide a sense of who has a stake in an issue, as well as their support, opposition, and/or influence over the issue and the relevance of their engagement.

When selecting the audience:

• Identify both allies and opponents of change.
• Pick only a select few groups/individuals in order to direct energy and focus.
• Pick those who might be able to influence one another.
• Pick those that you can actually influence.

5: Clarifying the FSC’s position and compiling messages 

(See “Messaging Example” text box above)

At this point, it is recommended that advocacy planning should be consolidated into a one- or two-page summary document. This should outline the main points of the analysis and the evidence base, the issue itself, the objectives and the audience. This type of document is also useful for obtaining wider buy-in from FSC partners who can review, discuss and comment on the ideas presented. 

This is also the point where the main advocacy messages should be agreed by the FSC. In developing these messages:

• Base them on an understanding of the target audience, in particular how addressing the issue helps them to fulfil their responsibilities.
• Ensure that they are concise, consistent and can be used by all FSC partners and stakeholders.

The same message can have different impacts depending on who delivers it. Messengers are those who have influence over the key audience to bring about the desired change, but who do not have the direct power to make the changes themselves. Messengers can include partners, the media, religious leaders, community-based organizations (CBOs) and donors.

Advocacy needs to be monitored and evaluated, just like any other FSC activity. This means:

• Monitoring whether progress is being made and ensuring that activities are still focused on the advocacy objective.
• Evaluating whether there is any notable impact of advocacy efforts in terms of changes in attitudes, policy or practices.
• Modifying as needed.