C REATING E VIDENCE B ASED A DVOCACY

C REATING E VIDENCE B ASED A DVOCACY CAMPAIGN IN E A P COUNTRIES Armenia, Georgia V 4 countries 2016

THE ICDT: WHO WE ARE An Introduction : The ICDT is an international non-profit organization based in Budapest, Hungary established in 2005, which collects the experiences of recent democratic transitions and shares them with those who are determined to follow that same path. Our Mission : The ICDT’s mission is to facilitate the smooth and peaceful process of democratic transition on the basis of participatory principles; the political, economic, legal, cultural, and civil societal aspects of transformation; and the socio-cultural context of regions and countries where the process takes place. What we do : ICDT compiles the collective and individual experiences of peoples from all around Europe and analyses data, organizes and hosts conferences, drafts and presents reports, and perhaps most importantly, by runs field-projects in many transition countries. Website : http: //www. icdt. hu/

ANNAMARIA KEKESI C URRENTPOSITION : Development Director at ICDT E XPERIENCEFIELDS : ➢ Cross-border and human resources development ➢ Democratic transition process ➢ International development issues ➢ International donor environment ➢ Policy analysis and advocacy A CTIVITY : ➢ Program manager ➢ International training programs and conference manager ➢ Consultant and coach ➢ Strategist in programmes/project planning, design, monitoring and evaluation ➢ Fundraising ➢ NGO manager, policy-analyst and advocator

1. UNDERSTANDING ADVOCACY

WHAT IS ADVOCACY? influence decision-makers’ opinion or the publics’ opinion in such a way that they accept your idea of what good policy should look like and they take the steps in implementing your good policy. Core characteristics of Advocacy: Long-term process Context-dependent Planned strategy Organization Communication

TYPES OF ADVOCACY Direc t advo cacy : Individuals or organisations aim to influence decision-makers. Ind i rect advo cacy : Individuals or organisations aim to influence public opinion, wh ich in turn should stren gt hen their cause and in turn infl uential decisionmake rs into changing the policy. Citiz en -advo cacy : A cause is p leaded on behalf of a group o f people. Sel f-advo cacy : An individu al or a group is pleading its own cause. Unive rsal value s : Rig ht-based advocacy : in fluence policy-maker on the basis o f a claim of a unive rsal right. Research data : Evid en ce -based advocacy : claim that policy change would be good because evi dence sugge sts that different policy would work better than the current pol icy.

TO BE CONVINCING The quality of the evidence depends on : The quality of the data used for evidence-gathering The analytical skill of the interpreter The communication capabilities of the advocate

2. SKILLS OF ADVOCACY

COMPONENTS Component Component 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: The The Issue Evidence Goals and Objectives Advocate Message Recipients Monitoring Process Evaluation

COMPONENT 1: PRIORITZING ISSUES Tips : In the case of evidence-based advocacy, detailed knowledge of various aspects of the issue is necessary to understand the causes and the problem of the issue at hand.

COMPONENT 2: STRENGTH THE EVIDENCE Determination of useful indicators to gather information Setting the indicators involves defining the concept into measurable terms. For the data-collection phase, you can follow: § A qualitative method § A quantitative method § both combined In order to determine whether your data is valid : How representative is the sample for the entire population? Is the data complete or are there important measurements missing? Is the data-collection and interpretation free from values, or are the researchers biased? Data is reliable when the same tests produce the same results.

COMPONENT 3. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Goals: the long-term project VS Objectives : concrete ways through which the goal can be achieved

SMART GOALS

COMPONENT 4: THE ADVOCATE = YOU! Individual skills: Analytical skills Writing skills Public speech skills Argumentation skills Communication skills Networking skills Monitoring skills Evaluating skills

INTO PRACTICE! The Speech that made Obama President https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=OFPw. De 22 Co. Y The Best Pro Gun Spokesman Ever https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=vt. AAI 4 xnmz. E The Virtual Presidency’s Video on Gun Control https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=B 5 ELy. G 9 V 1 SY

INTO PRACTICE Interview Introductions For/Against Debates § Attachment: Exercise 1

INTO PRACTICE! How to build an argumentation Introduction § Grab the attention § Establish the need/problem demanding their attention Body § Satisfaction: bring a solution § Vizualisation: how they will benefit from it Conclusion § Action: Provide the means to act § Attachment: Exercise 2

INTO PRACTICE! Show us! Elevator pitch! Attachment: Exercise 2

INTO PRACTICE! Networking exercise: Who is the influencer? § Attachment: Exercise 3

ORGANIZATION’S CAPACITIES Capacities which are important for an organization in order to carry out the advocacy process: Sustain the long-term process Adapt to the context Define and approach stakeholders Organize in an effective way Identify goals and objectives and construct the right strategies.

COMPONENT 5: THE MESSAGE The language: It should be plain, meaning that we have to be absolutely clear about what we want to say so it is easily understandable. The audience need to understand be convinced about our ideas. The Target: If we see advocacy as a means of getting a certain group of people to adopt our ideas, The starting point should be to know this group of people as thoroughly as possible. The profile of the target group will be our guide in the whole process of communicating our message.

THE MESSAGE Appropriate tools according to your audience:

RISKS FOR YOUR MESSAGE You should : Pay special attention to the negative reaction of the opponents you will inevitably encounter. Always consider the potential risks of our actions. Try to avoid producing such positions or evidence that would seem to support a position with which we do not want to be associated with Be prepared to defend our point of view and work out how to manage predictable responses and even get ready for irrational ones. Advice We must not forget that advocacy is not about presenting some findings, but a two-way process in which our message will develop through a dialogue with the audience.

COMPONENT 6: THE RECIPIENTS Allies supporters of our cause Beneficiairies will benefit from the changes brought about by a successful campaign Opponents are prone to actively opposing our cause. Decision makers (or primary target) have the authority to bring about the change we wish to achieve Influencers (or secondary target) have the power to influence decision makers

TARGET AUDIENCE Decision maker (primary target) The bodies, organizations that represent institutionalized power. Our target is always a person or a group of people, who have the power to respond to or act upon our demand for change Influencers (secondary target) relatives, business associates, staff, and advisors – formal or informal – of the primary target. They may also include people or groups opposing our aims.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE AUDIENCE Who has the power to bring about the desired change? Who are the primary targets of the field we wish to influence? At what institutional level is the actual decision made? What is the process of arriving to a decision? Who are the primary and the secondary targets in the specific issue? From among the targets – either primary or secondary – who are supportive, who are opposed to it, and who are undecided?

COMPONENT 7: THE MONITORING PROCESS Monitoring = the systematic and continuous assessment of the progress of a piece of work over time which checks that things are going to plan and enables adjustments to be made in a methodical way Indicators = quantitative or qualitative factor or variable that provides a simple and reliable means to measure achievement, to reflect changes connected to an intervention

COMPONENT 8: EVALUATION 5 - criteria to evaluate our advocacy campaign: relevance (is the issue at hand still present), efficiency (whether the resources were used wisely), effectiveness (did we managed to realize the changes we planned), - impact (did these changes changed something in the life of the target group), - sustainability (are these changes lasting).

INTO PRACTICE! Imagine a campaign on Evidence-based Advocacy for Gender Equity and Equality in Education. In order to decide what you want to change and how you need indicators. Please come up with indicators and discuss their purposes: a) b) c) d) e) Gender Development Index (GDI) Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) Gender Parity Index (GPI) for Adult Literacy rate GPI for Survival Rate to Grade 5 Percentage of Female Teachers in Primary, Secondary and Vocational and Technical Education f) Percentage of female staff holding senior positions within the Ministry of Education Please discuss in groups sources of evidence data. § Attachment: Exercise 4

INTO PRACTICE! Europe 2020 indicators Poverty and social exclusion Please read the messages and discuss the possible indicators in groups. Examples of indicators: At risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) Persons living in households with low work intensity Material deprivation Monetary poverty § Attachment: Exercise 5 + Handout

INTO PRACTICE! Key messages • Almost every fourth person in the EU was still at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2014. • More than 30 % of young people aged 18 to 24 and 27. 8 % of children aged less than 18 were at risk in 2014. At 17. 8 %, this rate was considerably lower among the elderly aged 65 or over. • Of all groups examined, the unemployed faced the greatest risk of poverty or social exclusion, at 66. 7 % in 2014. • 35 % of adults with at most lower secondary educational attainment were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2014. 63. 8 % of children of parents with pre-primary and lower secondary education were at risk as well. • In 2014, 40. 1 % of adults born in a country outside the EU-28 and 24. 8 % of those born in a different EU 28 country than the reporting one were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. For native citizens, however, only 22. 5 % of the population was at this risk. • Monetary poverty was the most widespread form of poverty with 17. 2 % of EU citizens affected in 2014. Next were severe material deprivation and very low work intensity, affecting 9 % and 11. 2 % of EU citizens respectively. • Overall, 9. 5 % of the working EU population was at risk of poverty in 2014.

3. BEST PRACTICES

Step Step 1: Assessing the initial situation 2: Collecting the data 3: Forming the mission, the goals and the objectives 4: Knowing who receives the message 5: Making the advocacy message 6: Assessing the success of the message

STEP 1: ASSESSING THE PROBLEM Define the problem: What is the advocacy issue to be addressed? Why is it important and to whom? How has the issue been raised? Does the problem have a policy dimension? What current policies reinforce the problem? What changes in policies could lead to improvement? Who is responsible for those policies?

TOOLS! Example of a problem tree

INTO PRACTICE! Exercise: Do a problem tree and come up with a strategy 1. Identify major problems in a given situation 2. Select an individual starter problem 3. Look for related problems to the starter problem 4. Establish a hierarchy of cause and effects § Direct causes are put below § Direct effects are put above 5. Complete with all other problems 6. Connect the problems with cause-effect arrows 7. Review the diagram and verify its validity and completeness

STEP 2: COLLECTING THE DATA RESEARCH Provide proof for any claims or arguments that may be used by doing research. Advantages of careful research: facts and statistics hard evidence By digging deeper discover further information to support our case. By comparing similar events or cases estimate the outcome of our campaign. A real life practical example can improve the effectiveness of our campaign. By making cost- benefits arguments we will be able to convince our targets easier. credibility through researching well people listen to and believe in us. By researching on possible counter arguments prepared for the oppositions claims. Become the expert of an issue officials might ask us for our

STEP 3: FORMING THE MISSION, THE GOALS AND THE OBJECTIVES Define Objectives: What are the long-term social changes we wish to see? Who is affected by these changes and how? What are the short-term outcomes or solutions we wish to achieve? What is the expected impact of our plan?

SMART OBJECTIVES Not so SMART examples: We will create a video about accountability for environmental issues Unspecific Screenings of our video will result in more positive response from the public Difficult to measure The video will make officials ratify the Kyoto Protocol immediately Is it achievable? The video will result in a 500% increase in women landowners in 2 months Unrealistic We aim for the recommendations outlined in the No time frame video to be adopted soon

SMART OBJECTIVES Make it SMART Provideo documentation training to activist to Specific plan of collect filmed evidence of violations of action environmental laws and submit this as evidence to courts Through screenings of the video, we aim to increase community dialogue by 15% over the next 6 months Measurable We will provide a video report with recommendation for interim steps towards ratification of the Kyoto Protocol More achievable We aim for a 20% increase in female landownership in the targeted areas by the end of the campaign Realistic We aim to improve the anti-discrimination law advocated for in our video pass by August 2017 No time frame

STEP 4: KNOWING WHO RECEIVES THE MESSAGE Who may be considered as a stakeholder? Individuals, groups, or organizations, of any form, size and capacity that can influence the decision making processes are identified as stakeholders. Both national and international actors and institutions, local and state governments and officials, nongovernmental organizations, associations, interest groups, profit and non for profit organizations, researchers and academics, media.

STAKEHOLDERS’ ANALYSIS Their (initial) position on the issue Their interests Their beliefs The environment Their power and influence

INTO PRACTICE! How would you place the following people/organisations in the grid. Why? § Attachment: Exercise 6 + Handout

STEP 5: MAKING THE ADVOCACY MESSAGE Here is an example of a set of strong, clear, evidence-based key messages. Can you see the evidence, name the target audience and identify the action? 1. Over 22 million worldwide are still un- or under-vaccinated, most of them in lowincome countries. About one and a half million children still die each year from diseases. 2. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has supported countries to immunize 440 million children, equal to the combined populations of France, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America. (USA). This will help to save 6 million lives over the long term – equal to the combined annual births of France, the UK and USA. 3. In addition, more than 200 million people have been immunized through targeted vaccine campaigns against deadly and debilitating diseases like meningitis A, yellow fever, measles and rubella. 4. In 2016– 2020, impact will accelerate. With sufficient support, Gavi-supported countries can immunize 300 million children in just five years, saving 5 to 6 million lives over the long term. 5. Your contribution can make a huge difference and save lives – support the 2015 Gavi Replenishment!

VIDEO EXAMPLES Save Paper to Save Forests: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=j. HQGy. MBt. E 9 Y

TRANSNATIONAL ADVOCACY NETWORKS Recent interactions have built networks which consist of researchers and experts in a variety of fields as well as activists. These networks are present transnationally, regionally and domestically and play a significant role in shaping social and cultural norms. By expanding their networks, international resources can be easily accessible and used to improve on a variety of situations such as the environment, human rights, transparency, etc.

HOW DO TRANSNATIONAL ADVOCACY NETWORKS WORK? Information politics: politically usable information has to be moved to where it has the most impact. Information is often transferred in an informal way , through telephone calls, e-mail, fax, newsletters, or pamphlets. Symbolic politics: activists try to create and support explanations for their desired goals with the help of symbolic events. Leverage politics: we must distinguish between material leverage, which usually involves either money, goods, trade or prestige and moral leverage that plays with the potential of shame state actors might deal with. Accountability politics: networks push state actors to make commitments and chose a side in a certain issue.

CONCORD AND TRIALOG Concord: a European confederation of relief and development NGO’s. It consist of 28 national associations, 20 international networks, and 3 associate members that represent over 2, 600 NGO’s. Concord achieved great success through cooperation and networking and was able to successfully execute its flagship operation TRIALOG. Example of an action: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=4 bi. A_Ivt 5 Co http: //concordeurope. org/

STEP 6: ASSESSING THE SUCCESS OF THE MESSAGE When assessing the success of the message we look for five key reactions: 1. The attention value of the message; 1. The comprehensibility of the message; 2. Relevance to the intended audience; 3. Strengths and weaknesses; 4. Sensitive and controversial elements.

CASE STUDIES

EAB SUCCESS STORY IN GEORGIA https: //vimeo. com/99730805

SUCCESS STORY Case Study: Successful advocacy in Ukraine - The story behind new morphine availability

THE BACKGROUND On February 1, 2013, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health signed decree #77 that registered morphine sulphate in tables – giving the patients and their families' opportunity to live their lives to the fullest without humiliation and suffering. Ukrainian NGOs joined Human Rights Watch in documenting patients' stories of lack or absence of pain management for terminally ill patients.

THE NEXT STEP Networking and linking with others: The The The International Palliative Care Initiative International Renaissance Foundation Pain and Policy Studies Group Union for International Cancer Control Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance European Association for Palliative Care

THE CAMPAIGN The Stop Pain Campaign was launched in late 2011. Mobilization of stakeholders.

THE KEY POINT Media attention, strong pressure from human rights activists, professional community and support from key people at the Ministry of Health placed the issue of oral morphine in the frame of human rights and dignity, and there was no return point.

THE PROGRESS Establishment of the League for Palliative and Hospice Care in Ukraine. December 2011, the official meeting at Ministry of Health with the executive director of Interchem. Announcement of drug development process.

YOUR TURN!

THE TASK Please discuss in groups examples of evidence-based campaigns you have experienced/you are planning and identify the following issues: ü What is the objective of the campaign? ü Stakeholders ü Indicators/data Create an evidence-based message using the template Identify key factors of success of your campaign Prepare a policy letter Presentation of each group § Handout: Worksheet and Policy letter templates

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