Understanding Advocacy: Strategies for Influencing Public Policy and Improving Business Environment

1. Introduction to advocacy

2. Objectives • Understand what is meant by the enabling environment • Understand the important and purpose of dialogue and advocacy • Be aware of the steps in the advocacy process • Be aware of a range of advocacy techniques • Be able to identify an issue and prepare a concept note

3. Governments & regulation • Regulations are form of government intervention • Costs (usually to business) but also benefits (usually to society) • Competing pressures – from business, consumers, employees, environmentalists • Financial burdens • Administrative burdens

4. The virtuous circle

5. The enabling environment • Legislative & regulatory framework • Government policy and macro-economy • Access to finance • Protection of intellectual property rights • Availability of skilled labour • Commercial justice and contract enforcement • Infrastructure (power, water, telecoms etc) • Transport • Land ownership • Corruption

6. Regulatory reform • Less new regulation • Improving existing regulation • Providing guidance for compliance • Promote culture of inspectors as ‘coaches’ and not as ‘cops’

7. Advocacy Advocacy is the act of influencing, or attempting to influence, the way that someone else thinks about, and acts on, an issue. Private sector advocacy describes attempts by the private sector to influence public policy in an effort to improve the business environment.

8. Private public dialogue • Pre-requisite for effective advocacy • Implies regular contact • Promotes mutual understanding • Builds confidence • Provides ready means of communication

9. 5 Step Approach

10. Identify issues • Feedback from members • Surveys of members • Surveys of other businesses in the sector • Follow press & media • Build relationships with other BMOs & NGOs • Monitor activities of key MDAs • Forge relationships with keyMDAs • Research (in brief) scale of impact • Research (in brief) depth of impact

11. Understand the issues • Research history & rationale for public policy and understand cause of issue • Gather evidence of impact • Consider possible solutions & research implications • Research decision making processes for the specific issue • Research current opinions and attitudes of policy makers

12. Develop responses & proposals • Prepare proposal • Be clear, succinct & compelling • Stress the benefits – to all parties • If possible, demonstrate wide support (or at least little opposition)

13. Influence policy makers • Identify relevant audiences (primary & secondary) • Senior civil servants? • Staff in regulatory agencies? • Parliamentarians? • Ministers? • Be clear about objectives • Help policy makers to do their job • Focus on areas where best chance of making a difference

14. Follow up • Press release – cheer on success • Monitor progress • If necessary, assist MDA, eg with further information • If necessary, go back to stage 4

15. Advocacy techniques • Promote dialogue • Prepare evidence based policy proposals • Meet with public sector policy makers • Negotiation • Form coalitions • Mobilise grass roots support • Organise a press campaign • Evaluation

16. Managing your organisation • Strategy & business plan • Project plans – objectives, targets, milestones • Financial forecasts • Effective team building, delegation & appraisal • Monitoring progress & corrective action • Financial control & reporting

17. The concept note

18. The process

19. wiki.businessadvocacy.net