ENHANCEMENT OF THE

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT IN

THE SOUTHERN

MEDITERRANEAN

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

Capacity Building Seminar Ansgar Cordier

Beirut Sep 14th, 2016

EBESM Project 2

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

3 EBESM Project

What is advocacy?

• All lobbying is advocacy, but not all advocacy

is lobbying

• Lobbying = approach law makers directly on an

issue of specific, even limited interest ;

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

4 EBESM Project

What is advocacy?

General definition:

• Supporting an idea, a concept, an action

etc. and attempting to persuade others of

the importance of that cause;

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

5 EBESM Project

What is advocacy?

• A group effort focused on changing particular

public policies

• Effort to influence government policies in a

open and transparent manner;

• Representing the views of members of a

particular group by making their positions known

to legislators, regulators and other policymakers

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

6 EBESM Project

A very short history of:

Advocacy

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

7 EBESM Project

17th to 18th century:

Liberalism

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

8 EBESM Project

19th to 20th century:

Imperialism

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

9 EBESM Project

20th to 21st century:

Globalization

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

10 EBESM Project

What advocacy is NOT:

• Obtain preferential treatment for one company,

business sector (at the expense of others,

example: NRA);

• Solve day-to-day business problems or private

disputes of members;

• Policy advocacy is not to be equated with

unethical financial backdoor practices to

influence politicians

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

11 EBESM Project

Classical issues of advocacy

• Governmental policies;

• Court decisions;

• Executive decrees and orders;

• Regulations;

• Legislative acts;

• Political party positions

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

12 EBESM Project

Classical issues of private sector-driven

advocacy

• Starting a business: Ease of establishing a

business, availability of credit and capital, support

for SMEs etc.;

• Running a business: Taxes, corporate

governance, labor law issues, labor costs, non-

wage labor costs;

• International competition: fair competition

legislation, enforcement of contracts, trade rules

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

13 EBESM Project

Advocacy is often in conflict with the “official”,

i.e. governmental stand on specific issues:

•Business-friendly taxation: inheritance tax (GER)

•Trade-conducive tariff and duty legislation: TTIP

•De-bureaucratization of administrative procedures;

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

14 EBESM Project

Key audiences of advocacy:

those who influence public policies, e.g.:

• Lawmakers: need of information on business

environment;

• Media: analyze governmental information through

alternative voice of private sector institutions;

• Bureaucrats and administration: do their job

better while having private sector perspective at

hand;

Your campaign

Source: World Bank Institute

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

15 EBESM Project

1. Diagnose

2. Design

3. Develop

4. Deploy

5. Debrief

• Analyze stakeholders

• Assess risks

• Find allies

• Identify intend for reforms

• Formulate message

• Find an engagement strategy

• Identify tactics and timing

• Draft and develop communication strategy

• Evaluate impact

• Assess effect and roll-out of

campaign

• Draw conclusions for further

campaigns!

• Put the campaign into action

• Stick to the knitting!

Stakeholder targeting

Source: World Bank Institute

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

16 EBESM Project

1. Diagnose

2. Design

3. Develop

4. Deploy

5. Debrief

• Analyze stakeholders

• Assess risks

• Find allies

• Identify intend for reforms

• Formulate message

• Find an engagement strategy

• Identify tactics and timing

• Draft and develop communication strategy

• Evaluate impact

• Assess effect and roll-out of

campaign

• Draw conclusions for further

campaigns!

• Put the campaign into action

• Stick to the knitting!

17 EBESM Project

Priority for the government?

Recently been featured in the media?

Similar policies: approved or rejected in recently?

Interesting to the general public?

Can individual members influence these decisions?

Prior interaction between BMOs and relevant ministries?

If so: what were the outcomes?

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

ANTICIPATE YOUR CHANCES FOR SUCCESS:

Case study:

Cash for Clunkers

Association of German Car Manufacturers:

18 EBESM Project

1) Scrap your car!

2) Get € 2,500 !

19 EBESM Project

Priority for the government?

Recently been featured in the media?

Similar policies: approved or rejected in recently?

Interesting to the general public?

Can individual members influence these decisions?

Prior interaction between BMOs and ministries?

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

CHANCES FOR SUCCESS:

Y

N

N

YY

N

Y

Case study: how to influence

regulation

20 EBESM Project

Umbrella organization of German industry and

industry-related services

Member associations: 36 trade associations

Indirect membership: 100,000 enterprises with

around 8 million employees

Voluntary membership

Federation of German Industries (BDI)

Case study: how to influence

regulation

21 EBESM Project

Federation of German Industries (BDI)

Case study: how to influence

regulation (BDI)

22 EBESM Project

Overview of BDI advocacy tools:

Bilateral Meetings with policy makers;

Comments on current developments via website or

newsletter;

Organization of workshops, roundtables and

conferences with relevant political stakeholders;

Policy Papers and brochures on specific topics;

Participation in Panel Discussions (organized by

other industry groups, political organizations, NGOs);

Press interviews

WHY STAKEHOLDER MAPPING?

• To better target advocacy campaigns

– Target influential stakeholders first

– Base supporters

• To weight on policy stakeholders and their influence

– Parliament/Parliamentary Leaders

– Administration/PM office

– Grassroots/Stakeholders/Voters

• To forecast the degree of commitment

• To plan micro-targeting or trade-offs

23 EBESM Project

Source: World Bank Institute

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

I F C

H E B

G D A

Issue predisposition

No

t

Mayb

e

V

ery

STAKEHOLDER MAPPING FOR ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS

For Undecided Against

24

I F C

H E B

G D A

24

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

© World Bank Institute

Drafting the message

© World Bank Institute

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

25 EBESM Project

1. Diagnose

2. Design

3. Develop

4. Deploy

5. Debrief

• Analyze stakeholders

• Assess risks

• Find allies

• Identify intend for reforms

• Formulate message

• Find an engagement strategy

• Identify tactics and timing

• Draft and develop communication strategy

• Evaluate impact

• Assess effect and roll-out of

campaign

• Draw conclusions for further

campaigns!

• Put the campaign into action

• Stick to the knitting!

Developing a message: 7 C’s of advocacy messaging

• Concise

• Compelling (and convincing)

• Credible

• Character-defining

• Contrasting

• Contextual

• Consistent

Source: World Bank Institute

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

26 EBESM Project

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

27 EBESM Project

Key audiences of advocacy (again!) are

those who influence public policies, e.g.:

• Lawmakers: need of information on business

environment;

• Media: analyze governmental information through

alternative voice of private sector institutions;

• Bureaucrats and administration: do their job

better while having private sector perspective at

hand;

Draw the right

communication

channels!

© World Bank Institute

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

28 EBESM Project

1. Diagnose

2. Design

3. Develop

4. Deploy

5. Debrief

• Analyze stakeholders

• Assess risks

• Find allies

• Identify intend for reforms

• Formulate message

• Find an engagement strategy

• Identify tactics and timing

• Draft and develop communication strategy

• Evaluate impact

• Assess effect and roll-out of

campaign

• Draw conclusions for further

campaigns!

• Put the campaign into action

• Stick to the knitting!

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

29 EBESM Project

Choose the right communication tool for

positioning your advocacy right:

•Press release: clarity, brevity, details, format;

•Comment: 1-2 pager – reaction on an issue;

•Policy paper: like issue brief but more detailed and

explanatory;

•Fact sheets: answer FQAs;

•Speeches: of chairpersons and key

representatives;

•Social media

Source: CIPE

30 EBESM Project

Preparing a Position Paper

for Policy Reform

Comment Position paper

Impulse comes from

external action:

• proposal for new law

• BDI invited to comment

Impulse comes from

internal resources:

➜sets the agenda!

➜propose solutions!

➜is pro-active! ➜is re-active!

Source: BDI

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

31 EBESM Project

Advocacy has to be fact-based!

• A favorable investment and business climate is

central to growth and development.

• Effective policies to improve the climate require

sound evidence.

• Therefore: evidence is urgently needed to support

your policy position!

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

32 EBESM Project

Evidence for advocacy (1):

• use data provided by think-tanks:

– indices;

– data of continuous surveys;

• undertake your own research:

– business barometers;

– surveys among members;

– pros & cons

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

33 EBESM Project

Evidence for advocacy (1):

• use data provided by think-tanks:

– indices;

– data of continuous surveys;

• Federation of German Industries:

– own macro analytical and research department but:

– ONLY data provided by other providers (EUROSTAT,

National Bureau of Statistics, regional administrations,

research institutes etc.) are used for BDI’s advocacy

Conducting advocacy

research and communication

34 EBESM Project

Evidence for advocacy (1):

• undertake your own research:

– business barometers;

– surveys among members;

– pros & cons

• Association of Ghana Industries:

– very small research department but:

– main advocacy tool is the quarterly “AGI Business

Barometer” (panel: 300 interviewees on current and

future business expectation)

Message delivery

© World Bank Institute

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

35 EBESM Project

1. Diagnose

2. Design

3. Develop

4. Deploy

5. Debrief

• Analyze stakeholders

• Assess risks

• Find allies

• Identify intend for reforms

• Formulate message

• Find an engagement strategy

• Identify tactics and timing

• Draft and develop communication strategy

• Evaluate impact

• Assess effect and roll-out of

campaign

• Draw conclusions for further

campaigns!

• Put the campaign into action

• Stick to the knitting!

36 EBESM Project

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

37 EBESM Project

Straightforward but important:

All members of your organization (i.e.

chairpersons, directors, staff, committee members)

convey the same message!

Inconsistent messages undermine credibility of

your organization.

Inconsistent communication is a common reason

for failure of advocacy campaigns!

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

Measure your

performance

© World Bank Institute

Advocacy campaigns

step by step

38 EBESM Project

1. Diagnose

2. Design

3. Develop

4. Deploy

5. Debrief

• Analyze stakeholders

• Assess risks

• Find allies

• Identify intend for reforms

• Formulate message

• Find an engagement strategy

• Identify tactics and timing

• Draft and develop communication strategy

• Evaluate impact

• Assess effect and roll-out of

campaign

• Draw conclusions for further

campaigns!

• Put the campaign into action

• Stick to the knitting!

Thank you for your attention

Name: Ansgar Cordier

Email: info@ansgarcordier.de

EBESM Project 39