Urbanus Kioko OSI EE Partners workshop March 09 Thanks to the International Budget Project for the use of their slides and to Brett Davidson for sharing.

Urbanus KiokoOSI EE Partners workshop

March 09

Thanks to the International Budget Project for the use of Thanks to the International Budget Project for the use of their slides and to Brett Davidson for sharing his Media their slides and to Brett Davidson for sharing his Media Notes & IdeasNotes & Ideas

Advocacy ActionAction component of the advocacy strategy covers:

communication & media,

outreach & mobilisation,

lobbying & negotiation

organisation & leadership

Strategies and tactics for advocacyThe strategies and tactics for advocacy include:Coalition building, media work, public education, grassroot organising, members mobilising, legislative advocacy/litigation

Advocacy action #1Lobbying: the process of trying to

directly influence decision-makers, such as politicians, civil servants, or corporate chief executives

Public campaigning: activities to engage the public, and to mobilise visible support for your position

Advocacy Action #2Media work: raising public awareness of

your issues, with a view to changing public attitudes and behaviour, and encouraging support for your other advocacy actions

Capacity building: increasing the knowledge of those affected by a particular issue, and increasing their skills and developing their structures to enable them to carry out their own advocacy

Essential Relations #1Alliances are short term relationships among members that are focused to meet a specific objective. They are limited in time and goal and tend to be less demanding on members

Essential Relations #2

Coalitions are a long term relationships amongst autonomous or semi autonomous members formally organised/structured having official roles/staff to achieve specific objectives

Essential Relations #3

Networks are loose, flexible associations of people and groups brought together by a common concern or interest to share information and ideas

Country Team workCoalitions:Generate a list of advantages and disadvantage of working in a coalition

Suggest solutions to the challenges Identify a scenario related to your project that might be best addressed through a coalition

Some Challenges of CoalitionsDifficult to form and sustainDifficult managing differences

Unrealistic expectations from the members

Getting members to fulfil their responsiblities

Tips for establishing a successful coalitionBe clear about the advocacy issueDevelop membership criteria Resolve what the coalition will do and not do

Select a steering committeeAssess progress periodicallyDevelop code of conduct

Using the Media EffectivelyWhy work with the media?Media plays a key role in today’s society, No advocacy or communications campaign can

hope to succeed without media exposure. With any campaign, there are usually three

possible objectives To inform/ educateTo change attitudes/beliefsTo change behaviour

 Note: above objectives are progressively more difficult to achieve.

It is easier to inform and educate, than to change attitudes and beliefs.

Types of media

Newspapers (national, regional, community/ neighbourhood,

daily vs weekly‘serious’ vs tabloid Magazines: from beauty to celebrity to sport to

news and current affairsweekly vs monthly, bi-monthly, quarterlylocal vs regional vs international  Radio (public service vs commercial and

community), national vs regional, local and international

various language servicesOverseas broadcasters (BBC, RFI, Radio

Netherlands, etc)

Techniques for getting media attentionMake press calls

understand the key role-players (Editors, Sub-editors, News editors, journalists/Reporters, Specialist reporters, Producers (radio and TV) 

The news cycle: understand the news or content cycle of the media you interact with,

Distribute press releasesHold press conferences when called forStage eventsParticipate in talk showsWrite letters to the editorContribute Op-Ed articlesProvide background information and briefingsBe a good source Come up with interesting news angles for

regular events or calendar dates

Guidelines for press conferences (PC0PCs should be held rarely.

Journalists are busy, will not attend a press conference unless the matter is especially important or dramatic.

PCs for only complex issues that you need to provide detailed explanations

Press conferences- hold close to most media organisations’ offices as possible,

Press kits should be prepared before-hand and handed out to reporters.

Should contain hard copies of all statements or speeches to be made at the press conference,

Two or three speakers highly recommended

Guidelines for InterviewsUnderstand the purpose of the interview.

If the interview was requested by a journalist, when and where it will appear, the length (size of story, number of words, time in minutes),

when and where the interview will be held, and the name of the interviewer.

For television and radio:Know whether the interview will appear live, or be

pre-recorded (and probably edited before-hand).Language should be kept clear and simple.

Steer away from excessively complex arguments, and too many facts and figure

It is important never to become irritated or aggressive

Exercise Eliminating jargon: First, the group should identify the common jargon

words that you all use regularly in the course of your work (some examples are: facilitation, empowerment, capacity building, grassroots… etc).

Now, work in pairs. Each person should take turns, explaining his or her job, as if talking to someone at a cocktail party. But you’re not allowed to use any of the identified jargon words.

The person not talking should ‘beep’ the other person, every time a jargon word is used. It’s a great exercise in learning how to explain yourself in simple, everyday language.

Writing a press release:Write a press release relating to your issue or

campaign.Creating a sound-bite: Write a 30-second sound bite summing up the key

point of your advocacy campaign.

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