Advocacy
Strategy
Planning
N. Assifi
UNFPA/CST, Bangkok
What is a Plan?
Planning is decision making about
future activities.
Mission or purpose statement
A strategic vision for future
Operating philosophy
Key elements of a plan:
 Goal
 Strategies
 Action steps
 Performance indicators
Planning Hierarchy
Nation
wide
Regional or
provincial
Level 1: broadest level of
planning which sets strategic
direction for 3 – 5 years
Level 2: regional or provincial
planning (within central office)
Service facility Unit
Individual
Level 3: operational focused
planning. Also called business
or operational plan
Level 4: (individual) refers
to personal performance
Dynamic Planning Model
Five recurring steps:
Scanning to identify trends
Scan
Planning to develop an agreed
Scan
strategic direction
Review
Review
Plan
Monitor
Implement
Plan
Monitor
Implement
Implementing by allocating
resources, developing structures
and procedures
Monitoring regularly in
achieving stated goals
One year
Reviewing at the end of each
set period
What is Advocacy
Strategy?
An advocacy strategy is a
combination of approaches,
techniques and messages by
which the planner seeks to
achieve the advocacy goals and
objectives.
Advocacy Strategic Planning
Model
Research
Issues/
Problems
Outcomes
Goals/
Objectives
Outputs
Impact
Evaluation
Implemen
tation
Monitoring
Strategy Development
•Coalition building
•Networking
•Institution building
•Sensitization
•Etc.
Pre-testing &
Piloting
Key steps for strategy formulation
1. Identification and analysis of advocacy issues
2. Identification and analysis of stakeholders
3. Formulation of measurable objectives
4. Developing core advocacy messages
5. Developing the strategy ( approaches,
techniques, messages and materials)
6. Developing advocacy action plan
7. Planning monitoring and evaluation
Environmental Scanning
1. Collecting Data
- Policy
- KAP
- Consultation
- Demographic
2. Analysis
- SWOT
- Issue analysis
3. Identify key issues
Issue selection framework
Criteria for selecting issues
The issue affects many people
The issue has a significant impact on population
and reproductive health programme
The issue is consistent with your organization’s
mission/mandate
The issue is consistent with national population
and development objectives
The issue is amenable to advocacy intervention
The issue can mobilize a large number of
interested partners and other stakeholders
Total score
Score
1
2
3
Define Priority Problem/issue
Description of
priority
problem and its
causes
Reason for
choosing this
problem
Example
High teenage
pregnancy
due to lack of
awareness,
lack of
counseling
services and
contraceptive
Adolescent
RH survey
shows that
teenage
pregnancy
has increased
by 10 percent
over the past
Recommended
Who is affected
tentative
by the this
solution in
problem
terms of
advocacy
The entire
teenage
population in
the country
specially
those living in
the urban
areas
- Advocacy for
policy on sexuality
education in
schools and
workplaces
- Advocacy for
allocation of
resources for youth
clinics to provide
counseling services
and contraceptive
Key steps for strategy formulation
1. Identification and analysis of advocacy issues
2. Identification and analysis of stakeholders
3. Formulation of measurable objectives
4. Developing core advocacy messages
5. Developing the strategy ( approaches,
techniques, messages and materials)
6. Developing advocacy action plan
7. Planning monitoring and evaluation
Identification and analysis of
stakeholders
Stakeholder
categories
Decision
makers
Partners
Resistant
groups
Sub-groups
Information to be collected about the stakeholders
Knowledge about the International Conference on
Population and Development and its Programme of Action
Knowledge about the Reproductive Health and Birth
spacing programme in the country
Understanding of the inter-relationship between the
population growth and distribution etc. and the country's
development issues
Understanding of reproductive health and its elements
Understanding of and commitment to addressing the issues
of women's empowerment, equity and equality, education,
employment etc.
Level of understanding and belief in men's participation in
reproductive health and birth spacing
Information to be…
 Understanding of the need to develop and implement
programmes aimed at reproductive health of adolescent and
youth
 The extend and level of involvement of the respondent in the
previous RH or birth spacing programmes
 Has the respondent publicly supported the RH - BS programme
in the past?
 Has the respondent tried to access financial and human resources
for the implementation of the RH- BS programmes?
 Has the respondent spoken to others about the RH-SP
programmes and their benefits?
 Has the respondent spoken/written in support of RH-BS in mass
media?
 Has the respondent visited RH – BS projects/activities at the
Information to be…
 Has the respondent spoken with the community about RH-BS
programme?
 Where does the respondent get his/her information about the health
and reproductive health issues?
 How often does the respondent read newspaper or magazine, what
type of newspaper or magazine and which pages/articles?
 When and how often does the respondent listen to the radio? What
types of programmes?
 When and how often does the respondent watch television? What
types of programmes?
 Is the respondent interested and willing to participate in
seminars/meetings on the issues of women's empowerment, RH, BS,
etc?
 Is the respondent interested and willing to promote the issues of
women's empowerment, RH and BS issues?
Stakeholder analysis matrix
Size &
Stakehol
Sub- location of
der
groups
of the
category
groups
Decision
makers
Partners
Adversaries
Knowledge &
attitude on
RH-BS issues
Potential
impact on
advocacy
efforts
Obstacles
and how
to deal
with them
Key steps for strategy formulation
1. Identification and analysis of advocacy issues
2. Identification and analysis of stakeholders
3. Formulation of measurable objectives
4. Developing core advocacy messages
5. Developing the strategy ( approaches,
techniques, messages and materials)
6. Developing advocacy action plan
7. Planning monitoring and evaluation
Developing advocacy Objectives
S
=
Specific
M
=
Measurable
A
=
Attainable
R
=
Result-oriented
T
=
Time bound
Key steps for strategy formulation
1. Identification and analysis of advocacy issues
2. Identification and analysis of stakeholders
3. Formulation of measurable objectives
4. Developing core advocacy messages
5. Developing the strategy ( approaches,
techniques, messages and materials)
6. Developing advocacy action plan
7. Planning monitoring and evaluationh
Advocacy message styles
•Emotional Vs Rational Appeals
•Positive Vs Negative Appeals
•Mass Vs Individual Appeals
•Definite Conclusion Vs Open Conclusion
•Repetitive Vs One time Appeals
Key components of Advocacy message
Key points to be addressed:
• Description of the issue/problem
• Magnitude of the issue/problem
• Adverse impact of the problem on the
population or groups of population
• What the stakeholder can do to address
the issue
Elements of a message
•Description of the issue/problem
•Magnitude of the issue/problem
•Adverse impact of the problem on the
population or groups of population
Message for
decision
makers
Message for
partners and
allies
Message for
resistant
groups
Developing core advocacy
messages
Stakeholder/
audience
group
Issue/
problem
Message style
Advocacy message
Key steps for strategy formulation
1. Identification and analysis of advocacy issues
2. Identification and analysis of stakeholders
3. Formulation of measurable objectives
4. Developing core advocacy messages
5. Developing the strategy ( approaches,
techniques, messages and materials)
6. Developing advocacy action plan
7. Planning monitoring and evaluation
Key elements of advocacy strategy
Advocacy approaches
Advocacy techniques
Advocacy messages
and materials
Key approaches used in advocacy
• Involving
leaders
• Working with mass media
• Building partnership
• Mobilizing the community groups
• Capacity building
Persuasion techniques
Pressuring
Sensitizing
Debating
Negotiating
Dialoguing
Petitioning
Mobilizing
Lobbying
Media
techniques
Message formats for media
• Press release
• Press conference
• Fact sheets/
background sheets
• Press kit/media packets
• Editorials
• Letters to editor
Features of a story that attracts
media
•Controversial
•Sensational
•New discoveries
•Highly visual
•Fast moving
•Unusual and odd events
How to involve media?
•Establish personal relation
•Letters, telephone calls, office calls
•Invitation to high profile events
•Orientation seminars
•In-country site visits
•Arranging interviews with highprofile people
•Regular dissemination of up-todate information/data
Advocacy materials
Print materials
Fact sheets, hand outs, leaflets,
booklets
Pictures & audio-visual materials
Still pictures, slide sets, video
documentaries
Advocacy strategy development
matrix
Issue
Stakeholder
(sub-group)
Core messages
Advocacy
techniques
Advocacy
materials
M&E
indicators
Key steps for strategy formulation
1. Identification and analysis of advocacy issues
2. Identification and analysis of stakeholders
3. Formulation of measurable objectives
4. Developing core advocacy messages
5. Developing the strategy ( approaches,
techniques, messages and materials)
6. Developing advocacy action plan
7. Developing monitoring and evaluation plan
Preparing advocacy action plan
• Develop the process
• The timelines
• Identify the role of those to
be involved
• Role of allies and partner
agencies
• Resources to be used
Mechanisms for Implementation
of Advocacy
•A mechanism for co-ordination
•Coalitions and networking
•Institutions to deliver technical
products
•Effective partnership
Advocacy action plan matrix
Objectives &
activities
Time
Frame
Responsible
party
Partners
Budget
Key steps for strategy formulation
1. Identification and analysis of advocacy issues
2. Identification and analysis of stakeholders
3. Formulation of measurable objectives
4. Developing core advocacy messages
5. Developing the strategy ( approaches,
techniques, messages and materials)
6. Developing advocacy action plan
7. Developing monitoring and evaluation plan
Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring and evaluation are
complementary functions
Each provides a different type of
performance information
Both important for effective Result
Based Management (RBM)
Monitoring versus Evaluation
•
•
•
•
•
Periodic
Continuous
In-depth analysis of
Tracks Progress
actual vs. planned
Answers what activities achievementsAnswers
were implemented &
how and why results
results achieved
were achieved; future
impact
Self-assessment by
project management
Internal and/or
external exercise
Alerts managers to
Gives managers
problems
strategy and policy
options
Types of monitoring
• Monitoring of Inputs: Are project
inputs (financial, human and material
resources) in line with project design,
workplan and budget?
• Monitoring of Activities:Are project
activities taking place according to the
schedule and project design?
• Monitoring Results: Focuses on
achievements of results – whether actual
results are achieved as planned?
Why do we evaluate?
• To improve design and
performance of an ongoing
project/programme
• To make judgments about the
effectiveness of a
project/programme
• To generate knowledge about the
best practices, lessons learned
What do We Evaluate?
Efficiency
Results vs costs
Effectiveness
Achievement of
results
Alternative Strategies
Evaluation is
Other possible
concerned with
ways of addressing
results focusing
the problem
on
Validity of Design
Logical and coherent
Causality
Factors affecting
performance
Relevance
Programme continues
to meet needs
Sustainability
Results sustained
after withdrawal of
external support
Unanticipated Results
Significant effects
of performance
Performance Measuring
Selecting Indicators: for measuring
implementation progress and achievement
of results.
The importance of indicator likely to
change over the project’s life cycle. At
first, emphasis is given to input and activity
indicators, while shifting later to output
and result indicators.
Phases of Performance Measuring
 Formulating project
objectives: defining
precise and measurable statement of
results to be achieved
 Selecting
indicators: for measuring
achievements
 Monitoring performance
data: collecting
actual data for each indicator
 Reviewing
and reporting performance
data: analysis and reporting
Monitoring and Evaluation table
Objectives/
activities
Indicators
Means of
verification