Advocacy – Influencing Leaders
Michael Kropac, seecon international
Advocacy – Influencing Leaders
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Contents
1. Concept
2. How it can optimize SSWM
3. Design Principles
4. Applicability
5. Advantages and Disadvantages
6. References
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Advocacy – Influencing Leaders
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1. Concept
Advocacy
Advocacy is the action of delivering an argument to gain commitment
from political or social leaders and to prepare a society for a particular
issue. (DE JONG 2003)
Crucial for SSWM, because political support together with the support
from community and religious leaders can give a SSWM-campaign a
powerful boost. (SCHAAP & VAN STEENBERGEN 2001)
Political support: The mayor of
Mymensingh Pourashava has supported the
Malgudam community to create a
demonstration plot for using toilet bags
as fertilizer.
Source: http://www.pseau.org/gif/couv_gtz_ecosan_newsletter.gif
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2. How it can optimize SSWM
Example from Honduras: Community-Based Advocacy
(adapted from WATERAID & WSSCC 2003)
The community of Nueva Suyapa in Honduras received water only every
two weeks at best and often only once a month. Ultimately, these
already poor people end up spending up to 20 per cent of their income
just on water.
The NGO “Association for a more Just Society” (ASJ), began to
investigate why this was happening. The water system of Tegucigalpa
clearly favours the upper and middle class neighbourhoods:
•upper class neighbourhood: water every day for 15 hours
•Nueva Suyapa: water every 22 days for an average of 3 hours
But the national water administration had refused to
pump more water to the village, explaining that they
would have to take water away from other
communities.
?
What to do
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2. How it can optimize SSWM
What to do? Influencing and Involving Leaders
he involvement of political, religious and local leaders is important for
a successful project, because leaders can play a role:
•
y openly supporting the process in the media,
•
y changing certain water-management policies,
•
y emphasizing the topic in meetings with other leaders,
•
y addressing communities directly,
•
y increasing public attention to the water and sanitation topic,
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2. How it can optimize SSWM
What to do? Common Tools used for Advocacy
(DE JONG 2003)
• Interpersonal meetings, negotiation
• Lobbying to influence the policy process
• Use communication instruments (e.g.
press conferences, press releases)
• Project visits, to demonstrate good
practice
• Reaching the public via newsletters,
mail/internet, flyers or petitions to
influence leaders
e-
• The media reach the general public and
can politicians and policy makers
A newsletter is a tool to reach
the public and political leaders
Source:
http://www.pseau.org/gif/couv_gtz_ecosan_newsletter.gif
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2. How it can optimize SSWM
Example from Honduras: Community-Based Advocacy
(adapted from WATERAID & WSSCC 2003)
Involving and influencing leaders:
• The “Association for a more Just Society” presented the situation to
the Commissioner of Human Rights in Honduras and his office offered
their support
• A committee from Nueva Suyapa negotiated with high-ranking
officials of the administration and with engineers
Informing the community and keep pressure on the administration:
• Reports in a national newspaper
• Multimedia presentation to over 100 people
• Handing out 1000 flyers
• Visits to churches and community boards
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2. How it can optimise SSWM
Example from Honduras: Community-Based Advocacy
(adapted from WATERAID & WSSCC 2003)
Finally, after a year of advocacy and pressure, the
national water administration agreed to nearly all
of the community’s proposals.
All of these changes together will allow each house
to receive water at least twice a week – up from
what was originally once every 30 to 40 days.
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3. Design Principles
Main Actors
In the first instance: international and national agencies, as well as
special ambassadors.
But it is gradually taken over by people in regional and local leadership
positions, local NGOs and by the print and electronic media (DE JONG 2003)
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3. Design Principles
Advocacy Planning Cycle
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4. Applicability
• Generally, advocacy work is applicable at different levels, from the
local community level to the national and international level.
• The media play an important role for setting the agenda for
politicians and decision makers and for reaching the public.
◦ Therefore, advocacy might be easier to apply in regions with a
well functioning media network and communication channels
• In some countries or regions, speaking out on advocacy issues may
endanger personal safety, either of those who speak or of those on
whose behalf they are speaking.
◦ Those who may be at risk must be taken into serious
consideration before any action is taken.
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5. Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
• Advocacy can lead to a change
in important watermanagement policies
• Effectiveness and impact often
hard to measure
• Involvement of leaders can
boost campaigns and other
awareness raising tools
• In countries with a repressive
regime, speaking out on
advocacy issues may endanger
personal safety
• Leader support can change
community norms and values
for certain measures
• Advocacy on higher levels
(regional/national) is timeconsuming and expensive
• Religious leaders might help to
decrease traditional barriers
• Focus on political leaders and
government may lack of real
grounding in community
settings
• Involvement of leaders will
increase public attention to the
water and sanitation topic
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6. References
DE GOOIJER, G. & NEWTON, J. (2009): Messages for Parliamentarians. The United Nations World Water
Development Report 3. Messages Series. Perugia: United Nations World Water Assessment Programme
(WWAP).
DE JONG, D. (2003): Advocacy for Water, Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene. Thematic Overview
Paper. Delft: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.
SCHAAP, W. & VAN STEENBERGEN, F. (2001): Ideas for Water Awareness Campaigns. Stockholm: Global
Water Partnership.
UN-WATER (2009): Advocacy for sanitation: a brief guide. New York: UN-Water.
WATERAID & WSSCC (2003): Advocacy Sourcebook. A Guide to advocacy for WSSCC co-ordinators
working on the WASH campaign. London & Geneva: WaterAid and Water Supply & Sanitation
Collaborative Council.
WINPENNY, J. & DE GOOIJER, G. (2009): Messages for Religious Leaders. The United Nations World
Water Development Report 3. Messages Series. New York: UN-Water.
Advocacy – Influencing Leaders
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“Linking up Sustainable Sanitation
and Water Management”
SSWM is an initiative
supported by:
Compiled by:
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