“Civil society organisations have two primary sources of power: valuable information and the voices of people who care about legislative priorities. Direct lobbying and grassroots mobilising enable CSOs to use those two sources of power effectively.”
(The Lobbying and Advocacy Handbook for Non-profit organizations. M. Avner. Amherst H. Wilder foundation)

What are advocacy and lobbying?

Advocacy and lobbying are essential civil society tools to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals are integrated into public policy and are implemented.

Advocacy means speaking out effectively on behalf of one’s cause or community, and is a basic element of a democratic system. It is an effort to shape public perception or to effect change that may or may not require changes in the law.

Lobbying is a focused form of advocacy that shapes public policy in arenas of influence at the local, national or global level. Lobbying means persuading individuals or groups with decision-making power to support your position. When doing your organisational planning, it is important to identify other stakeholders whose co-operation or influence you need. You can then lobby people with power to act in support of the needs and interests of those who do not have direct power and influence. Lobbying can be used to influence anyone with power.

Public policy is the combination of goals, laws, rules and funding priorities set by public officials that determines how government meets needs, solves problems and spends public funds. Public policy is formally set by elected officials at different levels through the legislative process. Public policy objectives and programmatic goals are set in law. Legislative bodies pass tax policies and budgets, and set revenue and spending priorities at every level of government.

Arenas of influence are those places where public policy is decided. Lobbying is most often targeted at arenas of legislative activity. The administrative branch of government is also an arena where changes are made through executive order, through changes in rules or administrative practices, and through the use of the veto by elected executives.

Critical success factors

• Be clear about your issue, your facts and your position.
• Use lobbying only for important issues that will improve life in the community and make very sure that your position is the right one before you start lobbying.
• Be careful not to speak "on behalf of” people unless you have consulted them and involved them in developing your lobbying strategy. Target the right people – analyse who has the power to make a decision on your issue and target your lobbying at these people.
• Build a lobby group – analyse who (individuals and organisations) can influence the decision-makers and try to mobilise them to support your issue – never try to lobby alone. People with political power are often most sensitive to grassroots mobilisation that represents their voters.

The Italian MDG Campaign The Italian Campaign was premised on the recognition that the MDG can only be achieved if Goal 8 is realised. But the goal did not have any clear targets or indicators. The Campaign therefore undertook lobbying of its own government through public demonstrations and meetings; alliances with other civil society organisations in European countries to lobby rich countries collectively through a petition; and alliances with organisations in developing countries to incorporate their needs and demands into the MDG campaign.

• Most decision-makers have staff (aides, PAs and secretaries) who deal with documents, do research, and prepare briefings and programmes. Sometimes it is as important to influence these people as their bosses. Make sure that you get to know them and spend time explaining your issues to them and building relationships. If they take you seriously, it will be easier to get access to, and attention from, the decision-maker.
• Prepare for opposition – analyse the opposition’s position and develop counter-arguments to theirs, since they may also be lobbying the same person.
• Think about your target audience and how the decision-maker can benefit from agreeing with you. Include this in your arguments. Most decision-makers will agree more easily if they can see how your proposals link to their concerns.
  Get to the point and stick to it.
• Make sure you hear what is said not, rather than what you want to hear.
• Never take anything for granted.
• Try to personalise the issue. Decision-makers are concerned about the impact on their constituency.
• Never use blackmail or bribery, or even gifts and favours, to persuade someone. That is corruption, not lobbying.
• Keep very careful records of all your communications with the decision-makers.
• Maintain your relationship with decision-makers by sending them information, offeringto help them, thanking them when they comment supportively on an issue and inviting them to events.

Planning your lobbying activities

Civil society organisations increase their likelihood of impacting on public policy when they are well prepared. The planning process should answer three key questions:

• What public policy goals do we want to influence and how do they relate to the MDG targets?
• How do these goals relate to our organisational goals and affect the people we serve?
• How will our organisation carry out our lobbying work?

Actions

There are many ways of lobbying. You can use:

• Letters
• Submissions
• Meetings
• International conferences
• Inspections
• Phone calls
• Publicity
• Petitions

Letters

Letters are the easiest method of lobbying, but they are not always the most effective. Many people in positions of power have administrative staff that read their mail and summarise it for them. Make letters as personal as possible and avoid getting different organisations and individuals to send exactly the same letter. See the format under submissions for the issues that should be covered in a letter.

When writing to a political representative Use the correct address and greeting. Type the letter. Use your own words and stationery. Personal letters hold a lot more weight than form letters. Be brief and focused. Be specific about what action you want. Know the facts. Check all the facts in your letter, and ensure that they are correct and you can back them up. Say thank-you. Don’t be negative, condescending, threatening or intimidating in your tone.

Submissions

Submissions are usually made to committees or chairpersons of committees in government. It is important to structure them in such a way that you get your points across powerfully. Here is an outline you can follow. State clearly:

• The group or organisation you represent, and contact details.
• The topic or issue that you want to make a submission about.
• Why your group is making the submission e.g. your concern, how you are connected to the issue and your expertise or experience on the issue.
• . The specific actions you would like the committee to take.
• The reasons why you would like them to take this action – this is where you give the facts and make your main points. Be as brief and accurate as possible
• The reasons why the actions you recommend are desirable – e.g. how they will improve quality of life, make a contribution to the welfare of the community, save money or be in the interests of the committee’s support base / constituents.
• It is sometimes useful to outline briefly what would happen if no action is taken. Be careful not to sound as if you are threatening the decision-makers.
• Offer further information or face-to-face meetings on request.

Meetings

Ask if you can have face-to-face meetings to present your case. Visit the people in their offices or invite them to attend a meeting in the community or with your organisation. Always state the importance of the meeting clearly and provide an agenda and a list of possible outcomes from the meeting. Remember to stress what is in it for the decision-maker.

When meeting a political representative Keep it short and simple. Know why you are there and what you want. Have the facts straight. Be on time, polite and patient. Never be rude. Make the issue personal Be a resource. Leave a one-page fact sheet with you contact details on it. Before you leave say thank-you again. Follow-up on the meeting and build the relationship Provide opportunities for positive publicity – a photo opportunity, event or occasion.

International conferences

Diplomats at UN and Treaty conferences usually expect to be lobbied by their own country campaigners and by other campaigners on their own government’s position around the MDGs and on other governments’ positions. They are trained to be knowledgeable, approachable and “diplomatic”. During the conference you should try to develop a good relationship with diplomats as this might be one of the few opportunities you have to confront decision-makers on issues.

Inspections

Invite decision-makers to come and make on-site inspections if this is appropriate. It sometimes helps to get publicity for inspections and you can then say in your invitation that you have also invited the press to witness the inspection.

Phone calls

Get as many people as possible to phone the decision-maker. Also use faxes and email if possible. Try to get some influential and well known people to phone as well. It will not always be possible to speak to the decision-maker and everyone who phones should leave a clear message.

Publicity

Media attention is a powerful persuasive force, and the more publicity you can get for your issue the better. It always helps to make individual contact with a reporter who is prepared to follow the issue through.

Petitions

Petitions are a useful way of showing popular support for your issue. You can use a petition to get as many signatures as possible from people in the community who are affected by the issue or you can get a smaller number of key individuals or organisations to sign a petition in support of your submission.

2015 No excuses petition Italy launched a No Excuses 2015 petition calling for more and more effective aid, faster and deeper debt relief, more opportunities and fairer trade rules and sharing around global knowledge and technology. It is possible to sign the petition on line at www.millenniumcampaign.it

Obstacles and challenges

• There are some common mistakes that should be avoided. These are taken from The Lobbying and Advocacy Handbook:
• Lone Ranger expectations. Don’t expect one person in an organisation to do it all. It takes many voices to make a difference in policy arenas.
• Petition and postcard campaigns. These lack the personal voice that persuades officials that their support base / constituents really care about the issue.
• Crying wolf! Don’t sound so many alarms that your supporters can’t sort out the real need for action from the stack of fax alerts on the floor.
• Ignoring protocol. Learn the local customs and rules for participating in legislative processes.
• Missing the boat. Don’t wait until too late in the decision-making process to voice your support or concerns.
• Surprises. Public officials expect honesty and full disclosure. Don’t leave your supporters in the lurch by failing to tell them all the facts about an issue. It is part of the lobbyist’s job to tell elected officials who opposes a position, as well as who supports it, and why.
• Angry, hysterical or threatening communication

Benefits

• Without the experience and expertise of civil society organisations, the public debate will never be fully informed. And without such organisations doing direct and grassroots lobbying, many people will never make their voices heard in the centres of power.
• Lobbying builds public policies that improve people’s lives and the places where they live.
• Lobbying is exciting and rewarding work! It gives your organisation an opportunity to provide leadership in shaping and sustaining public policies that reflect your values and priorities.
• You can make a difference. People working together can make a difference.
• People can change laws.
• Lobbying is a democratic tradition.
• Lobbying helps find real solutions.
• Lobbying advances your cause and builds public trust

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