Step 4

Develop a Strategy

A strategy will allow you to be proactive instead of being just reactive.  One of the most confusing things about advocacy is the difference between “strategy” and “tactics”.  Tactics are specific steps (i.e. writing letters, circulating petitions, staging a protest, lobbying) which are the building blocks of the strategy.  Strategy is the overall map that organizes all the considerations (i.e. goals, resources, constituency, allies, opponents, targets, and timeline) to help guide the execution of specific tactics toward achieving clear goals.  The key components of an effective strategy include:

• Goals: What do you want to achieve -- short, intermediate and long term?
  These goals need to be clear and they must be defined from the start by the group. 
   
• Resources:  What resources do you have and need?
  Take careful stock of the resources (i.e. volunteers, alliances, phones, money, desks, computers, etc.) you already have to put into a campaign; how you want to build your organization (i.e. more money, larger office space, leadership development); and what internal problems you have that may get in the way (i.e. no full-time staff).  When listing what you have and need, be honest with yourself because these resources will help determine the scope of your tactics and overall strategy.
  

• Your Constituents: Who are your members and who will be affected by your issue?
  Your constituents are critical to the success of your campaign.  They will be the ones who sign the petitions, volunteer, donate money, and attend key meetings. Identifying who they are and understanding how they are organized is essential.  
  

• Your Allies: Who supports you, but are not members of your organization or coalition?
  Many organizations work on children’s issues or other social justice issues that can be strong allies in a campaign.  Nurture relationships with people or organizations that may support your issues, but are not in your immediate coalition.  They can help give you access to information or contacts that open doors to elected officials.  
  

• Your Opponents: Who will actively oppose you?
  People will always disagree on any given subject.  However, you should be concerned with those who are willing to actively organize against you.  Understanding who they are, their allies, their strengths, and their motivations for actively opposing you can help guide your tactics.
  

• Your Target:  Who can give you what you want?
  There are two type of targets: primary and secondary.  Primary target(s) are the actual decision maker(s) with formal authority (i.e. legislators).  Secondary target(s) are those who can give you what you want by influencing your primary targets (staff members or media). Make sure that you build relationships with both.
  

• Tactics: What specific steps do you need to take to get what you want?
  Now that you know what resources you have and need and who your constituents, allies, opponents, and targets are, you can figure out what specific tactics or steps make sense to achieve your goals. Will your resources allow you to organize an effective effort?  Will a demonstration work in convincing your target?  How many constituents can you get to write letters, and will it be enough to catch your targets' attention?  As you can see, your tactics depend on all the other elements in your strategy.  
  

• Timeline:  When must it get done?
  Once you have decided on your tactics, set deadlines so you can manage your time and plan tactics according to schedules beyond your control. (For example, you do not want to plan a petition drive when City Council is on vacation.) Having a timeline also helps you avoid scheduling events that conflict with other events that compete for the same media coverage.  
  

• Reevaluation:  Do you need to modify your strategy?
  As you implement your strategy, make sure you plan time to periodically reevaluate each of the major components of your plan.  A good strategy should be flexible enough to quickly correct wrong assumptions and discard tactics that do not work while staying the course. When and how often you should reevaluate your strategy can depend on circumstances that may be beyond your control (i.e. a new court ruling or your target resigns). However, it is often a good idea to reassess your strategy midway through your campaign.
  

• Celebrate  
  Advocacy is often a long process that can take years to bear results. Therefore, it is important to keep constituents, partners, and the general public informed about what is happening and to celebrate large and small successes. Celebrating success improves morale within the group and builds political momentum for future efforts.
  
  

Resources

 Policy Initiatives
 Policy Ideas
 Enacted Policies Across the Country