Key Findings From In-Depth Interviews
and Advocacy Initiative Forum
Presented by Middlequarter & Montague
Communications
Ashling Hotel,10 June 2010
Research
• Over 20 in-depth interviews
• Senior politicians, senior civil servants, state agency
executives, philanthropic funders, social partners,
well-informed observers and commentators
• NGO sector reps – right across sector, senior staffers
and board members
• Proceedings of Advocacy Initiative Forum – attended
by nearly 50 NGO advocates on March 25th 2010
Advocacy role contested
• Limited political and administrative engagement with
contribution of NGO advocacy to democracy
• NGOs view advocacy as central to their role and mission
• Policy makers and observers with NGO background have
greater appreciation of role
“NGOs are a vital mediating force between the public and
Government”
“NGOs have a fundamental right to advocate. It’s based on
the freedom of speech which is a cornerstone of our
democracy”
• In the overall, role of NGO advocacy is contested
From where do NGOs derive
their mandate?
• Questions raised about legitimacy and credibility of
some NGOs
• Who do they speak for or represent?
• Where do they get their mandate from?
• Sector understands importance of being connected
to ‘affected populations’
• Legitimacy questions can take preference over
substance of arguments being made
• Questions also raised about credibility – how wellgrounded are NGO positions in research or
experience?
Service providers rated
higher
• Politicians and public servants place higher value on
advocacy of service providers
• Represent voice of ‘on-the-ground’ experience – vital
for effective policy making
• Show impacts and consequences of policies
• Assists with identifying gaps
• Helps drive innovation
• Sector understands policy makers preference for
service providers – doesn’t necessarily accept
legitimacy of differentiation
State funding and NGO
Advocacy
• NGOs providing services with state funding are ‘de facto’ subcontractors
• Involves compromise – needs to be approached with
‘common sense’ and ‘political realism’
• NGO sector understands this – organisations exercise selfcensorship
• Policy makers are reluctant to fund ‘hostile’ organisations –
although in some sectors it does
• Some policy makers suggest need to erect ‘Chinese walls’
between service provision and advocacy
• NGOs recognise reality that advocacy funding needs to be
sourced elsewhere – public or foundations
Respect looms large
• Issue of respect looms large
• ‘No respect for fact that politicians have faced the public and have been
elected’
• Many in sector turn political disagreements into personal matters
• Many in sector also say State is disrespectful – marginalisation of dissent,
funding cuts
• Does seem to vary in different sectors
• NGOs would welcome Code of Conduct – set out clear terms of
engagement
• “Brave and bold in ambition, wise and realistic in managing the
relationship”
• Not much thought given to this among policy makers
• Should be joint initiative not handed down from Government
• Enforcement mechanisms would be important for public servants
Who is Effective and Why?
MRCI
• Success in getting issue of exploitation
of Migrant workers addressed
Children’s Rights Alliance
• Constitutional referendum onto
agenda
Barnardos
• Good services, research oriented,
interfaces effectively with others and
perceived as experts
Who is Effective and Why?
St. Vincent de Paul
– Nationwide service providers with enormous fact
finding and research capacity
Social Justice Ireland
– Good data and effective communicators with
Government
Development sector
– Very well developed in their advocacy
Who is Effective and Why?
An Cosáin
– Viewed as proactive and persuasive
Older people’s organisations
– Strong political influence, very effective on
medical cards and pensions issues.
Overall rating – 3 out of 5
Role of public campaigns
• Some policy makers raised questions about effectiveness of
public campaigns
• See some as jockeying for position – protect territory and
funding
• Others stressed importance of campaigns – need to bring
public on board to get issue on agenda
• Sector needs to understand importance of building wider
alliances
• Latter view accepted by NGO sector
• Shared understanding that relationship building work is
central – requires patience
• Acceptance of possible over-reliance on media by some NGOs
– not getting into ‘messy’ business of negotiation
Skills and knowledge deficits
• Strong argument from policy makers that many in sector don’t
understand needs of policy-makers
• Need for constituency or brief-specific material for politicians
• Pre-Budget and Election material being supplied too late
• Importance of developing good relations with key public
servants – understanding ‘rules of etiquette’
• Negotiating skills need improvement
• Acknowledgment that some NGOs are very effective
• Sector acknowledges skills and knowledge deficits – sector
needs to become more strategic and proactive
• Need to share learning of ‘good examples’ and enhance
expertise
Never-ending critique
• Strong theme among policy makers that NGO advocacy is made up of
constant critique – particularly through the media
• Sometimes crises generated to build organisational profile rather than
resolve issues
• Sectoral perspective stresses importance of holding State to account –
consider legal challenges
• Some of critique seen as personal in nature – builds up resistance
• Also viewed as being predictable and self-serving – therefore dismissed
• In contrast, one experienced observer felt NGOs too timid in ‘up close’
negotiations
• Some acceptance within sector of need for more sophistication and less
predictability
• Need for less anger and more focus on solutions
Understanding constraints
• Poor understanding of genuine constraints policy makers are
working under
• Other competing and valid interests
• Strong sense that sector has yet to grasp ‘profound impact’ of
economic crisis – can’t simply go back to old script
• Now operating in a post-Partnership world – new paradigm
yet to emerge
• Demands need to be reshaped – what solutions can sector
come up with?
• Change happens incrementally – patience required
Conclusions
• Limited understanding of value and legitimacy of NGO
advocacy among policymakers
• Source of real tension – particularly where NGOs receive
public funding
• Some NGOs seen as being very effective – others seen as
ineffective
• Need for more sophistication and nuance in messaging –
alternative to constant critique
• Skills and understanding deficits identified – need to be more
strategic and realistic
• Issue of respect looms large on both sides – no consensus
about how best to address it
Thank You