Title Page		  
Chapter 1:
Guide to this Manual		  
Chapter 2:
Millennium Development Goal Campaign		  
Chapter 3:
Campaigning toolkit

 
Chapter 4:
Campaign Tools
  1. Using the Media
  2. Building networks and coalitions
  3. Advocacy and lobbying government
  4. Direct Action
  5. Action Research
  6. Using Formal Political Processes
  7. Using the Law
  
Chapter 5:
Campaign Skills		  
Chapter 6:
Campaign Tips		  
Chapter 7:
Links to Campaign Resources		  
   
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Chapter 4: Section 5
Campaign Tools

Action research

What is action research?

Research is the process of gathering reliable and accurate information, analysing it and thereby generating new knowledge. Action research is gathered and published in order to bring about some sort of change in society, rather than simply to generate knowledge. Action research must be current and must have a clear objective, which could be to get more information about a problem, a solution or your target audience. .

Critical success factors

There are three elements to successful action research:

  • The first is having accurate and reliable information. A campaign will fail if the information on which it is based is found to be inaccurate.
  • The second element is effective dissemination of the information. In and of itself, information does not change policy or behaviour. It must be packaged and presented appropriately.
  • The third element is the impact that information has on a target audience. It is important to identify who you are targeting and to understand your target audience (see media skills).

Actions

  • · Generating Information and conducting research

When you plan a campaign or action you have two options for getting accurate information. You can either use existing sources or you can generate your own research.

1. Sources of existing information

  • The press
    Most libraries keep back issues of major newspapers. You can also access articles on a given topic through computer databases or commercial on-line research services. You need to familiarise yourself with what is available in your area.
  • Libraries and registers
    Reference libraries hold valuable local information. Librarians are usually extremely helpful.
  • Government
    The state publishes an enormous amount of information. Records of parliamentary debates and legislation can usually be obtained directly from the government printer. In addition many countries have a statistical service which produces very interesting figures.
  • United Nations
    The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) produces regular Human Development Reports. These are published in over 135 countries and deal specifically with information and issues relating to the Millennium Development Goals. There is a support unit for the production of these reports.
    See http://hdr.undp.org/nhdr/default.cfm
  • Universities and other research institutions
    Universities often have specialised skills and generate ongoing publications. You need to identify specific people in a research institution who share an interest in your issues, and may sometimes get them to reorientate their own research activity to assist you in your campaign.
  • Market research
    Market research can provide valuable information about public perceptions. It is not always readily available.

2. Original research

The design of research should always be driven by clear campaign objectives. Original research can be quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative research focuses on generating statistics, whereas qualitative research explores experience, perception and behaviour. Different techniques are used depending on the purpose for which the research is being conducted.

  • Questionnaires and surveys
    Questionnaires and surveys can generate a lot of information quickly. People who administer questionnaires and surveys need to be properly trained to ensure consistency. The information generated in this way is only of value when it has been analysed. Sampling is the tricky part in conducting a survey. For data to be statistically significant, the sampling process has to be very careful. It is best to get professional researchers and statisticians to design a research process if you want statistically reliable data.
  • Commissioned research
    You can commission research into a specific issue, which is then carried out by professional researchers. The advantage of this is that you generate precisely the information you need and request that the information be packaged appropriately. It can be very useful to commission research into the impact that a campaign is having on policy-makers and policies.
 
 

On credibility

Research credibility is the most important aspect of research. If policy-makers or the media are going to use your research they will assess it for credibility. If they are not knowledgeable on the subject matter, they rely on the following more general factors:The producer organisation. The first guarantee of credible research is the credibility of the organisation that produced it. Factors like size, reputation, independence, government links and research history are all taken into account. Presentation and tone. The format and tone should be appropriate to a piece of thorough and impartial research. The sources and methods of calculation should accompany any figures quoted, the methods employed in carrying out any original research should be explained and justified, and conclusions and argument must be shown to stem directly from the research findings.Quality of research design and implementation. The actual quality of the research itself will depend on many factors. If it draws on existing work, is it comprehensive or has anything important been omitted. If it is original research, does the sample accurately reflect the population? Are the survey methods impartial or do they introduce a weighting or bias into the results?

 

Obstacles and challenges

  • People know that pressure groups only publicise research if it supports their argument. This is the basic credibility problem with which any group has to contend.
  • Conducting statistically sound research is difficult in the area of social sciences. Be wary of using statistical information unless you are absolutely certain that the methodology used to generate the material was reliable.
  • Bias is difficult to eradicate in research and must be carefully managed so as not to undermine credibility.
  • Research seeks to establish relationships. These can be causal or correlational and it is important not to confuse the two.

Benefits

  • Research supplies factual weight to arguments.
  • Research enables a campaign to monitor what is going on and provides intelligence on what is needed and on the opposition.
   

Social Watch research helps to inform provincial actions

Social Watch Philippines started a project to develop a Quality of Life Index for the Philippines to complement the MDG campaign. Unlike other indices, the Quality of Life (QoL) Index ranked provinces, providing a valuable tool to human rights activists and policy-makers. Policy-makers were able to identify which provinces needed urgent attention and lobby for resources for these areas. The research also provided an ideal platform for networking with other civil society organisations, multilateral institutions, academia and the business sector.
For more information on the QoL Index see:
http://www.socialwatch.org/en/acercaDe/beirut/documentos/Philippines%201.doc

(Extract from Paper on Campaigning for the MDGs, Prof Leonor Magtolis Briones, Social Watch Philippines)

 

  • Research supplies factual weight to arguments. It builds confidence by establishing not just whether the campaign is right, but why it is right.
  • Good research enables campaigners to acquire the status of experts, to whom the media naturally turn for comment.

 

   

Budget allocations to prevent maternal mortality in Mexico

In 2001, five women died daily in Mexico because of complications during pregnancy, birth or the immediate period following birth. Twenty-one percent of maternal deaths took place at home; and 68 % of the deceased women lacked access to social security.

Yet, one of the explicit goals is the reduction of the level of maternal mortality to half of its level in 1990. The Mexican government had committed itself to this goal at the international level, and it was enlisted as one of the government’s main health objectives for 2000-2006.

In 2002, Fundar, a centre for analysis and research working on budget issues in Mexico, engaged in a project aimed at evaluating the extent to which public resources were being allocated to the reduction of maternal mortality.

Despite having worked as one of the leading groups in Mexico’s gender budget initiative, Fundar did not have the specific knowledge necessary to analyse to what extent the budget provided the resources needed to reduce maternal mortality. In order to carry out meaningful research and produce politically relevant information, the organisation had to link up with groups that had substantial experience working on maternal mortality and reproductive health issues.

In order to achieve this, two paths were followed:

  • Formal collaboration with longstanding experts in the area
  • Consulting CSOs and networks working on maternal mortality on the research design and process.

The research document that resulted from the project offered more than a hundred pages of data, analysis and argument. In order to turn this document into a tool for advocacy, several steps had still to be taken, namely:

  • Providing an accessible summary of the information
  • Dissemination through workshops
  • Linking the research to current political debates
  • Using the research to open doors with officials
  • Media publicity.

The strategy had several different results, which can be grouped in four categories:

Effect on the policy: The federal government earmarked a substantial amount of decentralised health resources to programs specifically targeting maternal health.

Moment building: The strategic alliance between Fundar and the network of groups dedicated to the reduction of maternal mortality has been continuing uninterruptedly. Furthermore, the profile of maternal mortality was raised, building sustained momentum for advocacy.

What worked, what didn’t work and what was discarded: One of the important strategic choices made within the wider network was to contrast the money allocated to maternal and reproductive health with other areas of spending. to the campaign highlighted that resources were indeed available, but had been spent on something else – to the detriment of health expenditures. This made the argument defensible, even for officials of the health ministry themselves.

Lessons learned:

  • The research responded to the issues identified by the groups working on the topic on a daily basis. This made the results meaningful to their efforts.
  • The information was presented in a timely fashion, making use of the political opportunities offered by the discussion of the budget—as well as by the strength stemming from a broad coalition.
  • A shared perspective and a common understanding were built, thus allowing for a constructive alliance and future collaboration.
  • The differing strengths of the various actors were made use of, in order to achieve better results.
  • The ground was established for further collaboration with the Health Ministry, in order to turn the effort into a continued struggle.

Factors that contributed to the success of the strategy:

  • The Mexican government had committed itself at the international level to the reduction of maternal mortality. This commitment was also enshrined in the administration’s health program. The analysis could therefore be directly related to what the government was saying and expressing as concerns.
  • In 2003 an access to information law was passed in Mexico. This has made it possible, in subsequent efforts, to request more information and access more detailed data.
  • In 2003 as well, a change in the structure of the Ministry of Health contributed to a stronger interaction and discussion within the Department.
  • Networks and women’s groups working on maternal mortality were craving solid and unquestionable policy information for their struggle. Fundar’s willingness to define its research and later findings in a collaborative way gave them the assurance of a strengthened perspective.
  • The committee on gender equity in Congress was headed by the left-wing PRD, which was willing to question the decisions of the right-wing Executive.

(Extracted from case study by Helena Hofbauer, FUNDAR, Center for Analysis and Research)

 


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