Developing an Advocacy Strategy

Watershed Protection Advocates are usually volunteers, and have limited resources.  Before deciding how to spend your time is worth doing some homework and trying to find out some basic information:

Key Figures

·          Decision-makers:  Who has the power, directly or indirectly, to prevent or advance your goals?  Are they supportive of watershed protection? Do they have all the information? Will they be influenced by logic, emotions or displays of public support or opposition?

·          Allies:  Who are your allies? Can you count on them to keep on supporting watershed protection? Will they take positive steps to support watershed protection? Who can you recruit to support watershed protection?  Coalitions between different allies, with a common strategy, can be most effective.

·          Opponents: Who is opposing watershed protection? Can they be persuaded to support watershed protection? Can their concerns be accommodated? Is there a risk that their numbers will grow as an issue gains profile?

If you are not sure who the key figures, talk to relevant government officials, other environmental organizations, lawyers, and anyone else who may have the expertise and insight you’re looking for (including parties that might be opponents).  Ask lots of questions about how the decisions you are concerned about (or looking for) will be made and listen to their responses and concerns. 

Steps to be taken

This website is about finding tools to help with advocacy.  Whether the laws and planning processes detailed throughout this website, or specific pages on lobbying, public outreach, media outreach, it’s important to be aware of all the steps that you could take to advocate for watershed protection.  In the end, however, the steps that you should take will depend on a variety of factors. 

·          Is there sufficient public or political support that you can hope for an outright win, or will you need to seek to delay the decision until such support can be reached?  Do you want a particular outcome, or would you be satisfied if studies or further research are done to confirm that there is no risk to the watershed?  What are your short and long-term goals?

·          What gives you leverage that will encourage the key figures to listen to you?  Can the leverage be enhanced by raising public awareness or by involving key allies? 

·          What resources are available and how can they best be used?  Can further resources be found, and from where? 

·          What is your time line?  Are there any upcoming events that you can build a campaign around or other deadlines that you have to meet?  Try to be realistic about how much time different steps will take. 

·          Are there legal options available and do they achieve any purpose?

Alternatives and Follow-up

It can be tempting to just stop work when the campaign is over.  Either you won, or you lost, but life goes on.  But lack of follow-up can turn a victory into a defeat.  Think about:

·          What if the campaign is unsuccessful?  Are there steps that can be taken which will minimize the harm or improve the chances of success in the future?

·          If the campaign is successful, how will you build upon it?  Is monitoring and follow-up necessary: once plans are developed, it is essential to ensure that measures are actually implemented.

Related Guide Pages:

·          Advocacy

·          Gathering Information for Advocacy

·          Engaging with Government

·          Public Outreach

·          Media Outreach

·          Legal Tools

For more information about Advocacy Strategies:

·          Strategy Development – An article by Jim Schultz of the Democracy Centre (U.S.) on developing an advocacy strategy.

·          Generic Advocacy Strategy – A powerpoint presentation on the development of an advocacy strategy developed by the Ontario Public Health Association.

·          A How-To Guide for Millennium Eco-Communities – An Environment Canada publication on identifying your community’s needs and becoming involved in making them happen.