TACS
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
This project is funded
by the European Union.
Advocacy Lobbying
KOEN W. TOONEN
ARJOLA AGOLLI
Tirana
7 – 9 April 2010
TACS
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
Concepts and Definitions
This project is funded
by the European Union.
TACS
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
Advocacy and lobbying
• What is Advocacy?
– Action
– Campaign
– Media attention
– Demonstration
– Lobby
– Expert meetings
This project is funded
by the European Union.
TACS
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
This project is funded
by the European Union.
The Advocacy Continuum
demonstration
Non-violent
actions
petition
Expert
meeting
Position
paper
harmony
violence
Boycot, strike
media
reception
lobby
advocacy
activism
TACS
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
This project is funded
by the European Union.
Policy Influencing (PI) Concepts
• What is policy influencing all about?
• Which different types of PI exist?
• Is there a difference between policy
influencing, advocacy and lobbying?
• Which are the most important elements of
effective PI?
TACS
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
This project is funded
by the European Union.
Advocacy vs. Lobbying
• Advocacy covers a much broader range of activities
that might or might not include lobbying.
• Lobbying always involves advocacy but advocacy
does not necessarily involve lobbying.
• Lobbying usually involves attempting to influence
legislation, policies and decision making.
TACS
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
This project is funded
by the European Union.
PI Definitions
•
Advocacy =Action by an individual or group in support of a cause, ideal, or
policy to effect change, advance a cause, or raise public awareness (National
Council for Independent Living, USA)
•
Advocacy = Witness and actions aimed at changing attitudes, policies and
practices. Advocacy is concrete and targeted actions aimed at the wider
public, members of civil society, governments, international institutions and
the corporate sector in order to mobilise both popular and political support
for effecting concrete changes. (DanChurchAid)
•
Advocacy is the deliberate process of influencing those who make policy
decisions (CARE)
TACS
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
PI Definitions 2
“We’re not certain whether we have a translation
for ‘advocacy’ or whether we should just use the
word ‘advocacy’ in English.
Part of the confusion has to do with the way the
concept was imported from the outside as if it were
a new technology— as if we didn’t already know
advocacy. Latin America’s history is full of
examples of people facing power.
How can we think that advocacy is new?”
(Peruvian activist, 2001-www.justassociates.org)
This project is funded
by the European Union.
TACS
Technical Assistance for
Civil Society Organisations
Regional Office
This project is funded
by the European Union.
PI Definition
• Policy Influencing is the deliberate and systematic process of
influencing the policies, practices and behaviour
of different targeted stakeholders that are most influential on
the issue,
involving beneficiaries and increasing their ownership and
capacity on the issue.
• Activities can be singled out, or a mixed strategy can be
applied, in which joined forces and concerted action increase
the effectiveness of the policy influencing interventions.