"Policy briefs are useful influencing tools for think tanks and research institutions. Along with other short items, such as blogs and newspaper articles, they may be the only items from your organisation that busy policymakers will read. This quick guide is aimed at researchers and communications s
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taff who are planning policy briefs for the first time, or want to review their approach. It sets out a tried and tested approach and suggested sturcture for policy briefs." (Page 1)
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"This brief lays out 10 theories grounded in diverse disciplines and worldviews that have relevance to the world of advocacy and policy change. These theories can help to untangle beliefs and assumptions about the inner workings of the policy making process and identify causal connections supported
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by research to explain how and why a change may or may not occur. This piece is not meant to be comprehensive of all possible relevant theories and approaches; rather, it introduces and illustrates a handful of theories that may be useful to advocates, funders, and evaluators. While the theories included may have broad applicability, the brief is grounded in the context of US domestic policy. Knowing about existing theories may sharpen your own thinking, provide new ways of looking at the policy world, and give you a leg up on developing your own theory of change. The final section gives concrete examples of the way in which advocates, funders, and evaluators can use this brief in their work." (Introduction, page 1-2)
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"Le plaidoyer est souvent associé à une logique de confrontation, proche en cela des luttes syndicales et des mouvements sociaux. Il est vrai qu’un « plaidoyeur » – c’est ainsi que nous nommerons la personne en charge de développer un plaidoyer – se trouve souvent en position de contest
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ation, réagissant aux prises de position ou aux actions des décideurs qu’il cherche à influencer. Il tentera pour cela de discréditer le discours ou de dénoncer les agissements de ses opposants en mobilisant le public ou en diffusant ses messages à travers les médias pour mettre la pression sur les décideurs. Pourtant, ce ne sont pas les seules cordes à son arc ! Pour influencer, modifier, créer, abroger une politique ou une pratique, un plaidoyeur va également tenter de négocier avec les décideurs, de proposer des solutions alternatives, après avoir décrypté les intérêts de ses différents interlocuteurs. Il va saisir les opportunités lui permettant de prendre part au processus de décision (officiellement ou non) et va fournir des éléments d’expertise jusqu’ici inexistants, parcellaires ou méconnus permettant d’appuyer ses propositions. En fonction des acteurs et des évènements, le plaidoyeur va donc alternativement adopter une démarche de confrontation, (dénonçant par exemple des injustices vécues par un groupe d’individus) ou une position de co-construction, lorsqu’il a l’opportunité de faire progresser ses positions. Il va successivement se positionner au coeur et en dehors du processus de négociation." (Page 4)
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"This guide outlines important, basic steps to ensure that your advocacy is as effective as possible. It draws on learning within the Open Society Foundations’ network, especially the experiences of our advocacy colleagues, as well as resources from other organizations. Understanding of and engage
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ment with advocacy varies from one organization to another. Here is a description that I hope helps clarify what we mean by advocacy: Advocacy is an organized attempt to change policy, practice, and/or attitudes by presenting evidence and arguments for how and why change should happen. As advocates we should always be clear about the values and principles which inform our reason for taking a particular stand. Key to delivering effective advocacy is the evidence we can gather, the messages that we present, and, of course, clarity about the impact that we achieve." (Preface)
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"This tool can be used in different places and for different types of advocacy, and helps CAFOD and our partners to think about the wider context of their work as well as their achievements. The levels are cumulative, and require partner organisations to think through the reasons why they might be c
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lassed at one level or another by providing anecdotal evidence in each case. The tool does not prescribe which elements to emphasize in any given level. Organisations may find elements of their work in more than one box but are asked to best approximate their level on a yearly basis." (Page 1)
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"The Advocacy Toolkit provides a broadly accepted definition of advocacy and underscores UNICEF’s unique position and experience in advocacy. The heart of the Toolkit provides detailed steps, guidance and tools for developing and implementing an advocacy strategy. The Toolkit also outlines eight f
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oundational areas that can help strengthen an office’s capacity for advocacy, and covers several crosscutting aspects of advocacy including monitoring and evaluating advocacy, managing knowledge in advocacy, managing risks in advocacy, building relationships and securing partnerships for advocacy, and working with children and young people in advocacy. Special focuses examine a variety of specific topics, including human rights and equity approaches to advocacy, theories of change, and conducting advocacy in humanitarian situations." (About the Advocacy Toolkit, page iv)
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"This Media Reform Action Guide is your invitation to rise up, take to the phones, the Internet and the streets to build a better media system. Each chapter in this guide will help make your voice heard on the media issues that matter to you. Whether you’re motivated to fight for a free and open I
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nternet, for diverse media ownership, or for vibrant public and independent media, this guide is for you. The Media Reform Action Guide provides valuable, step-by-step information on everything from raising awareness and monitoring your local media to advocating for national policy changes. It will help you make an impact – and connect you to other activists and to a powerful movement for better media." (Page 3)
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"This manual was written for experienced and novice advocates alike who are eager to use state of the art technology techniques to challenge old policies and create new ones that will enhance the quality of life and access to opportunity for everyone. The case studies, resources, tips, and best prac
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tices included in this report will help readers plan and implement campaigns that use various combinations of online and offline tools to effectively engage their constituencies. Of course, technology changes in a nanosecond, making some strategies and tactics nearly obsolete almost as the words describing them are written. Nevertheless, the underlying ideas and concepts described here will remain relevant and the resources listed in the report will stand as sources for finding new, perhaps not yet imagined, tools to combine online and offline advocacy strategies. The PolicyLink website (www.policylink.org) is one such resource where visitors will find updates on campaigns described in this document and brand new ones." (Preface)
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"The sourcebook covers the following topics: spaces for civil society participation and how to link local, national and international advocacy; the role of WaterAid to improve water supply and sanitation (WSS) in the context of UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); building community capacity for
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rooted advocacy; the planning process for effective advocacy such as how to identify issues, what tools to use, clarifying the message etc.; resources to be used for advocacy;advocacy actions such as lobbying, campaigns, media etc.; monitoring and evaluation of advocacy. The sourcebook is interspersed with short case studies from national-level advocacy activities in Africa (Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda), Asia (Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan) and the UK, as well as at the international level (Freshwater Action Network). Further information resources are also provided. In the Annex, there is a selection of tools, pro-formas, tables and diagrams which advocacy workers may like to reproduce, adapt or distribute. The sourcebook is meant for WaterAid staff and partner organisations, as well as others in the sector, to assist in drawing up advocacy action plans that aim to improve the water supply and sanitation situation of the poorest people in the countries where they work." (https://www.ircwash.org/resources)
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"Section 1 focuses on campaign strategies. Mats Abrahamsson, a former Greenpeace campaign coordinator and founder of the Swedish consultancy Selene, shows you: how to develop a strategic framework for campaigning that helps campaigners choose the activities that can best meet their objectives and av
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oid rushing into activities that misuse time and resources (Section 1.1); how to conduct a “power analysis” that identifies the powers at play and how they interact in order to deploy limited resources where they can have the greatest impact (Section 1.2); how a Greenpeace campaign convinced Coca-Cola to stop using ozone-destroying chemicals in all its refrigeration equipment (Section 1.3). Section Two shows an example of an IFEX member – the Media Institute of Southern Africa – that has realised the need to build on, and go beyond, the issuing of alerts by developing a strategic vision for defending freedom of expression (chapter 7). Section Three provides 10 campaign tools that IFEX members can use to compliment the issuing of alerts. These tools can be used separately or in combination with each other as part of a campaign. Each tool comprises: a toolbox of tips, ideas and questions to consider; a best practice case study of an IFEX member or other organisation that has successfully used the campaign tool; a list of resources for further information." (Page 7)
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"This toolkit is for people and organisations that support NGOs and CBOs responding to HIV/AIDS in developing countries. These include NGO support programmes, training institutions and individual trainers. The toolkit can also be used by NGOs and CBOs themselves to build skills within their own orga
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nisations and implement advocacy work. It is important that people using this toolkit already have some basic facilitation skills, for example in guiding large group discussions and small group activities. It is also helpful if they have some previous experience of advocacy work around HIV/AIDS, although this is not essential." (Page 5)
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"This course is designed to help you to sharpen your media advocacy skills. It is made up of two 2-day workshops. During the first workshop, you will explore the meaning of advocacy. You will also consider the importance of finding and including women’s voices in the media you produce. On Day 2 yo
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u will interact critically with different aspects of a model for running a successful advocacy campaign. You will be expected to complete an assignment in which you will develop a strategy or action plan for an advocacy campaign relevant to the context in which you are working. During the second 2-day workshop, you will examine each other’s action plans. Different tactics, like writing press releases, doing radio interviews, using unusual protest acts and designing posters will be presented and practised." (Introduction, page 6)
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