ADVOCACY TOOLBOX FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS

AUGUST 2009 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was prepared by Dr. Timothy Mutesasira and Mr. James Kintu on behalf of the State University of New York Center for International Development (SUNY/CID) and its subcontractor RTI International (RTI) under the USAID/Strengthening Democratic Linkages in Uganda (LINKAGES) activity. USAID contract number: 617-C-00-07-00006-00.

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ADVOCACY TOOLBOX FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS

DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................................................IV

LIST OF FIGURES...............................................................................................................IV

ABBREVIATIONS................................................................................................................. V

1.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 1

2.0 UNDERSTANDING ADVOCACY.............................................................................. 2

2.1 WHAT IS ADVOCACY? ........................................................................................... 2 2.2 TYPES OF ADVOCACY ............................................................................................ 3

2.2.1 Collaboration ........................................................................................... 3 2.2.2 Direct Resistance...................................................................................... 3 2.2.3 Complementary Activities......................................................................... 3 2.2.4 Sensitisation/Awareness Raising .............................................................. 3

3.0 THE ADVOCACY PROCESS: NINE BASIC STEPS............................................... 4

3.1 STEP 1: IDENTIFYING POLICY ISSUES FOR ACTION.............................................. 4 3.2 STEP 2: SELECTING AN ADVOCACY OBJECTIVE................................................... 5 3.3 STEP 3: USING DATA AND RESEARCH FOR ADVOCACY........................................ 6 3.4 STEP 4: IDENTIFYING ADVOCACY AUDIENCES ..................................................... 7 3.5 STEP 5: DEVELOPING AND DELIVERING ADVOCACY MESSAGES......................... 8

3.5.1 Developing Advocacy Messages............................................................... 9 3.5.2 Three Keys to Credibility in Communication........................................... 9 3.5.3 Reinforcing Advocacy Messages ............................................................ 10

3.6 STEP 6: BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR ADVOCACY (NETWORKS AND COALITIONS)........................................................................................................ 12 3.6.1 Pillars of Partnerships ........................................................................... 12 3.6.2 Definitions of Common Types of Partnerships....................................... 12 3.6.3 Building an Advocacy Network .............................................................. 13 3.6.4 Building a Coalition ............................................................................... 14 3.6.5 Why Coalitions Are Important ............................................................... 14 3.6.6 Participating in a Coalition ................................................................... 15 3.6.7 Challenges to Coalitions ........................................................................ 16

3.7 STEP 7: MAKING PERSUASIVE PRESENTATIONS................................................. 17 3.7.1 Dealing with Bureaucracy...................................................................... 17 3.7.2 What Bureaucrats Want From Advocacy Groups .................................. 18

3.8 STEP 8: FUNDRAISING FOR ADVOCACY .............................................................. 19 3.9 STEP 9: MONITORING AND EVALUATING ADVOCACY EFFORTS........................ 20

3.9.1 Monitoring.............................................................................................. 20 3.9.2 Importance of Monitoring in an Advocacy Campaign ........................... 21 3.9.3 The Monitoring Framework ................................................................... 21 3.9.4 Availability of Monitoring Tools ............................................................ 23 3.9.5 Maximising the Usefulness of Monitoring Data and Information.......... 23 3.9.6 Evaluation of an Advocacy Effort........................................................... 23

4.0 MANAGING RISK IN ADVOCACY........................................................................ 24

BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................. 26

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ANNEX A. THE SETUP AND FUNCTIONS OF PARLIAMENT IN UGANDA ....................................................................................................................A-1

ANNEX B. THE SETUP AND FUNCTIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN UGANDA............................................................................................................... B-1

ANNEX C. THE POLICY PROCESS...........................................................................C-1

ANNEX D. ADDITIONAL ADVOCACY TOOLS ......................................................D-1

ANNEX E. ADVOCACY CASE STUDIES .................................................................. E-1

ANNEX F. RECOMMENDED FURTHER READING FOR CSOS......................... F-1

List of Tables Table 1. Relevant Data for an Advocacy Campaign on Child Labour and School

Enrolment in a Tobacco-Growing Area ................................................................. 7 Table 2. Sample of Objectives and Indicators Used in Anti-corruption Advocacy ................ 22 Table A-1. The Standing Committees of Parliament ............................................................A-3 Table A-2. The Sessional Committees ..................................................................................A-4

List of Figures Figure 1. Existing and Desired States of Interaction among Civil Society, Parliament,

and Local Governments.......................................................................................... 1 Figure 2. The Basic Steps of Advocacy .................................................................................... 4 Figure 3. Key Elements of an Advocacy Message.................................................................. 11 Figure 4. Steps Involved in Building an Advocacy Network.................................................. 13 Figure A-1. CSO Entry Points in Parliament ........................................................................A-8 Figure B-1. Diagrammatic Representation of the Setup of Local Governments................... B-2 Figure B-2. CSO Entry Points for Various Local Government Levels ................................. B-9

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ABBREVIATIONS ABEK Alternative Basic Education for Karamoja AIDS acquired immune deficiency syndrome APNAC African Parliamentarians’ Network Against Corruption CAO chief administrative officer CAP chapter CBO community-based organisation CSO civil society organisation DFID Department for International Development DPU District Planning Unit DSC District Service Commission DTPC District Technical Planning Committee FBO faith-based organisation IDP internally displaced person LC local council LINKAGES Strengthening Democratic Linkages in Uganda MDG Millennium Development Goal M&E monitoring and evaluation MP Member of Parliament NGO non-governmental organisation NOREF Northern Region Education Forum NPA National Planning Authority PEAP Poverty Eradication Action Plan PMA Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture PNoWB Parliamentary Network on the World Bank–Uganda Chapter PPD public-private dialogue PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal PRDP Peace Rehabilitation and Development Plan QuAM Quality Assurance Mechanism RTI RTI International SMS short message service SUNY/CID State University of New York Center for International Development TASO The AIDS Support Organisation TPC Technical Planning Committee UPE universal primary education UPFC Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children UPFSPD Uganda Parliamentarians’ Forum on Food Security, Population, and

Development USAID United States Agency for International Development UWONET Uganda Women’s Network UWOPA Uganda Women’s Parliamentary Association

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1.0 INTRODUCTION Civil society is a complex and relatively new concept in Uganda. There are varied definitions of civil society, depending on the context, historical background, ideology, culture, and religious influences. For the purpose of this document, we adopt the following definition:

Civil society refers to a wide array of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and not-for-profit organisations that have a presence in public life, expressing the interests and values of their members or communities, based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific, or religious considerations.

The types of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Uganda include but are not limited to community-based organisations (CBOs), local NGOs, international NGOs, trade unions, faith-based organisations (FBOs), professional associations, district networks, national-level networks, and foundations. The civil society sector in Uganda has evolved over the years. The majority of CSOs were initially created to support the delivery of essential services to communities, with minimal focus on policy issues that hindered people’s access to basic social services. CSOs, therefore, have traditionally focused on identifying and addressing needs within their own capacities. As the country began to stabilise, however, the mandate of CSOs evolved to include bringing the concerns of the people directly to policy makers. Figure 1 illustrates the existing and desired states of interaction among civil society, Parliament, and local government in Uganda. The existing state (indicated by the thin dotted lines) is characterised by weak linkages as well as limited knowledge, capacity, and opportunity for engagement. The desired state (indicated by the thick continuous lines) is characterised by strong linkages, improved information flow, and effective engagement among the three institutions. In this desired state, CSOs increase their involvement as key stakeholders in policy formulation and legislative processes at the national and local levels.

Figure 1. Existing and Desired States of Interaction among Civil Society, Parliament, and Local Governments

The existing linkages (characterised by weak linkages and limited knowledge, capacity, communication, and engagement among the three institutions) The desired linkages (characterised by strong linkages, improved information flow and communication, and effective engagement among the three institutions)

Parliament

Local Government Civil Society

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In order to strengthen democratic linkages among Parliament, local government, and civil society, and to move from the existing state to the desired state, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Strengthening Democratic Linkages in Uganda (LINKAGES) activity developed this advocacy guide and toolbox as a way of helping CSOs to effectively engage Parliament and local government and to develop and implement successful advocacy efforts. This document is intended to fill the advocacy skills gap by providing guidance on how to effectively plan, manage, implement, and monitor advocacy for policy reform. It gives you—the CSO representative—quick reference tools that you can use in developing and implementing an advocacy strategy. In addition to the core body of the document, with its overview and detailed descriptions of the basic steps in the advocacy process, the annexes also contain important reference materials, as outlined below:

Annex A. The Setup and Functions of Parliament in Uganda Annex B. The Setup and Functions of Local Government in Uganda Annex C. The Policy Process Annex D. Additional Advocacy Tools Annex E. Advocacy Case Studies Annex F. Recommended Further Reading for CSOs.

It is hoped that this toolbox will guide and mentor your CSOs, networks, coalitions, and forums to carry out advocacy efforts with confidence and success.

2.0 UNDERSTANDING ADVOCACY For any meaningful advocacy programme to succeed, it is important for the implementer and those involved to understand how to carry out an effective advocacy campaign.

2.1 What is Advocacy?

Advocacy is an organised effort to influence decision making by policy makers and those in positions of influence. For the purpose of this toolbox, we will use the following definition:

Advocacy is a process whereby stakeholders raise issues of concern, with proposed solutions or changes, and lobby policy or decision makers to take appropriate action(s).

This toolbox is designed with the Parliament of Uganda and local governments as the target audiences of CSO advocacy efforts; however, you can also target other people in positions of influence. These include religious leaders, elders, cultural leaders, and ministers, among others. Advocacy can involve a number of specific, short-term activities to reach a long-term vision of change. Therefore, to carry out an advocacy activity or campaign, you will need to follow a process that is effective and realistic to enable the achievement of the ultimate aim or objectives of the advocacy campaign. The aim of advocacy is to influence decision makers, to help other people or communities to make a difference, to take a civic initiative, or to negotiate on behalf of those who may not be able to help themselves.

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2.2 Types of Advocacy

You can carry out public policy advocacy through four principal ways: collaboration, direct resistance, complimentary activities, and sensitisation/awareness raising. Each type is described in greater detail below.

2.2.1 Collaboration

Collaboration means working together toward a common goal. For example, in 2006 trade policy negotiations, CSOs collaborated with the national trade negotiating team to harmonise country positions. CSOs are also represented on the Inter-Institutional Trade Committee, and they ensure that development remains on the trade agenda in the World Trade Organisation, Economic Partnership Agreements, and East African Community Common Market negotiations, including implementation of the national trade policy.

2.2.2 Direct Resistance

Direct resistance means that you disagree with what is going on in terms of a policy, pro-gramme, etc., so you take action to intervene, sometimes standing physically in opposition. For example, the recent CSOs’ crusade to save Mabila Forest is a classic example of direct resistance to compel decision makers to listen. CSOs and other stakeholders organised a mass public action by carrying out street demonstrations. As a result, the government was forced to withdraw the subject from the public domain.

2.2.3 Complementary Activities

Complementary activities may be carried out by individuals or organisations that are independent from the state, but they enhance activities of the state; or they can be activities of the state that complement the work of civil society. For example, CSOs are involved in the home-based care model for the management of HIV/AIDS directed by The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) of Uganda, whereby best practices have informed the discussions for the development of the current Human Immunodeficiency Virus Control Bill, 2007.

2.2.4 Sensitisation/Awareness Raising

Sensitisation/awareness raising refers to a situation in which hitherto concealed or non-disseminated information, facts, or figures are brought out into the open and given to un-informed communities and individuals. This is done to generate an opinion, to test a reaction, or to influence policy decisions or attitudes. The recent saga in Uganda involving the Global Fund for Prevention of AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria—where funds meant for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes were misappropriated—demonstrates the effectiveness of mobilisation and awareness creation by CSOs. After intensive sensitisation by CSOs through the mass media, which incriminated key figures in the Cabinet, a Commission of Inquiry was appointed by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of Uganda. Its findings led to the arrest and imprisonment of three former ministers and other high-profile personalities. The case is still in court.

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3.0 THE ADVOCACY PROCESS: NINE BASIC STEPS The nine basic steps involved in the advocacy process are outlined in Figure 2 below. When reading through these steps, it is recommended that you also refer to Annex E, which presents several case studies that provide practical examples of how these steps have been successfully applied by civil society.

Figure 2. The Basic Steps of Advocacy

3.1 Step 1: Identifying Policy Issues for Action

The identification of a policy issue for action is commonly referred to as ‘agenda setting.’ A policy issue is a problem or situation that an institution or organisation could take action to resolve. As mentioned above, policy issues can be directed to either the central government or local governments for action.

Participatory Rural Appraisal Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is one tool that can be used to identify policy issues. Using this methodology, people affected by a particular problem meet and, with the guidance of a community facilitator, discuss and agree on the major causes of the problem and the policy issues that can be resolved by government action. Some of the guiding questions are:

• What is the problem? • How many people are affected, and who is most affected?

2. Selecting an advocacy

objective

8. Fundraising for advocacy

9. Evaluating advocacy

efforts

3. Using data and research for advocacy

4. Identifying advocacy audiences

5. Develop-ing, deliver-ing advocacy

messages 6. Building Partnerships

for Advocacy

7. Making persuasive

presentations

1. Identifying a policy issue for action

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• How are people affected, and for how long? • What are the causes of the problem? • What are the policy issues? • What are the possible solutions/actions?

3.2 Step 2: Selecting an Advocacy Objective

An advocacy objective aims to change or reform policies, programmes, or positions of governments, institutions, or organisations. A problem can be extremely complex, and for an advocacy campaign to succeed, the goal must be narrowed down to an advocacy objective. Some basic questions to answer when you select an advocacy objective are:

• Is the objective achievable? • Will the objective really address the problem? • Can the advocacy objective bring different groups together to form a powerful

coalition?

It should be noted that an objective is an incremental and realistic step toward a larger goal. You should make the objective as specific as possible to allow for the development of an effective strategy to reach the goal of changing a policy. Also, clarity of the objective enables you to assess progress in a given time frame.

Succeeding first with smaller objectives will give you and your organisation more enthusiasm, experience, and credibility to manage more ambitious objectives.

Checklist for Selecting an Advocacy Objective Consideration of the following issues and questions can help you to make an informed choice about what advocacy objective to pursue. The political climate:

• Is the objective achievable? Even with opposition? If there is opposition, why? • Will the objective gain the support of many people? Do people care about the objective deeply enough

to take action? • Can you clearly identify the target decision makers? What are their names or positions? • Will working on the advocacy objective give people opportunities to learn about and become involved

with the decision-making process? The probability of success:

• What are the chances of achieving the objective? Availability of research and data on your issue:

• Are the required facts and figures available to enable you to achieve the desired objective for advocacy?

Availability of money to support your advocacy effort:

• Will you be able to raise money or other resources to support your work on the objective? Capacity, which means both institutional and human resources:

• Do you have the necessary capacity within your organisation and/or alliances with other key individuals or organisations to reach your advocacy objective?

Time frame:

• Does the advocacy objective have a clear time frame that is realistic?

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Outlined in the text box below are examples of goals and specific objectives relating to the issues of school feeding and disease control among children.

Examples of Goals and Specific Objectives School Feeding

• Goal: Reduce hunger and malnutrition among school children to improve their academic performance. • Specific objective: The Ministry of Education implements a school feeding program for 2,000 primary

schools in five years. Disease Control Among Children

• Goal: Reduce child sickness and death from preventable diseases. • Specific objective: The Ministry of Health conducts an immunisation program for children under five

years of age in 50 districts by the end of 2009.

3.3 Step 3: Using Data and Research for Advocacy

Data and research can help clarify the problem you have chosen to work on, identify solutions, and set realistic goals. Data and research can include quantitative information (e.g., about size, magnitude, and numbers) or qualitative information (e.g., about effects, feelings, attitudes, and impressions) gathered through an objective and deliberate process. For effective advocacy, you will need well-researched data that establish the issues and provide evidence for policy action. Data can make a strong case, for example, by identifying the number of people affected, including their age, sex, and disability. In the absence of figures, strong case studies or voices of affected people can be used. Data should be objectively collected through research—reading of relevant publica-tions/reports from libraries, government resources centres, or the Internet. Questionnaires and surveys are additional data collection methods that can be used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative research helps generate facts and figures. Qualitative research, on the other hand, tends to be more descriptive. It is important to ensure that the sources of information are credible. Parish chiefs, sub-county chiefs, government departments, journalists, religious leaders, and opinion leaders can be good sources of information. However, such sources of information should be handled with caution because sometimes they have a position on the advocacy issues by virtue of their place in society or as a result of their loyalty to the appointing authority. Sources of information should be disclosed unless the disclosure is likely to endanger your information source. Good data assist in putting up a persuasive argument. Such information is best used by focusing on the future outcomes if there were to be no intervention now. You can quote examples of other places or situations in which such a scenario exists. Internet and resource centres at district headquarters and town council offices can be great sources of local and comparative data. If you cannot interpret the information gathered, you should not rush to conclusions, but rather obtain expert help on the subject at hand.

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For example, if you want to do advocacy on child labour in a tobacco-growing area where primary education is free but school enrolment is poor, and where there is a lot of absenteeism and dropping out of school, you must have information and figures to support that cause, as illustrated in Table 1 below for a parish. This table provides important information on child labour and school enrolment in tobacco-growing areas and hints at the potential relationship between the two.

Table 1. Relevant Data for an Advocacy Campaign on Child Labour and School Enrolment in a Tobacco-Growing Area

Total no. of primary school age children in

the parish

Total no. of primary school

age children enrolled in all

schools

No. of school age children

enrolled in all schools in

planting season

No. of school age children

enrolled in all schools in weeding season

No. of school age children

enrolled in all schools in harvesting

season

No. of school age children enrolled in all schools in

non-tobacco season

3500 3200 2250 2400 2450 3050

3.4 Step 4: Identifying Advocacy Audiences

A target audience is the person, institution, or organisation you want your advocacy message to reach so that appropriate action is taken to resolve the policy issue to the desired level. Target audiences can be categorised into primary and secondary audiences. Primary audiences are decision makers with the authority to affect the outcome of the advocacy objective directly. These individuals actually approve the policy change, and therefore are considered the primary targets of an advocacy strategy. In the case of Uganda, at the national level, these include Members of Parliament (MPs), ministers, and the President. In the districts, these include the councillors and chairpersons of districts and sub-counties. Therefore, you will need to know the names of the decision makers who can make the objective a reality, and who and what influences these decision makers. By contrast, secondary audiences are individuals and groups that use their opinions and actions to influence the opinions and actions of decision makers; therefore, they too can significantly contribute to the realisation of the advocacy objective. There are, however, overlaps; some primary audiences can also be secondary audiences if they can influence other decision makers. For example, the President of Uganda and the Minister of Education might influence one another’s opinions. Therefore, they are both a primary audience (targets/decision makers) and a secondary audience (influential actors). You must not lose sight of people who oppose the identified advocacy objective. Some secondary audiences may constitute oppositional forces. You should identify these oppositional forces and learn about them with a view to engage them as part of the advocacy strategy. After you have identified the primary and secondary audiences, it is important to learn what their opinions, attitudes, and beliefs are about your advocacy issue and objective. This can be achieved through audience research. Audience research enhances your understanding of the audience so that the right information is given to the right target group. Some methods that

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can be adopted for audience research include observation, surveys, focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews. For example, before interacting with Parliament or a local government, it is helpful to acquaint yourself with the Parliamentary rules of procedure or local council (LC) standard rules of procedure, plus handling of petitions, memoranda, session sittings, council meetings, and standing committee meetings. You will need to know and clearly understand the target audience so that you can make a good presentation that will capture their attention and hence cause the desired action. Because advocacy focuses mainly on policy making or change, you will need to understand the power levels and relationships involved in this process. Therefore, when you are planning to meet with your target audience, gather some background information on the following:

• What are their political interests? • What groups of people or constituencies do they represent? • How much information do they have about the issues? • What new information are you offering? • What is their opinion on the subject and how strong it is? • Is there already a position taken on the issue, such as a council or Parliament

resolution? • What objections do they have to the issue, if any; and what is the level of opposition? • Do they have a personal interest in the issue that is in support of an advocacy issue

due principally to the potential community or public benefit, or because there may be a financial gain or increase in personal power?

• What are their activities and interests outside of work, e.g., their hobbies and other socially related personal interests?

• What are their educational and professional backgrounds?

Using Policy Mapping to Identify Target Audiences Policy mapping is a tool used to identify and learn about target audiences. It includes three major stages:

1. Undertake audience research to identify the most important decision makers and audiences. 2. List the key decision makers and the individuals/groups that can influence these decision makers. 3. Rank decision makers by importance.

3.5 Step 5: Developing and Delivering Advocacy Messages

A “message” is a concise and persuasive statement about your advocacy goal that captures what you want to achieve, why, and how. Different audiences respond to different messages; therefore, your messages should be tailored and delivered with different points of emphasis for different audiences. For example, politicians may become motivated when they learn how many people (voters) in their district or sub-county are directly affected by a washed-out bridge, and how many more are likely to be affected directly and indirectly if there is no intervention. On the other hand, a Minister of Health may take action only when presented with detailed information about the seriousness of a new disease that has surfaced in a particular area and

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that is not responding to the commonly available drugs. Note that in this case, it is not the numbers of people that will attract the intervention of the minister. However, both examples above are newsworthy items. It might be beneficial to publicise them through other means, making headlines either instead of or while waiting to use the official channels. Seriously consider how to develop and deliver messages so that you catch the immediate attention of the selected audience and get them to act.

3.5.1 Developing Advocacy Messages

An advocacy message is about creating action; therefore, it should always include the specific action the audience is being requested to take. An advocacy message must be:

• Delivered by a credible source; • Consistent in content despite the various languages and channels used to

communicate and disseminate the message; and • Easily understood by the target audience.

3.5.2 Three Keys to Credibility in Communication

There are three keys to credibility for communicating advocacy messages to an audience: in-depth knowledge of the subject, packaging and passion about the message, and action. In-depth knowledge of the subject. To be able to effectively engage Parliament or local governments, you must know your advocacy issue in great detail. It is highly recommended to identify your own knowledge gaps on the chosen subject and fill them before meeting the target audience. Knowledge confers confidence and authority. It is obvious when somebody knows what s/he is talking about. It is equally obvious and can be disastrous when s/he does not. If you plan to talk to Parliament and local governments about economic and social issues, democracy, good governance, transparency, or accountability, you must learn the basic facts and other relevant information and master these subjects. If you or other CSO members are not technically knowledgeable on the subject of interest, engage someone who has the appropriate expertise to speak on your behalf to Members of Parliament or local governments. Packaging and passion about the message. A well-packaged message, delivered with passion, urgency, and energy, will make people listen. People can tell when others care and believe in what they are saying or doing. If you do not care about your own message, then why should the audience listen? If you care, you will deliver the message in a way that makes it more compelling.

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Action: ‘Action speaks louder than words.’ What is your CSO doing about the subject of its message? If you can show that you not only know and care about the message, but also are acting on it, your actions may be even more convincing that your words. Any interaction with your target audience should integrate these three keys to credibility.

3.5.3 Reinforcing Advocacy Messages

After you disseminate the message, you may assume that the task is complete. However, many times this is not the case. After you communicate with the target audience, there are several actions that you can take to reinforce the message over time. A few of these are discussed below. Respond to concerns immediately. Even if your message is appealing, policy makers may have problems fulfilling your request, such as finding funding, or devising a specific proposal that is supported by enough people. Try to identify your target audience’s concerns as soon as possible. Either address these concerns right away (for example, if you are in a meeting) or focus your next communication on identifying ways to resolve these concerns. Resend the message. In the private sector, companies use advertising to send messages to the public over and over, to convince audiences to buy their products. While it is important not to overwhelm target audiences with too much information, persistence can pay off. You can resend the message yourself, or, better still, engage other influential people to convey the message on your behalf. It is best to monitor the impact of your original message before you resend your message, if possible, to allow for any changes or improvements that might be necessary. For example, monitoring the impact of a message sent to Members of Parliament can be done through directly contacting them for their views and opinions. Also, paying particular attention to responses in media, newspaper, radio and television can provide insight as to whether the original message had the intended impact. Follow up. When you resend messages, avoid repeating yourself verbatim. There are a number of effective techniques that you can use to help reinforce messages and follow up on the first communication:

• If you meet personally with the target audience, hand out a one-page summary of the proposal. After the meeting, send the summary again, along with a letter of appreciation.

• If an audience asks you for specific facts and figures, be sure to provide them, afterward if necessary. Use the follow-up communication as an opportunity to restate the key points of the campaign.

Figure 3 shows the key elements that you should include in your advocacy message.

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Figure 3. Key Elements of an Advocacy Message

Key Elements of an Advocacy Message

Content and Ideas • Include facts and

figures, and proposed solutions.

• State the change you want to see and explain why that change is needed.

• Include the action you want the audience to take.

Language • Carefully select words

that clearly and effectively relay your message.

• Avoid words that are controversial or not easily understood.

Source/Messenger • Who is the best person

to present the message? • Who is credible and

trusted by the audience?

Format • In what ways can the

message be delivered for maximum impact?

• Possible choices include a: meeting, brochure, letter, radio advertisement, documentary, demonstration, etc.

Time and Place • When is the best time

to deliver the message? • What place is suitable

for such a message? • Consider a place that

will enhance your credibility.

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3.6 Step 6: Building Partnerships for Advocacy (Networks and Coalitions)

Often the power of advocacy is found in the number of people who support an advocacy objective. Partnerships (e.g., networks, alliances, and coalitions; see below) are very important for an effective advocacy campaign, as numbers and teamwork can create synergy for a cause. In creating partnerships (networking and building coalitions), the fundamental questions are:

• Who else can you invite to join you for a common cause? • Who else can be an ally?

Teamwork is very important, but it has to be approached with a lot of caution if it is to bring about the desired results. Networks, alliances, and coalitions can yield better advocacy returns than working in isolation. Using this argument, advocates constantly build networks among people, and sometimes coalitions among organisations, to bring about change. However, partnerships that include networks and coalitions take time and energy to develop and maintain because they involve building relationships of trust with other people. Therefore, there is a need to build these partnerships on the pillars summarised below.

3.6.1 Pillars of Partnerships

A strong partnership is built on eight pillars:

1. Transparency; 2. Accountability (in terms of finances and results); 3. Mutual sharing of information, rewards, and risks; 4. Space for each partner’s participation; 5. Goal congruence; 6. Mutually beneficial co-existence; 7. Honesty with each other; and 8. Trust.

All of these pillars can be summarised in a maxim called CASH: Clear, Accountable, Straight, and Honest. Partners must be clear, accountable, straight, and honest with each other.

3.6.2 Definitions of Common Types of Partnerships

In the CSO environment in Uganda, the most common partnerships are networks, alliances or consortia, coalitions, and forums. These are described below. A network is composed of organised individuals or groups with a common interest or goal that tend to form a relationship because they are working toward a common cause. Networks are generally loose-knit groups formed primarily for sharing resources.

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An alliance or consortium tends to be a semi-official membership organisation. They typically have broad policy-oriented goals and may span large geographic areas. They usually consist of organisations and coalitions, as opposed to individuals. A coalition is a union of people and organisations working to influence outcomes on a specific problem. Coalitions are useful for accomplishing a broad range of goals that reach beyond the capacity of any individual member organisation. These goals range from information sharing to coordination of services, and from community education to advocacy for major environmental or policy (regulatory) changes. A coalition can be an effective means of achieving a coordinated approach.

3.6.3 Building an Advocacy Network

As indicated above, a network consists of individuals or organisations willing to assist one another or collaborate. Networks offer several advantages: giving and sharing information, creating understanding about an issue, putting forward alternative views and opinions on issues, and expressing support for a common position in unison. An advocacy network may intentionally be short-lived, as it can be used for a particular purpose and, once that purpose is achieved, the network can be dissolved. There are four steps involved in building an advocacy network:

• Step 1: Identify people and organisations with shared objectives and values. • Step 2: Build an open and trusting relationship from the beginning. • Step 3: Stimulate interest in the advocacy objective among network members. • Step 4: Identify areas of support and help from network members.

The interaction of these steps is illustrated in Figure 4 below.

Figure 4. Steps Involved in Building an Advocacy Network

1. Identify people and organisations with shared objectives and values

3. Stimulate interest in the advocacy objective among network members

4. Identify areas of support and help from the network members

2. Build an open and trusting relationship from the beginning

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3.6.4 Building a Coalition

Like a network, an organised coalition can support an advocacy effort if there is agreement to cooperate. Coalition efforts should supplement and not replace existing networks. Coalitions tend to require more work than networks, but the results can be much greater if coalition members are dedicated to shared policy goals. Coalitions can vary by size, structure, goals, and many other features. They can be large or small, formal or informal, moderate or radical, homogeneous or heterogeneous; and focused on energising the media, mobilising the community, or influencing policy makers directly. In some cases, a coalition will form an independent organisation with its own staff and resources; other times, members will all work together on a completely informal basis. There are several types of coalitions, though they are not mutually exclusive. These include, for example, formal single-issue coalitions; and informal, geographically focused, multi-issue coalitions. Coalitions vary from being very fluid to highly structured, and different types of coalitions attract different types of organisations. Before attempting to build a coalition, first determine whether other CSOs have the time, energy, and commitment required to undertake this kind of effort. The initiating CSO and all potential member organisations have to agree on the purpose of having the coalition in the first place. Another critical factor is that each CSO involved needs to be willing to sacrifice its own interests, at least to some extent, for the interests of the group at large. Without these two elements, a coalition is unlikely to last long. There are several ways to start a coalition. You can begin with a small, core group of organisations, or cast your net wider. Existing NGO coordination groups, such as district networks or district NGO forums, can be excellent places to explore this question. As the organiser, you can propose the coalition’s advocacy objectives at the start; or the group can develop them jointly. The strategy you pick will depend on factors such as:

• How many potential members you can identify; • How controversial the issue you are choosing will be; • How focused you need to be; and • What level of interest, energy, and expertise the other coalition members have.

Keep in mind that building up a group that works well and agrees on a basic agenda can take some time. Also, when forming a coalition, give careful thought not only to who is invited to join, but also to who might be left out. Be sure that you do not accidentally make an enemy by excluding someone from your group.

3.6.5 Why Coalitions Are Important

Coalitions are important for the following reasons:

• Strength in numbers. Whether you are educating the public or lobbying public officials, an advocacy effort can be more effective when more people are involved. It is critically important when one of your key goals is to achieve and demonstrate broad support for your position, and when your advocacy strategy has room to develop over time.

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• Strength in diversity. Different types of groups (health, parent, religious, etc.) have different bases of public and political support. A coalition is much stronger if it draws together groups not usually seen as partners. If the members of a coalition can agree on a coordinated policy message, they will usually have far more impact than if each delivered similar, but uncoordinated, messages on its own. Coalitions often serve another important function, which is to help different groups agree on their positions before approaching their target audiences.

• Broadened skills and expertise. Different groups also have different talents and knowledge that they bring to a project, which gives your effort a broader collection of skills (media, organising, and policy) and a fuller sense of how to address the problem.

• Social security. When you are advocating on behalf of human rights or for politically controversial issues, a coalition’s structure can lend some protection to its members. For example, one member can take the lead while others who perceive risks from advocacy can keep a lower profile.

3.6.6 Participating in a Coalition

To assess whether you or your CSO can meaningfully participate in a coalition, carefully consider three different aspects of this participation: joining a coalition, forming a coalition, and running a coalition. Joining a coalition. Before joining, you should ask:

• Who is running the coalition, what is its membership, and what are its goals? • What is the expected contribution from your organisation, such as financial,

programmatic, and staff support? • What time and resources will you need to allocate in order to participate effectively? • What are the likely benefits to your organisation in concrete terms?

Forming a coalition. You will need to invest time and resources in organising a coalition to facilitate the attainment of your advocacy objectives. Two different ways of forming a coalition are outlined in the text box below.

Two Ways to Form a Coalition

1. Issue invitations to an open meeting. This method is commonly used for informal coalition building, where the advocacy issue and the objective are flexible. Under this arrangement, diverse coalitions form first. The specific agenda is set later depending on who has joined and what interests are represented.

2. Build the coalition by invitation only. Potential members are mapped out and invited according to the issue and agenda at hand. This approach enables the creation of a stronger and more long-term coalition. The down side is that it will not be as broad or it members as numerous.

Individuals and organisations/groups need to make an informed decision about joining a coalition. The first meeting of a new coalition should clarify the purpose and goal for forming the new coalition, emphasising the advocacy issues, objectives, strategies, and tactics of the coalition; the expectations of each member; and the benefits of membership. Strengthening and keeping a coalition running. To keep a coalition running smoothly and effectively, it is important to:

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• Keep in personal contact with key coalition members and ensure smooth information flow.

• Get to know the coalition members well, including their different interests, values, positions, and opinions.

• Agree on objectives that can be achieved in a timely manner. Avoid ambitious goals and objectives. Early successes have the potential to build confidence, credibility, and support for the coalition.

• Involve all stakeholders in decision-making processes for ownership and collective action.

• Maintain short and brief coalition meetings, but on a regular schedule to minimise ‘meeting fatigue.’ Set a clear agenda and a time limit for the meetings.

• Form subgroups strategically to take care of special interests and specific tasks. • As much as possible, openly discuss difficult and sensitive issues at meetings rather

than in side conversations to avoid splitting the coalition. • Openly share information with other organisations in the coalition to avoid mistrust

and suspicion among members.

3.6.7 Challenges to Coalitions

Coalitions are not always the best strategy for advocacy. Sometimes advocacy is more effective when done privately, without a large group. Some of the challenges to working in a coalition are:

• Reaching a common position. Sometimes you may not be in a position to make the compromises that are required to advocate as part of a group. Some coalitions will fail because there is a lack of consensus on strategy, purpose, or sharing of credit (and blame) for the coalition’s actions. It is important to agree on common positions in private so that there is consensus in public.

• Taking time. Reaching consensus in a coalition may take time. If you are advocating for an issue that requires immediate action, you may not have the time to join, build, or agree on a common agenda within a coalition. In this event, you must find other ways of ensuring your actions are in accordance with community interests and concerns.

• Sharing roles and advocacy outcomes. Reaching agreement on an overall strategy, as well as specific decisions (such as who will sign a letter, who will speak on behalf of the coalition, or who will get the credit) can become issues of contention. These issues are best handled early on, in open discussions among all members.

• Fostering leadership. Finally, coalitions generally require solid leadership. An extra benefit of coalitions is that they can be an ‘incubator’ for members to develop and test their leadership skills. But, without leadership, coalitions can fall apart, since coalition members often have other professional and job commitments that take priority over their coalition responsibilities.

Once you have prepared clear messages and established strong partnerships/coalitions, the next phase is making persuasive presentations to policy makers for policy change, which is Step 7.

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3.7 Step 7: Making Persuasive Presentations

It is very important to be persuasive in advocacy, especially when you are lobbying. Lobbying is an advocacy technique whereby an individual or group tries to influence decision makers and other people in positions of authority. It involves giving information, creating understanding, putting forward options and alternatives, expressing support for a position, and approaching the target person before decisions are taken. Lobbying is an essential part of advocacy, especially when it comes to policy change. It involves effective interface and presentation. Effective lobbying requires specific and clear objectives, such as:

• To convey a brief clear statement of the problem and a recommendation for its resolution;

• To alert policy makers (or those that can influence them) to problems and concerns of the people that they represent; and

• To convince decision makers to act in support/favour of your issue or cause.

Opportunities to influence key audiences are often limited. There is usually a short window of opportunity that you must seize. A politician may grant you one very rare meeting to discuss your issue, or a minister may have only five minutes at a conference to speak with you. Therefore, be precise, specific, and credible. It matters a lot what you say and how you say it.

Tips for an Effective Lobbying Meeting

• Open the meeting by thanking the policy makers for according you the opportunity to meet them despite their busy schedule.

• Express appreciation for their past positive decisions on or support given to your advocacy issue; e.g., for Members of Parliament, acknowledge and give due praise for their most recent positive contribution in Parliament on the subject.

• If in a team, share roles and ensure that the highest-ranking person introduces the team and guides the meeting. However, the member most knowledgeable about the subject should make the presentation.

• Begin with the most important points on the subject, giving supportive facts and figures. Where possible, quote actual examples.

• Bring out the positive aspects of the institution or the policy. • Allow the policy maker time to talk without interruption and show that you understand and appreciate

his/her point of view. • If you suspect hostility and direct resistance, begin by pointing out areas of common ground and

mutual interest. • Have in mind the actions you would like the decision maker to take. • Restate what you understand as outcomes of the meeting and commitments from the decision maker as

the meeting comes near to a close. • At the end, thank the decision maker once again for their audience. Follow up afterward with a thank-

you letter, restating your position in writing along with your understanding of what the decision maker will do.

3.7.1 Dealing with Bureaucracy

You will need to understand your audience adequately, especially policy makers. Many times, Members of Parliament, councillors, and political leaders are difficult to reach easily. Therefore, you will need to be prepared and approach them cautiously, bearing in mind the issues identified in the text boxes below.

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Tips for Dealing with Bureaucrats

• Do your homework: Find out what powers the bureaucrat holds. Know a little about his/her background. Check for other avenues (within the bureaucratic structure) as an alternative approach.

• Maintain good working relationships: Remember that bureaucrats are human. Maintain good working relationships with them. Take note of the job environment in which they work. Make sure, however, that your personal relationship with them does not in any way interfere or dilute the effort.

• Be vigilant: Look out for opportunities that can be used to lobby for the issue at hand. • Be rational: Make sure all that you say is rational. • Be impartial: Do not make biased statements. • Be open-minded: Do not prejudge or act as if you believe the entire system is against you. • Do not gloat: There is no need to take on a superior attitude or gloat while dealing with a bureaucrat:

remember that you want to see action from the post and the powers invested in it, and not the individual person.

• Show empathy: Identify the sympathies of the bureaucrat. Find out his/her personal or political interests. Elicit his/her ideas.

Skills for Dealing Effectively with a Bureaucracy

• Inter-personal skills: Interact with persons at multiple levels of the bureaucracy. Develop a network

within the bureaucratic structure, and gather as much support for the cause as you can. Give credit where it is due. Openly express appreciation for the good work of the bureaucrat, even if it does not concern your cause. Acknowledge those who have the courage to take up an issue and those who are able to implement the law in its spirit.

• Make logical arguments: Know all relevant laws and other necessary details concerning the issue. Arrange arguments, and prepare the reasons why your audience should take up the issue at hand. Use your information judiciously.

• Ability to identify the issues: You must be able to focus the issue correctly into immediately attainable demands, narrowing down the goal into concrete issues and requested actions.

• Ability to identify decision makers: Understand the structure of bureaucracy in general, and the nature of hierarchy within the department concerned. Understand the process of decision making within the department, meet various persons at different levels, assess the situation, and act accordingly.

• Ability to identify vital information: Know what information could be crucial for the effort, then identify and obtain such information.

• Build up evidence: Maintain a file or diary on correspondence that you exchange with bureaucrats. Keep a diary with a record of meetings with bureaucrats, and a record of what transpired in those meetings.

3.7.2 What Bureaucrats Want From Advocacy Groups

When your advocacy group goes to meet bureaucrats in their office, it should not be an occasion to show off expertise in your thematic area of operation. Rather, bureaucrats will look to you to provide the following:

• Summarised specialist briefings in a layperson’s language, on issues affecting their work where you intend to conduct an advocacy programme.

• Evidence (data, brochures, photographs, etc.) of how a lack of policies, current policies, or proposed policies affect or will affect the communities you represent. This can include the possible reactions of different groups or members of the public to that particular policy.

• Advance warning of any major campaign action. Whether or not you choose to give such warning may depend on whether you want a considered response from the government, or are just seeking to embarrass the minister or local government official.

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• Practical proposed solutions, with details of cost implications, for improving particular policy measures or solving administrative problems.

3.8 Step 8: Fundraising for Advocacy

Many advocacy strategies never go beyond a certain stage because of a lack of resources. Therefore, after you develop an advocacy strategy, the next step is fundraising or resource mobilisation. Sustaining an effective advocacy effort requires investing time and energy in raising funds to support your work. The golden rule of fundraising is ‘raise more money than you need to spend.’ It is always important to set your fundraising goals higher than your budget. The section below outlines four action points to be taken in order to realise fundraising goals. Action point 1: Work out a budget. The advocacy strategy forms the basis for developing the budget; the planned activities are the major cost drivers. The budget framework should cover the following basic items:

• Overhead expenses, including office space, equipment, supplies, paper, telephone, fax, postage, etc.

• A contingency fund to meet unexpected expenses; this can be fixed at around 10% of the total budget.

• Salaries and benefits of staff, where relevant. • Programmes and events (conferences, rallies, demonstrations). • Printing and distribution of specific documents, such as brochures, reports, and press

kits. (A press kit is a set of documents highlighting the key advocacy issues and messages for use by the media, e.g., radio, television, and newspapers.)

• The cost of fundraising, including promotional materials and fundraising events. Action point 2: Identify possible funding agencies. Map out potential sources of funding, the amount needed, and for what purpose. An important question to ask is: Are there any organisations that would be willing to donate office space or supplies or that would be interested in sponsoring a conference or the publication of a report? Funding agencies have their own areas of interest and focus. Therefore, you should look for those whose areas of interest will be covered by your advocacy campaign. Action point 3: Design and implement a fundraising strategy. A good fundraising strategy should address potential funders, strategies, key players, and time frame. In line with the stated fundraising goals, it is important to investigate the potential funders’ agenda, institutional policy on the defined advocacy issues, funding priorities, and decision-making processes. An attempt to answer the following questions can yield fruitful results:

• What areas of the advocacy strategy fit within the funders’ priorities? Or what can potentially appeal to the funders? Most funders have thematic areas to which they restrict their funds. It is good to establish their areas of interest before applying.

• What is the best time of the year to approach the funder? What is their funding cycle? Funding agencies sometimes have strict operational calendars for receiving and processing applications. It is advisable to establish this before applying.

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• Is there a defined/preferred format of the proposal by the funder? Most funding agencies have a standard format they want requestors to follow when submitting proposals for funding.

• How best can the funder be contacted? Possible options include e-mail, letter, telephone, and meetings. Some funding agencies are too busy to offer personal appointments, but most often they have a focal person for guidance.

• Do your personal contacts know the funder? Can they help to link you up? It is best to approach the funding agency through a contact that has a good record with and is familiar to the funder.

Action point 4: Follow up. After you present the fundraising request, it is important to follow up to find out more about the funder’s decision-making process and to identify opportunities for exerting influence. Inviting the potential funders to visit or participate in some of your events may help shape the funders’ perception about your interventions. If you succeed in obtaining a grant or other funding, it is important to ensure timely reporting and proper accountability of the received funds. If you do not succeed, try to find out why; this will facilitate future improvements in your fundraising approaches. If you have finished the eight steps above and have secured funding, it is important to ensure that your CSO remains focused and on course to ensure optimum benefit from the resources. This can only be done through monitoring and evaluation, which is tackled in the next section.

3.9 Step 9: Monitoring and Evaluating Advocacy Efforts

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are integral elements of advocacy but very often are overlooked. M&E allows advocacy groups to find out whether they are on track and, if not, to redefine their advocacy goals and objectives. Therefore, there must be an M&E system in your advocacy campaign to enable you to move in the right direction and keep on track as you implement your advocacy efforts. The text box below presents the basic questions to address when you are setting up an M&E system for advocacy.

Key Questions to Address When Developing an M&E Framework

• What are the anticipated changes or objectives of an advocacy effort? What is the time frame? • What are the objectively verifiable indicators of change? • What data do we need to collect, when, how, and by whom? • How will data analysis be done? When, and by whom? • How will information generated be used? • How often will reports be produced? How will the reports be used? • What are the lessons learnt and suggestions for future improvements?

3.9.1 Monitoring

Monitoring means periodically and continuously reviewing appropriate factors to determine (1) the effects of particular management and advocacy strategies or activities, and (2) their contribution to the attainment of the advocacy goals and objectives. The results of these assessments can be quantitative, taking the form of data and information; or qualitative, based on observation. Their form will also depend on the methodology being used for the

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monitoring programme. Monitoring is widely accepted as an integral component of decision-making and implementation.

3.9.2 Importance of Monitoring in an Advocacy Campaign

In an advocacy campaign, monitoring has an important role to play. Effective monitoring can only take place, however, when all strategies and activities are well defined. Also note that if monitoring is to contribute to the attainment of the desired advocacy goals, it must be an ongoing process within the context of policy change.

3.9.3 The Monitoring Framework

When planning a monitoring exercise, you must ensure that several issues are in place: goals and targets must be known (why and what to monitor), monitoring tools will need to be developed to assess and interpret the outcomes of implementing the strategies, and the options and strategies to achieve these goals should be directly accessible by the advocacy team. There are four basic requirements for an integrated and participatory monitoring approach, which can serve as a framework for the development and maintenance of a long-term monitoring programme. These four basic requirements are:

1. Identify and define clear and specific goals and objectives to be achieved within a defined time frame;

2. List simple and objectively verifiable indicators (or measures of changes); 3. Define methods and frequency of relevant data collection; and 4. State what the reporting structure, utilisation, dissemination, and storage of data will

be.

These requirements are discussed below. Identify the goals. The first step in developing a successful monitoring programme is to define and agree on the goals of the monitoring exercise with those involved in the advocacy campaign. This will serve as a basis for determining the needs of the different interest groups involved, and the specific goals and targets they wish to achieve. These needs, goals, and targets will determine why the monitoring is to be carried out and what is to be monitored. A lack of well-defined goals often leads to the gathering of irrelevant data that are of little use in managing the advocacy effort. List simple and objectively verifiable indicators. An indicator is a simple and reliable unit of measurement to assess changes or achievements that are the result of an advocacy effort. For each objective, there should be one or more indicator(s), determined at the beginning of the campaign. Indicators are the basis for collecting data for monitoring and evaluation. Using the example of anti-corruption advocacy, some sample objectives and indicators are provided in Table 2 below.

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Table 2. Sample of Objectives and Indicators Used in Anti-corruption Advocacy

Objectives Indicators

1. To eliminate corruption in service delivery and project management.

• Number of quality and value-for-money projects completed by the district.

2. To ensure transparency in the procurement system.

• Lists publicly displayed for contracts awarded.

• Contract award procedure adhered to for every contract.

• Investigation reports prepared on contracts awarded.

• Number of cases reported for action.

You can monitor the outcomes of an advocacy strategy, using the indicators that you developed as part of the monitoring tools of the campaign. The results of the monitoring serve as a basis for changes in the management and advocacy strategies under use. Hence, the results of the monitoring exercise should be analysed and transformed into useful knowledge to enhance the existing knowledge base. Define methods and frequency of data collection. There are several methods of collecting data used in monitoring and evaluation. The common ones include:

• Interview general stakeholders, using structured questionnaires to record the answers. • Call selected stakeholders together into small groups for a guided discussion on the

progress and outcomes of the campaign and the proceedings recorded. These are called focus group discussions.

• Review documents (e.g., correspondence, meeting minutes, trip reports, and media publications) about the advocacy campaign; these can produce a lot of information about what has or has not taken place, and the reasons why.

• Interview carefully selected key people from the implementing team, the general public, or the target audience. Ask all of them the same questions, from a structured questionnaire. These are sometimes referred to as key informant interviews.

Having decided on the method of collecting your data, it is important to agree right at the beginning of the campaign how often such data will be collected. Most times data are collected at the beginning of the project to assess the status before the advocacy work begins. The results are called baseline data. Data for evaluation usually are collected midway in the project life and at the end of the activity, while data for monitoring are collected more frequently but on a regular basis—for example, monthly, quarterly, or biannually. The data should be analysed and properly interpreted. State what the reporting structure, utilisation, dissemination, and storage of data will be. It is important at the beginning to know the reporting structure and procedures to be followed during the monitoring and evaluation—by whom and how often. The team leaders must decide early on how the information from M&E will be used and also disseminated to the other affected and interested stakeholders.

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3.9.4 Availability of Monitoring Tools

The nature of monitoring tools that will help in the collection and interpretation of information should be determined by the reasons for monitoring and the targets to be achieved. All members of the advocacy team should be encouraged to become formally involved in the monitoring process; they require access to user-friendly monitoring tools, and most important, information on how to interpret the results.

3.9.5 Maximising the Usefulness of Monitoring Data and Information

You can use the monitoring data and information that you collect to assess the outcomes of a particular advocacy strategy. You can also apply them for active, adaptive management—that is, use them to judge whether you must modify your strategies to achieve your pre-determined goal. Another application is to enhance the existing knowledge base available to the advocacy team. This would be a direct benefit of the monitoring task, and serve as a further incentive for continuous involvement. This knowledge-enhancement process requires that the data and information from monitoring be captured in a pool, where they can be processed for the next important step—i.e., scaling up the monitoring results into useful knowledge at different levels, including sub-county, district, and national levels.

3.9.6 Evaluation of an Advocacy Effort

Evaluation of advocacy efforts is often omitted, though it is important. Good advocates assess the effectiveness of their past efforts and set new goals based on their experience. It is therefore important for you and your target institutions to periodically evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts. Evaluation can be defined as ‘distance’ assessment of a strategy or activity or programme being undertaken. Because advocacy can be a long-term activity, depending on the issue, you may need to evaluate your undertaking at various intervals or ‘distances.’ The main reason for carrying out an evaluation is to find out whether the planned activities are on schedule, and whether the available resources have been used optimally—and if not, whether there are other means by which the work could be done better. Evaluation also assists you to refocus and to put in place management systems that will improve your ability to achieve the desired goals of your advocacy campaign. When you are carrying out an evaluation, all the different stakeholders—affected communities, community leadership, CSOs, interested parties, and policy makers—have to be involved so that a holistic picture about the campaign emerges. The results can inform decision making and appropriate actions can be taken to attain the campaign goals. Evaluation of an advocacy campaign can be structured into three periods: the beginning of the campaign, mid-campaign, and the end of the campaign. The importance of this multiple ‘distance’ assessment—informed by the monitoring reports and other related tools—is that it allows you to adjust in several areas and to maximise the resources available for the most advantageous output.

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The difference between monitoring and evaluation is that monitoring is routine while evaluation takes place at a ‘distance.’ Moreover, evaluation is informed by routine monitoring reports and other related monitoring mechanisms that are in place. With evaluation, the advocacy team can develop the expertise and confidence to identify areas that need strengthening for a successful advocacy campaign.

4.0 MANAGING RISK IN ADVOCACY Advocacy is not an easy pursuit, and the advocacy campaign road is not smooth and flat. As much as you might want to fight for the rights of the people who are marginalised or disadvantaged, there are other forces that want to maintain the status quo for their own benefit. It is therefore important to equip yourself with tactics for managing risks. Even a well-planned advocacy campaign can sometimes run into trouble, since there are many factors beyond your control. There are several strategies you can use to overcome challenges and problems you may encounter in an advocacy campaign. The common strategies are listed below.

• Stay in touch with political trends. You may conduct your policy analysis only to discover later that the political atmosphere has changed. Any new political development can change the level of risk associated with your advocacy campaign. Therefore, always closely monitor the political trends in relation to your advocacy and use up-to-date information to determine your course of action. Never take past political statements and association with political leaders as insurance for your current action.

• Anticipate things that can go wrong. Identify any groups that might be exposed to unusually high risks as a result of your advocacy. Also assess whether any advocacy strategy carries any risk. Devise methods to mitigate those risks and adjust your strategy accordingly.

• Be prepared for the media. Even if you are not using the media as an advocacy tool, your advocacy will have a public dimension and may therefore attract press attention and coverage. You should be prepared for the media. One member of the team can be identified and prepared to talk to journalists and answer questions. It is disastrous for the present and the future of your organisation to ignore the media when they present themselves to cover an event even if they are not invited.

• Treat your opponents with respect. If you are advocating on behalf of a controversial issue, study and analyse the arguments of your opponents and even anticipate their questions and comments. You should be prepared to respond to all of them. Even if you strongly disagree, always engage in principled debate, never in name-calling.

• Decide in advance what risks are unacceptable. Advocacy is rarely risk-free. It is easier to handle a crisis if you decide beforehand what type of problems you can handle, versus those that you cannot. Therefore, list the risks to which you cannot expose the advocacy team members so that any time they occur during a campaign, you have an agreed-upon position. For example, when advocating against corruption, people who provide information can be attacked and questioned for evidence. In the absence of credible sources of information, they can be sued. Therefore, it is

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important, especially when you are working with partners, to have adequate measures for managing risks, including making quick decisions if needed.

• Always be prepared to stop. If your advocacy leads to consequences that are dangerous or pose unacceptable risks to the organisation (e.g., its staff, reputation, or programme participants), your advocacy partners, or others, you may wish to reconsider your strategy and decide whether to choose a different approach or to put your work on hold.

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Annex A. THE SETUP AND FUNCTIONS OF PARLIAMENT IN UGANDA

In Uganda, there are three major pillars of government: executive (Cabinet), judiciary, and legislature (Parliament). This annex focuses on Parliament. The Parliament of Uganda is composed of members who are democratically elected through universal adult suffrage under a multi-party system. Representatives from special interest groups are elected through electoral colleges. These include the army, persons with disabilities (PWDs), workers, youth, and women. It is important for you to know the setup, functions, operations, key offices, and organs of Parliament if you are to interact effectively with it. The Speaker, Clerk to Parliament, leader of government business, leader of the opposition, committees, and committee chairpersons are vital to the running and functioning of Parliament. They are described below. Office of the Speaker of Parliament This is the highest office in Parliament and is the third in order of precedence in the Republic of Uganda. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are, first and foremost, Members of Parliament. They are elected to their offices by fellow MPs at the first sitting of Parliament, chaired by the Chief Justice. The Speaker can be seen by appointment, preferably by written request indicating the reason for wishing to see him/her and other details pertinent to the subject matter. The Speaker, in consultation with the Business Committee, is responsible for the order of business of Parliament. S/he presides over all the plenary sessions of Parliament, as well as the Appointments Committee, Parliamentary Commission, and Business and Welfare Committee. Any matters concerning the deliberations of Parliament, image of Parliament, and conduct of MPs should be addressed to the Speaker. Office of the Clerk to Parliament The Clerk to Parliament is the accounting officer/administrative head of Parliament and is a senior civil servant. All the staff of Parliament—including the public relations officers, research officers, and clerks—are under this office. All stakeholders, including CSOs, are free to access Parliament and its organs. Inquiries about visiting Parliament—including attending plenary or committee sittings and public hearings—should be addressed to the office of the Clerk to Parliament in writing. It is advisable to follow up by telephone or personal call. This will ensure that the CSO is expected to arrive on a particular day and time. Office of the Leader of Government Business In Uganda, the Prime Minister is the leader of government business in Parliament. S/he is the one charged with ensuring—through the office of the Speaker—that interests of government are tabled in the House. Government business takes precedence over any other business in

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Parliament. The Prime Minister is the one who states the government position on key policy issues in the House and ensures that Cabinet ministers do the same in their areas of jurisdiction. Office of the Leader of Opposition This office is provided for in the Constitution under the multi-party system. The opposition party with the highest number of MPs becomes the official opposition party. It elects from among its own MPs one member to be the leader of the opposition. S/he is given an office at Parliament with full facilities and is recognised by government to be at the level of a Cabinet minister. His/her statements on the floor of the House are taken to reflect the views of the opposition. Committees of Parliament Most of the work of Parliament is conducted through standing, select, and sessional committees. Committees are mandated to oversee particular ministries or sectors on behalf of Parliament. The general functions of committees are to:

• Discuss and make recommendations on bills laid before Parliament; • Initiate any bill within their respective areas of competence; • Initiate/evaluate activities of government and other bodies; • Carry out relevant research in their respective fields; and • Report to Parliament on their functions.

Standing committees of Parliament last for two and a half years. On the other hand, the sessional committees are constituted at the beginning of every parliamentary year session (usually in May). Every MP is a member of at least one committee, except the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers, and ministers of state. Membership in committees is designated by party whips on the basis of proportional party membership in Parliament, taking into consideration the interest of independent members. Proportional party representation means that the party with the highest number of MPs in Parliament will have the highest number of members on a committee. Chairpersons of Committees Chairpersons of committees are also nominated by party whips and approved by Parliament. They have specific offices allocated to them at Parliament, full-time committee clerks, and research officers. They are easily accessible and require no formalities to be seen. They are very influential in getting a matter before Parliament as they are also members of the Business Committee. Chairpersons of committees draw their agendas and preside over the meetings, which include consultative meetings with stakeholders such as CSOs. It is at the committee level that CSOs can make the greatest impact. At the committee stage, MPs have a lot of time to consult, receive memoranda, and discuss issues in detail. The committees then make reports and recommendations, which are presented to the plenary by their chairperson for a resolution of Parliament. (A plenary of Parliament is the meeting

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attended by MPs presided over by the Speaker. This meeting is usually held in the parliamentary chambers.) Standing Committees The standing committees have a term of two and a half years and are listed in Table A-1 below, which also includes their functions.

Table A-1. The Standing Committees of Parliament

Committee Functions

1. Public Accounts Committee Analyse the report of the Auditor General and make a report to Parliament for purposes of debate.

2. Committee on Rules, Privileges, and Discipline

Inquire into any complaint of contempt of Parliament or breach of any privilege. Consider any matter of discipline referred to it by the Speaker or Parliament.

3. Business Committee Responsible for deciding the order of business in Parliament. Its meetings are not public and it is chaired by the Speaker.

4. Committee on National Economy

Examine and monitor the state of the economy. Examine and make recommendations to the House on all loan agreements required to be authorised by the House as per the Constitution. Explore means of improving the national economy.

5. Committee on Budget Consider preliminary estimates and programmes and submit recommendations to the Speaker. Consider the national budget, compile amendments, and refer them to relevant committees.

6. Committee on Appointments Responsible for approval, on behalf of Parliament, of the appointment of persons nominated by the President. It is chaired by the Speaker.

7. Committee on Equal Opportunities

Responsible for monitoring and promoting measures designed to enhance the equalisation of opportunities and improvements in the quality of life and status of all peoples, including marginalised groups, on the basis of gender, age, disability, or any other reason created by history, tradition, or custom for purposes of addressing imbalances existing against them.

8. Committee on Government Assurances

Scrutinise assurances, promises, and undertakings given by ministers and other agents of the government in Parliament and assess to what extent they have been implemented.

9. Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises

Examine the reports and audited accounts of statutory authorities, corporations and public enterprises. Examine the income and expenditure of any public corporation or state enterprise. Monitor the operations of any commission or authority.

10. Committee on Local Government Accounts

Examine the Auditor General’s report of the audited accounts of local governments tabled by the Minister of Local Government and make a report to Parliament.

11. Committee on HIV/AIDS and related matters

Coordinate HIV/AIDS activities of Parliament and provide a link with the Uganda AIDS Commission in combating the epidemic. Scrutinise the HIV/AIDS policies; monitor and evaluate activities of the central government, local governments, and other bodies aimed at combating the epidemic. Examine and make recommendations on relevant bills and other matters relating to HIV/AIDS.

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Sessional Committees These committees are constituted at the beginning of every session of Parliament. The sessional committees and their areas of jurisdiction are listed in Table A-2.

Table A-2. The Sessional Committees

Committee Areas of Jurisdiction

1. Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries

Agriculture, animal industry, and fisheries

2. Tourism, Trade, and Industry Tourism, trade, and industry

3. Social Services Committee i) Education and sports

ii) Health

4. Physical Infrastructure i) Lands

ii) Housing

iii) Urban development

iv) Works and transport

v) Physical planning

5. Legal and Parliamentary Affairs i) Judiciary

ii) Parliament

iii) Justice

iv) Law Reform Commission

v) Electoral Commission

vi) Human Rights Commission

vii) Inspectorate of Government

6. Public Service and Local Government

All matters relating to public servants and local governments

7. Natural Resources i) Energy

ii) Water

iii) Minerals and petroleum

iv) Environment

8. Gender, Labour, and Social Development

All matters relating to gender, labour, social development, and adult literacy, including equal opportunities and interest groups, the elderly, youth, and disabled

9. Presidential Affairs All matters relating to:

i) Office of the President

ii) State House

iii) Office of the Vice-President

iv) Office of the Prime Minister

v) Internal Security Organisation

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Committee Areas of Jurisdiction

vi) External Security Organisation

10. Foreign Affairs All matters relating to:

i) Bilateral, multi-lateral, and inter-governmental relations

ii) East African Community

iii) Missions abroad

11. Defence and Internal Affairs i) Ministry of Defence

ii) Ministry of Internal Affairs

iii) Uganda Police Force

iv) Uganda Prisons Service

12 Finance, Planning, and Economic Development

Finance, planning, and economic development

13. Information, Science, and Communication Technology

Information, science, and communication technology

From the above tables, CSOs are advised to review and focus their thematic areas so that they identify and target committees of Parliament that are most relevant to their intended or planned advocacy work. Common Interest Groups in Parliament In addition to committees of Parliament, there are several recognised groups where people with the same interests in Parliament come together regardless of their political affiliation. Such groups include: Uganda Women’s Parliamentary Association (UWOPA); Uganda Parliamentarians’ Forum on Food Security, Population, and Development (UPFSPD); African Parliamentarians’ Network Against Corruption (APNAC); Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children (UPFC); and the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank–Uganda Chapter (PNoWB); among others. CSOs are strongly advised to engage the common interest groups, in addition to the formal committees, in order to advance their advocacy issues. Caucuses in Parliament Members of Parliament from the same political party normally constitute themselves into a group where they meet and resolve to take a common stand on issues before they are presented to be discussed in Parliament. These are called political party caucuses. These also can be targeted for advocacy since they greatly influence the voting patterns of their members. Members of Parliament While each MP individually is a member of at least one committee, it is important for the CSO to lobby them individually on key advocacy issues. This is because MPs have special areas of interest based on their background or that of their constituencies and affiliates. In addition, some MPs are celebrated authorities in their professions while others are so influential and articulate that fellow members hold their contributions in high esteem. The

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MPs can be approached formally or informally through proxies and points of social convergence such as churches, theatres, and sports events. Functions of Parliament The Parliament is very fundamental in balancing the functions of the three branches of government mentioned above. The Parliament of Uganda has the following roles and functions:

• Under Article 79(3) of the Constitution, Parliament is mandated to protect the Constitution and promote the democratic governance of Uganda.

• Parliament makes laws (these are introduced in Parliament through bills which, if passed, become Acts), for peace, order, development, and good governance of Uganda. Parliament makes laws on behalf of the people of Uganda since they are the ones who elect the representatives to Parliament. Subject only to the Constitution, laws made by Parliament override any other legislation.

• It provides a platform for discussion of major issues through public hearings on pertinent issues.

• It is responsible for approval of the budget before government can spend the funds each financial year. It approves the raising of taxes.

• Under Article 90(4) of the Constitution, Parliament acts as a watchdog on behalf of the public. Parliamentary committees are given powers to summon any minister or any person holding public office. Private individuals and CSOs can submit memoranda, or appear before them to give evidence.

• It provides a forum for organisations, special interest groups, and individuals to raise issues and grievances, directly by petitions or memoranda directly to Parliament, its committees, or common interest fora; and indirectly, through Members of Parliament.

• It advocates for the common good of society by articulating the concerns of the electorate to the executive arm of government.

Stages of Interfacing with Parliament As mentioned earlier, most of the work of Parliament is done through committees. The policies, sector budgets, and bills for approval are introduced to Parliament through the plenary and are then passed on to the relevant committees for detailed scrutiny and consultations with key stakeholders. The committees then make a report with recommendations to Parliament for approval through a resolution. In conclusion, the Parliament of Uganda is the supreme body that makes laws that govern the country. It works hand in hand with the other arms of government—the executive (with the mandate of proposing the laws and policies, among others), and the judiciary (with the mandate of enforcing implementation of the laws enacted by Parliament). Linkages between Parliament and Local Governments Parliament links with local governments directly when district councils sit to carry out their political, legislative, financial, and planning functions. Members of Parliament are ex-officio

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members of district councils. They are expected to identify key issues in Parliament that affect their respective districts and provide briefings on these issues to the district councils, and vice versa. Parliament also directly links with local governments when carrying out its oversight role in the budget process. Audit reports for local governments from the Auditor General are sent to Parliament directly and are reviewed by the Committee on Local Government Accounts. Local governments are then called to appear before the committee to answer queries that may have been raised by the Auditor General or by the committee members themselves. Parliament also has powers to summon and interview district representatives on matters that affect district administration and accountability. Figure A-1 below presents the various CSO entry points in Parliament.

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Figure A-1. CSO Entry Points in Parliament

Plenary

CSO Entry Points in Parliament

Office of the Speaker of Parliament Deputy Speaker of Parliament

Speaker of Parliament

Standing and Session Committees Full Committee

Committee Chairperson Individual Members of Parliament

Office of Clerk to Parliament Clerk to Parliament

Public Relations Officer Committee Clerks Sergeant at Arms

Common Interest Groups and Caucuses in Parliament

Full Committee Individual Members of Parliament

Committee Chairperson

• Formal meeting • Invitations to officiate at CSO

functions as chief guest, keynote addresses, launches, etc.

• Interviews • Official correspondence

• Attending committee meetings • Meeting committee chairperson • Meeting individual Members of

Parliament • Accessing committee reports • Formal and informal

correspondence • Invitations to attend or officiate

at CSO functions

• Official correspondence and inquiries

• Tour of Parliament

• Formal and informal meetings • Visits to offices, workplaces, and

(where possible) homes • Interaction at places of worship

and other social convergence points, e.g., theatres, stadiums,

• Talking to close associates, campaign managers, and spouses/adult family members

• Petitions, memoranda • Lobbying • Position papers, letters • Reports • Presentations • Meetings, workshops, and

seminars • Public debates • Media/newspaper reports • Brochures • Public action, demonstrations

• Petitions, memoranda • Lobbying/dialogues • Position papers, letters • Presentations, research findings • Meetings, workshops, and

seminars • Public debates • Media/newspaper reports and

electronic news items • Phone messages • Brochures • TV and radio talk shows

• Petitions, memoranda • Position papers, letters • Presentations, research findings • Meetings, workshops, and

seminars • Media/newspaper reports and

electronic news items • Brochures

• Petitions, memoranda • Lobbying/dialogues • Position papers, letters • Presentations, research findings • Meetings, workshops, and

seminars • Public debates • Media/newspaper reports and

electronic news items • Phone messages • Brochures • TV and radio talk shows

Target Audiences

Strategies

Tools

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Annex B. THE SETUP AND FUNCTIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN UGANDA

Local governments in Uganda were derived under the decentralised system of governance with their respective roles and functions provided for under the 1995 Constitution of Uganda (Amendment 2005) and further detailed in the Local Governments Act, Chapter (CAP) 243. A local government is an independent body with perpetual succession and a common seal. It has powers to sue and can be sued. All local governments are established to ensure good governance as well as democratic participation in and control of decision making by the people. The Uganda decentralisation policy is based on the devolution of power to popularly elected local governments. Local governments are both urban and rural and they encompass two categories: higher local governments, which are the capital city and districts; and lower local governments, which include municipalities, divisions, town councils, and sub-counties. All the remaining tiers of governance are administrative units: village/cell, parish/ward, and county councils. Figure B-1 on the next page is a diagram of the setup of local governments. Roles and Responsibilities of Local Governments Local governments have two organs—the policy-making organ (council) and the technical organ (civil servants), whose primary mandate is to implement lawful decisions of the council. The roles of local government councils are similar to those of Parliament and are stipulated in the Local Government Act of 1997 (Amendment 2007) Parts III–V or Sections 9–51. Key Functions of Local Governments Local governments have the following roles and functions:

• Under Article 176(2) (e) of the Constitution, local governments are given powers to plan and execute policies with respect to all matters affecting the people within their jurisdiction.

• Under Article 190 of the Constitution, district councils are required to prepare comprehensive and integrated development plans. These plans incorporate the plans of lower local governments (Section 36(1 and 3) of the Local Governments Act), for submission to the National Planning Authority (NPA).

• Under Schedule 2 of the Local Governments Act, local governments are entities that have legal capacity to sue or be sued. They make and implement development plans based on local priorities; develop, approve, and execute their own budgets; raise and utilise resources according to their own priorities; appoint statutory committees, boards, and commissions; make ordinances and by-laws; hire, manage, and fire personnel; manage their own payroll and separate personnel systems; and implement a broad range of services that were previously the responsibility of the central government.

The Local Government Act, CAP 243 (under Schedule 2, Parts 1–5) states in detail all functions and services to be offered by local governments.

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Figure B-1. Diagrammatic Representation of the Setup of Local Governments

Local Governments1 Administrative Units Source: Generic Training Manual on Decentralisation, Ministry of Local Government.

1 Municipalities are lower local governments, though they are unique in their setup from other lower local governments. They are similar to districts in that almost all the departments and sectors are filled with technical staff. Article 178 of the Constitution, Section 5 of the Local Governments Act 2006 explains this well.

District

County

City Division

Municipality

Parish/Ward

Village

Municipal Division Sub-County

Town Council

City

Key

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However, as local governments are charged with service delivery, there are key organs and offices whose functions and responsibilities that you must understand thoroughly in order to interact effectively with local governments. These key organs and offices are discussed in detail in the section that follows. District Council The district council is mandated under the Constitution of Uganda 1995 (Amendment 2005) and the Local Government Act (CAP 243) to execute several functions and activities geared towards enhancing service delivery in all the areas under its control. Composition of the District Council The district council is composed of the following persons, elected according to the regulations laid down in the Local Government Act, CAP 243:

• The chairperson and, in the case of a city, a mayor; • A speaker elected from among the councillors; • A councillor representing each sub-county; • Two youth councillors, one of whom should be a woman; • Two councillors with disabilities, one of whom should be a woman; • Women councillors, who must form one-third of the council; and • Two elderly members (over 60 years), one of whom should be a woman.

The district council is chaired by the speaker and it is supposed to sit at least once every two months—that is, not less than six times in one year. The speaker at the district level is full-time, but s/he is not a member of the District Executive Committee. The Members of Parliament representing various constituencies in a district are ex-officio members of the district council. They can participate in deliberations within the council however they do not vote on any matter. The records of council meetings are taken and kept by the clerk to council, who is a civil servant (full-time job). Minutes of the district council meetings are public documents but are not obtainable free of charge. They can be purchased from the clerk to council, with the fee paid officially at the cash office at a price fixed by the council. This section on composition of councils equally applies to lower local governments, with the following exceptions:

• Only a municipality will have a mayor; • Councillors will represent divisions in the case of municipalities and wards in the case

of town councils; • Councillors in sub-counties will represent parishes; and • The speakers for municipal divisions, town councils, and sub-counties are not full-

time employees. Functions of the District Council The district council is mandated to do the following:

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• The Local Governments Act empowers local government councils to be the highest political authority in their area of jurisdiction and to have legislative and executive powers.

• It is the planning authority of the district, with the assistance of the District Technical Planning Committee (DTPC), which integrates national priority areas, departmental, sectoral, and lower local government priorities2.

• It has legislative powers for making bills and ordinances (consistent with the Constitution of Uganda), which are forwarded to the Minister of Local Government for approval after ratification by the attorney general.

• It has a personnel function whereby it appoints the District Service Commission (DSC), which recruits all the non-delegated staff of the local governments.

• It has financial powers that allow it to budget and allocate resources both from the central government and from locally generated revenue. These powers also allow the district council to identify other local revenue sources within its locality that are taxable. The council is further mandated to approve financial audit reports as well as final accounts of the district.

• It is responsible for promotion of transparency and accountability. This is through the appointment of the District Service Commission, District Land Board, and Local Government Public Accounts Committee, as mandated in the Constitution of Uganda and Local Government Act.

• It has the mandate to monitor all local government and central government projects and programmes carried out in the area of its jurisdiction, such as Prosperity for All (Bonna Bagagawale), Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture (PMA), etc.

• It has the mandate to resolve disputes in the lower local governments. While performing the above functions, there are responsibilities that the council must not ask any body or committee to do on its behalf (delegate). These are listed in the section that follows. Non-Delegated Functions of Local Government Councils Among the many functions and powers of local government and lower local government councils, the following can not be delegated (Fourth Schedule, Local Government Act, CAP 243). This means that decisions on the non-delegated functions must be taken by a fully constituted council chaired by the speaker. They are:

• Approval of annual budget estimates; • Approval of supplementary estimates; • Making and approving of rules of procedure and formation of standing committees; • Approval of development plans; • Passing of bills for ordinances and by-laws; • Power to raise loans and mortgage council property; and • Any other function or power that may be added to the above by the Minister in charge

of Local Government with approval of the Cabinet. Office of the District Chairperson The district chairperson is the political head of the district. This official is elected by universal adult suffrage and is ordinarily resident in the district. This is a full-time job. It is 2 While planning, the district is expected by law to integrate the investment plans from the lower councils: municipality/sub-counties/divisions/town councils.

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important for managers of CSOs to make their organisation known to the district chairperson as an overall leader of the district. The key functions of the chairperson include, among others (see Local Government Act Sections 12 and 13):

• Preside at meetings of the executive committee of the district; • Monitor the general administration of the district; • Monitor the implementation of council decisions; • Monitor and coordinate the activities of municipal and town councils together with

lower local councils and administrative units; • Oversee the performance of persons employed by government and monitor the

provision of government services or the implementation of projects on behalf of the council; and

• Coordinate and monitor government functions.

The responsibilities of the chairpersons of lower local governments in their areas of jurisdiction are similar to those of the district chairperson who oversees their performance. The exception is that lower local governments have responsibilities over administrative units under them since some have no lower local governments to oversee. Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) The chief administrative officer is a senior civil servant appointed by the Public Service Commission (central government). S/he is the head supervisor of all civil servants in the district and is the administrative and accounting officer of the district. The CAO is responsible for the implementation of all lawful local government council resolutions. S/he is the technical advisor to the chairperson and the council and is the secretary to the district executive committee. The town clerks in municipalities, divisions, and town councils, and the sub-county chiefs in sub-counties, play the same role in their lower local governments as the CAO at the district. All of them are supervised by the CAO. District Executive Committee There is an executive committee for each local government, which performs the executive functions of the council. The executive committee consists of:

• The chairperson; • The vice-chairperson; and • Secretaries, whose number the council may determine, but not exceeding three.

The functions of the executive committee are to:

• Initiate and formulate policy for approval by the council; • Oversee the implementation of council programmes; • Receive and solve problems or disputes forwarded to it from lower local government

councils; • Evaluate the performance of the council for every financial year; and • Under Section 17 sub-section (b), the district executive committee is mandated to

monitor and coordinate the activities of non-governmental organisations (NGOs/CSOs) in the district. The executive must ensure that the CSOs working in their area are registered, submit their work plans, report regularly on their activities,

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and are operating within the established legal framework and submitted objectives and work plans.

This section applies to the executive committees of all lower local governments as well, except that in the case of town councils and sub-counties, they solve problems and disputes from the administrative units. Sections 17 and 26 of the Local Government Act, CAP 243 provide for the roles of the district executive committee and the lower local government council respectively. Standing Committees of Local Government Councils Local governments and lower local government councils conduct their business through standing committees. Section 22(1) of the Local Governments Act, CAP 243, empowers a district or lower local government council to appoint standing committees. The number of standing committees should not exceed the allowed number of secretaries, in the interest of the efficient performance of its functions, which include:

• Reviewing bills for ordinances in the case of districts, or by-laws in the case of lower local governments, as well as motions presented to council, and making recommenda-tions to council;

• Monitoring and evaluating performance of sectors under their functional responsibility;

• Receiving budgets of departments under their responsibility and recommending their integration into council budgets;

• Scrutinising monthly expenditure returns, contract awards, and quarterly reports, and making recommendations to council for appropriate action;

• Reviewing all resolutions and other matters relating to the subjects within their jurisdiction; and

• Reporting to the council regarding their functions. Lower Local Governments: Municipality, Division, Sub-County, and Town Council A municipality is an urban lower local government like a division in a city; however, a municipality is higher than a city division or town council. Administratively, a municipality equates to a county because of its population and the services it provides. A municipality in Uganda has at least three sub-divisions (equivalent of rural sub-counties or town councils). A municipality is headed by a mayor, while the city divisions, municipality divisions, sub-counties, and town councils are headed by chairpersons. The municipality, division, sub-county, and town council are lower local governments. The lower local government council is the highest political authority at this level. The council has overall authority to manage the affairs of the lower local government—whether municipality, sub-county, division, or town council. It has legislative and executive powers that can be exercised in accordance with the Constitution and the Local Government Act, CAP 243. A person can only be a member of council if s/he is a citizen of Uganda. The composition of councils of the municipalities, divisions, town councils, and sub-counties is described above.

Like in the higher local governments, the municipality/sub-county/division/town council has authority and responsibility to carry out planning and budgeting as an independent body.

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For the functions and powers of lower local governments, including non delegated powers, please see above. Working Committees of Council A council, through a resolution, can appoint a working committee or a special committee and assign a particular task. This could be a commission of inquiry into operations of a particular sector, staff, standing committee, or councillor. The committee members will have the powers to invite those they think have information about the subject or area of concern to tell them what they know or to give an input to the subject area. The working committee will report back to council on its findings, as required by council, in a given period of time. The Third Schedule, Section 24, of the Local Government Act 1997 (Amendment 2006) gives the guidelines and composition of such a committee. Councillors at District and Lower Local Governments The councillors are representatives of all the people in the council area. One of their most important tasks is to keep themselves well informed about the needs and wishes of the people they serve. According to the Schedule 3, Regulation 8 of the Local Government Act CAP 243, councillors should:

• Maintain close contact with their electoral area and consult the people on issues to be discussed in the council where necessary;

• Present views, opinions, and proposals to the council; • Attend sessions of the local council and meetings of committees or sub-committees of

which s/he is a member; • Appoint at least a day in a given period for meeting the people in his or her electoral

area; • Report to the electorate the decisions of the council and the actions taken to solve

problems raised by residents in the electoral area; • Bring to bear on any discussion in the council the benefit of his or her skill,

profession, experience, or specialised knowledge; and • Take part in communal and development activities in their electoral area and district

as a whole. Chairperson of the Sub-County/Division/Town/Municipal Council3 The chairperson is the political head of the sub-county/division/town/municipal council and is elected by universal adult suffrage through a secret ballot. This position is full-time and the chairperson ordinarily should be a resident of the area. For roles and responsibilities, please see above. Roles and Responsibilities of the Technical Planning Committee (TPC) The TPC is an organ of the council that advises it on all technical issues related to all laws and policies that have to be followed for enhanced service delivery to the population. The TPC is composed of only technical staff at the local government levels, including department heads, heads of sectors, and any co-opted members. 3 Refer to Sections 24 and 25 of the Local Government Act, 1997.

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The technical organs established by law are the District Technical Planning Committee (Section 36); the District Planning Unit (DPU) (Section 37); and the Technical Planning Committee at lower local government levels (Section 37(3)). The DTPC is chaired by the CAO at the district level. At the lower local government level, the chair is the administrative head—senior assistant secretary at the sub-county level, or town clerk in municipalities/town councils, or assistant town clerk in divisions. The Technical Planning Committee has the following planning functions:

• Provide technical guidance in planning to the council; • Integrate NGOs’ activities into the local government plans; • Prepare draft plans for consideration and approval by the council; • Ensure free flow of information on planned activities within and among sectors,

including the private sector; • Explain to the local council national economic programmes and their impact on local

government or area development; • Give guidance to standing committees to ensure that the plans reflect national

priorities within the district and location context; • Appraise all local government projects and assess the investment needs of the local

government; • Implement the plans and policies of the local council; • Budget for the programmes of the council; and • Liaise with and provide technical guidance to other technical staff at lower levels.

The planning unit is charged with:

• Providing technical expertise and guidance in plan formulation to district and lower local government councils and all stakeholders;

• Ensuring that the data required for planning are collected and analysed; • Ensuring that cross-cutting issues (gender, children, environment, population, and

HIV/AIDS) are integrated into the development plans; • Ensuring that the development plans are produced in the correct format and in a

manner easily understood by the council and the general public; and • Being a secretariat of the Technical Planning Committee.

It is important to note that all planning issues at lower local governments are organised and coordinated by the community development officer at that level. In conclusion, the setup and roles of local governments are well stipulated in both the Constitution of Uganda and the Local Government Act. Both Parliament and local government councils have legislative and policy-making powers in accordance with the Constitution of Uganda. Legislation and policies are formulated through a process. It is important to understand this process well, so that you can easily identify the entry points of influence during the process of formulation and when requesting or advocating for a review. Figure B-2 illustrates the various CSO entry points at different levels of local government.

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Figure B-2. CSO Entry Points for Various Local Government Levels

Village/Cell • LCI chairperson/executive • Village council • Opinion leaders • Project investment committee • Religious leaders • Teachers • Drama and sports groups • Retired civil servants/politicians • Women and youth groups, etc.

Parish/Ward • LCII chairperson/executive • Parish council • Parish/ward councilors • Opinion leaders • Parish development committees • Project management committees • Religious leaders • Retired civil servants/politicians • Women and youth groups, etc. • Teachers • Drama and sports groups

Municipalities, Town Councils, and Sub-Counties

• Mayor or chairperson • Executive committee • Lower local government councils • Council speaker • Councillors • Standing committees of council • Committee chairperson • Town clerk • Senior assistant secretary • Technical planning committee • Technical officers • Other CSOs

City and District • Chairperson • Council • Executive committee members • Standing committees • Chairpersons of committees • CAO • Technical officers • Resident district commissioner • Technical planning committee • Budget desk

• Mobilisation for public meetings • Attendance at public meetings and

functions • Formal and informal meetings • Visits to homes and groups • Public-awareness campaigns or civic

education • Advocacy issue identification • Research and documentation • Needs identification or planning

meetings • Visits to places of worship • Visits to schools and other institutions

of learning

• Mobilisation for public meetings • Attendance at public meetings and

functions • Formal and informal meetings • Visits to homes and groups • Public-awareness campaigns or civic

education • Advocacy issue identification • Research and documentation • Planning of harmonisation meetings • Project implementation and monitoring • Visits to places of worship • Visits to schools

• Formal and informal engagement with target audience • Attendance at council meetings • Attendance at committee meetings • Accessing minutes of council meetings • Accessing budgets and development plans • Regular review of progress reports to council on

government policy implementation • Public-awareness campaigns or civic education • Advocacy issue identification • Research and data collection • Attendance at budget conferences • Planning of review meetings • Organisation of coalition meetings • Formulation and review of by-laws • Invitations to attend/officiate at CSO functions

• Formal and informal engagement with target audience • Attendance at council meetings • Attendance at committee meetings • Accessing minutes of council meetings • Accessing budgets and development plans • Regular review of progress reports to council on

government policy implementation • Public-awareness campaigns or civic education • Advocacy issue identification • Research and data collection • Attendance at budget conferences • Planning of review meetings • Organisation of coalition meetings • Formulation and review of by-laws • Invitations to attend/officiate at CSO functions

• Film shows • Use of mobile public address system for

messages • Talks to individuals or groups • Presentations/demonstrations • Public debates • Media/newspaper clippings and radio

talks/announcements • Phone messages • Posters and banners • Plays and games • Workshops and seminars

• Film shows • Use of mobile public address system for

messages • Talks to individuals or groups • Presentations/demonstrations • Public debates • Media/newspaper clippings and radio

talks, talk shows, announcements and jingles

• Phone messages • Posters and banners • Plays and games

• Petitions, memoranda • Lobbying/dialogues • Position papers, letters • Presentations • Meetings, workshops, and seminars • Public debate • Media/newspaper reports and electronic news items • Phone messages • Brochures • Posters and banners • Public action and demonstrations

• Petitions, memoranda • Lobbying/dialogues • Position papers, letters • Presentations • Meetings, workshops, and seminars • Public debates • Media/newspaper reports and electronic news items • Phone messages • Brochures • Posters and banners • Public action and demonstrations

Target Audiences

Strategies

Tools

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Annex C. THE POLICY PROCESS

How Policies are Formulated It is important as you embark on an advocacy effort to understand the policy process, including the decision-making processes and steps involved. Decision-making processes are formal, but contact with decision makers can either be formal or informal. The making of policies goes through various policy-making organs of Parliament and local government councils. For any policy to be effective and able to address the issues at hand, all concerned and interested stakeholders need to give their views on the policy being discussed. Advocacy is aimed at informing individuals involved in the decision-making processes about the views of the wider community and other key stakeholders on the inadequacies of the existing policies and the impact of the intended policy in regulating and improving the livelihood of the people they lead. The formal decision-making process at the national level is the official procedure as stated by law or institutional policy. For example, government regulations for policy formulation require formal consultative processes, open discussions in legally instituted fora or committees, and approval of policy decisions by the head of state. On the other hand, informal processes involve activities and procedures that occur concurrently with the formal process, but are not required by law. For example, the President may informally discuss the proposed policy change with like-minded individuals before the Cabinet votes on it. This may also apply at the higher and lower local government levels. Stages in the Decision (Policy)-Making Process Traditionally, each decision-making process includes five stages, as discussed below. Stage 1: Identify issues and generate policy proposals for the attention of the decision-making body. Ideas may come from outside or inside the institution, and these may form the basis of the policy proposals. For example, during the many tours the President made, the issue of land evictions without any compensation was very prominent. The President then requested the Ministry of Lands to propose changes in the existing law to reduce the practice, as many people were becoming landless though they had lived on the land for several years. Stage 2: Formally introduce the proposal into the decision-making process. For example, after the Ministry of Lands was instructed to review the land law, the Ministry took it up and drafted a bill to take care of the rampant evictions. This draft bill was discussed and agreed on by the Cabinet, which is the executive arm of government chaired by the President or his/her appointee. The draft was agreed on and was passed to become a bill, which was sent to the plenary of Parliament for the first reading. This was the Land Amendment Bill 2007. The bill was forwarded to the relevant committee for scrutiny, stakeholder consultations, and debate. Stage 3: Deliberate, carry out consultations, and make recommendations. This process involves discussions, research, consultations, debate, and perhaps introducing proposals for

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amendments (changes to the bill) after serious committee deliberations. This is the stage where you should seize the opportunity to carry out advocacy action with the committee. For example, when the Land Amendment Bill 2007 was sent to the Standing Committee of Parliament on Infrastructure, all interested parties from all walks of life in the country were invited to go physically and meet the committee for input, while others sent in memoranda (written inputs) about the bill. Because the bill was met with a lot of enthusiasm, consultations on the bill were made country-wide, which is not common with other laws and policies. This shows how important advocacy is in changing society for the better once the attention of the policy makers is attracted. Many interested parties, including CSOs, may submit proposals for amendments to bills, but not all will be incorporated as it is not mandatory. However, the CSOs’ role as advocates will have been fulfilled because some issues may be chosen and incorporated into the committee report. The committee then makes its report on the bill with or without amendments (new proposals or changes) to Parliament. Stage 4: Approve or reject the proposal. This involves approving or rejecting the proposal formally in a legally constituted organ mandated for the purpose (e.g., Parliament or a local government council). The bill is then presented for a second reading, where the committee makes its report and recommendations, which are debated and voted on. The bill is then read for a third time with the amendments incorporated. It is then subjected to a vote for approval. Voting in Parliament may be made by voices by saying “AYE” for “YES” (for those who support) or “NO” (for those who oppose). They both speak at the same time and the speaker chooses whatever voices were more pronounced as the winner. If it is passed, then it is sent to the attorney general for legal drafting to capture all the changes. If the bill is not passed, it is sent back to the committee for improvement with specific recommendations from the plenary. If it is passed, but all CSO proposals have not been taken up, you should continue advocacy through other means, such as lobbying and networking with other pressure groups, especially if it is agreed that what was omitted was critical in solving the community’s problems. The CSO networks can effectively do advocacy work before the President signs it into law. Stage 5: Assent to the bill, implement, or return to a previous stage. If the bill is approved by Parliament, it is sent to the President for approval and signing. In the case of local governments, it is sent to the Minister of Local Government for approval and signature. These approvals are not automatic, and there are cases when the President has refused to assent to a bill passed by Parliament. If assented to, it moves to the implementation stage. If the President rejects the bill, it is sent back to the Speaker of Parliament unsigned but with comments. It is again brought back to the plenary for review, debate, and approval, and later sent to the President again for assent. The questions in the text box below will help to clarify the process to follow for trying to influence a policy. These questions are a key aspect of a policy process map.

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Guiding Questions to Influence Policy

• What organisation or policy-making body will make the decision you are trying to influence? • What is the formal decision-making process for this institution? What are the steps in the formal

process? When will each step take place? • What are the informal workings or behind-the-scenes actions for the decision-making process? • Who are the key decision makers at each stage? • Which steps are open to outside inputs? Which stage in the process can you influence? How can you

influence these stages? Alternatives to Formal Decision (Policy)-Making Process The previous section considers the formal decision-making processes, but what if there is no response to your thoughtful and persistent advocacy? A quick answer would be to try the alternative methods, but you should never give up the formal process. It is true that policy and programmatic changes made within formal structures tend to be more sustainable and also lay the foundation for future action. In the alternative process, people are the policy or the policy is personalised, since there is no official record of changes. The implication is that as people retire, your advocacy gains may not continue. In making the choice of whether to work outside the formal process or not, the choice will be greatly influenced by whether your advocacy objective requires official policy or programmatic change to be successful. If programmatic change is sought, working through an alternative informal process may deliver the desired result. If it is determined that an alternative informal process can be pursued, you should then consider the following:

• Who can effectively implement the policy or programme change without an official decision or action?

• How can you reach these people and help them to make the change? • Would these people later join your advocacy effort to change the official

policy/programme? As earlier mentioned, you will need to be fully aware of the policy-making processes of both Parliament and local governments if you are to advocate effectively.

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Annex D. ADDITIONAL ADVOCACY TOOLS

Visual Materials Visual materials can take many forms, such as posters, banners, flyers, placards, T-shirts, stickers, and the like. Visual materials normally contain simple advocacy messages on the issue of concern. Some examples include: ‘We need more drugs in the health units,’ ‘Stop smoking in public places,’ ‘We need more condoms to fight HIV/AIDS,’ ‘AIDS is a killer,’ ‘Plant more trees to avoid desertification,’ ‘Let’s fight corruption together,’ ‘Corruption is our number-one enemy,’ and ‘Alcohol consumption ruins your life.’ These visual materials can be used during peaceful public demonstrations, public rallies, public awareness-raising sessions, and public meetings; and as signposts, billboards, television advertisements, and video documentaries. Visual materials are normally used to reinforce the messages already transmitted either orally or through written messages. Telephone Calls or Messages In this era of information and communication technology, the telephone is another vital tool to use in advocacy. Making telephone calls and sending short messages (SMS) to the target audience are additional tools that have several advantages. These include:

• You can easily reach many people (target audience) in a short period of time. • It is relatively cheap if the target group is dispersed or in far-away places. • There is a wider geographic coverage in a short period of time.

There are, however, some challenges as well:

• The source of information could be doubted by the receiver. • Some members of the target group might not understand the language. • Some of the intended recipients may not be able to read. • The message could be perceived by the receivers in a way that was not intended. • You might not be able to get a reaction easily. • Many people do not have mobile phones. • Sending the message to the wrong audience could stimulate anger from the recipient. • There is limited dialogue and hence the need for reinforcement messages.

Letters or Memoranda A letter is a good way to deliver your message, especially if you do not have a personal relationship with your target audience. An advantage of a letter is that it creates a record of your position. But keep in mind that it is quite possible that others will see what you have written, such as your opponents, members of the public, or the media. When sending a letter, try to find out how to ensure that your audience is most likely to read it (i.e., should you use mail, fax, or e-mail)? If others support your position, consider asking them to sign the letter along with you. While you are writing the letter, be clear whether you are writing in order to receive a response, or mainly to register your opinion.

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Petition, Appeal, or Request A petition is a written statement of concerns related to an advocacy issue and recommendation for policy action. CSOs develop a petition after wide consultation and agreement, research, and documentation. It is later presented to the relevant authorities, such as Speaker of Parliament, chairperson of the relevant parliamentary committee, a minister, chairperson LC V or LC III, council speaker, CAO, member of the executive committee, or chairperson of a standing committee. Eventually the petition finds its way to the floor of Parliament, council, standing committee, or technical planning committee. Use of Print and Electronic Media (the Press) If influencing public opinion is your advocacy strategy, it becomes important to use the media to deliver your message. Policy makers and groups involved in political processes also pay close attention to the media, so using the media sometimes can help you to reach multiple audiences. Therefore, you need to select the media carefully and make your story convincing. The principal benefits of using the media are:

• You will be able to deliver your message to a large number of people, potentially attracting public interest and supporters to your cause.

• It may increase your profile and credibility with policy makers, and therefore improve your access to them.

Like any approach, use of the media also carries certain risks or challenges:

• There is a possibility that the coverage of your organisation or cause may come out unfavourably.

• The information may come out as inaccurate. • The media coverage may cause your opponents to swing into action.

The best way to help ensure that media coverage will positively advance your advocacy goals is to plan ahead. Once you decide to use the media, there are a wide range of techniques to choose from. Which method you choose depends on the nature of your message, the target audience, the media that are accessible to you, and your own level of skill and experience in dealing with the media. The following are some of the traditional forms of communication with media, but you should select the one that best suits your local environment. News Advisories News advisories are communications designed to alert the media to an upcoming event. Advisories are usually issued several days ahead of time to accommodate reporters’ schedules. Ideally, a follow-up call should be made to priority media houses the day before, to remind them of the event. Be sure that your event is newsworthy before you invite reporters, because news events create work for journalists and media houses.

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The main purpose of news advisories is to tell the public through the media about an upcoming event by responding to the following questions: who, what, where, when, and why? In addition, news advisories should be structured as follows:

• A short description of the event: What is being organised and why? What is the agenda/schedule of events?

• The location (and directions, if appropriate): Where is the function? • A contact person (including phone number, etc.): Who is organising and how can

interested parties get in touch? • The date and time: When is the function taking place and what is the importance

of that date? • If the event is visual (and it should be), describe what it will look like or include a

photo: Arouse interest as to how the public can participate in the event. News (Press) Releases A news release or press release is a written statement that alerts the media to a public announcement about an event. Unlike a news advisory, which goes out ahead of time, a news release is usually issued just before or at the time of an event, or immediately afterward. A news release should contain all of the information a reporter might need to write an article, as well as contact information in case s/he has follow up questions. Frequently, a press release includes quotations that could be used as part of a story. Keep in mind that the press is likely to use your release immediately upon receiving it. The easiest way to write a news release is to work from a model. Usually, a press release is structured as follows:

• Top of the page: Contact information. • First paragraph: Most important information about the event, or most newsworthy

aspect of your announcement. • Second paragraph: Descriptive information about the event (when and where). • Remaining paragraphs: Background information that suggests why the event or

statement is important and the developments that have led up to it. Here are some rules of thumb for press releases:

• Stick to the facts: Avoid overstating the case. (Remember, your news release might be reprinted word for word.)

• Try to answer the basics: Who, what, when, where, why, and how? • Make a case as to why your news release is newsworthy. (Remember, the first target

audience for your release is the reporter, editor, or producer, not the public.) • Keep it short, simple and factual (one page is perfect). • Use graphics or photos whenever possible.

Interviews and Radio Talk Shows Once you have attracted the media’s attention, be prepared to receive and respond to their calls and interviews. As soon as you issue a news release or contact a media organisation,

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usually someone follows up and requests an interview. Therefore, prepare and be ready with answers about the event and your organisation. You should be prepared to answer both questions you would like to be asked (those that promote your organisation and the event you are organising), and those you would not like to be asked (those that your opponents would like to hear, i.e., the negative ones). Remember, you have no control over what journalists will ask and report. If you are contacted by the media at a time when you are not prepared to hold an interview, simply explain that no one is available to answer questions at that time. Promise that someone will call them back. Find out what the reporter is looking for, and arrange a time to call back. Do call back and honour their request because all media outlets have daily deadlines to meet. A good way to get ready for a press interview is for you and your colleagues to prepare talking points. These are very short statements that summarise the main points that you hope to make during the interview. In addition, it is common to prepare a set of possible written ‘questions and answers’ that anticipate possible questions and then map out the best responses. While the person being interviewed should not try to memorise all of this information, it can be extremely helpful to review in advance, so that s/he has given some forethought to how to respond. These points should contain the main message you hope to get across. In many cases, it can be helpful to share these points with the reporter before the interview. If the talk show or interview is on a controversial topic, you should consult with a press officer of your organisation, the head of the organisation, or somebody who is very experienced with the media. This method also helps the interviewee benefit from the entire team and helps to develop internal consensus on complex issues before a public statement is made. News Conferences News conferences are events in which many members of the media are invited to come and hear an important announcement. This is an appropriate forum when you want to use a wide range of media organisations to disseminate information on something truly newsworthy to report. A statement of public importance is normally read out and sometimes reporters are asked to make comments and ask questions or clarifications. This is the ideal and desirable situation but many times there can be restrictions on questions and comments. Reporters often prefer formats in which they can ask more questions individually. A news conference should not be called simply for the purpose of making your organisation or message seem important. You should be versed about the news conference theme because the media representatives may take the liberty of asking anything related to the theme. That is why it is important not to face a group of reporters alone. Commentary/Interpretation/Position Statement Written interpretation is a tool frequently used in advocacy. The goal of a commentary or interpretation is to call attention to an issue or make an argument to promote a cause. One type of commentary or interpretation commonly used is a position statement (or a position

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paper). Position statements are similar to news releases, but they are usually focused on a subject and target specific audiences, rather than the general public. Position papers are used by organisations to clearly make public their stand on an issue of public importance. Often, organisations with common interests will issue a position statement jointly, to increase its impact. When this is the strategy, it is helpful to encourage people with high status in the community to add their name to the statement. Position statements can be released through the media or they can be communicated directly to policy makers. Public Demonstrations Public demonstrations are good advocacy tools, especially if you want the general public to understand and support your cause. Peaceful public demonstrations are allowed in the Constitution of Uganda and must be organised according to the laws of the country. In public demonstrations, several tools of advocacy are used to reinforce the message being put across, such as news advisories, press or news releases, posters, and banners. However, if they are not well organised, they can turn into riots, which may cause destruction/loss of property and injuries to people or even death. Such undesirable outcomes will make you lose the point for advocacy because the target group and the opponents will portray you as a rowdy group, which will lead to loss of credibility, even if you have a valid advocacy point. Public Dialogue or Debates Public dialogues or debates can be organised by CSOs. They are used to discuss a particular issue of concern. In this forum, you can identify presenters with different professional and technical backgrounds to talk about the subject. Arising out of the presentations and the general discussions and comments from the audience, an advocacy issue could emerge by consensus that could be supported by the general public.

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Annex E. ADVOCACY CASE STUDIES

CSOs in Uganda have varied experiences in policy advocacy, as demonstrated by cases of best practices, from which learning can be drawn. The case studies presented below highlight some of the successes and challenges in advocacy, to help shape future interventions by CSOs. Case Study 1: Violence against Women The best practice described below is about advocacy on violence against women in Uganda. Increased violence against women and girls is among the major critical factors behind the spread of HIV/AIDS. Women and girls are victims of rape, defilement, and battering.

In response, the women’s movement coordinated by the Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) developed and implemented activities to advocate for government actions to end violence against women and girls. The sections below describe the processes followed and some of the major successes. Identifying the policy issue. In 2006, media reports flagged the issue of violence against women and girls following increased incidences of rape, defilement, and wife battering. A number of CSOs carried out studies to deepen their understanding of the causes and impact of domestic violence and strategies to address it. Through a number of stakeholder consultative meetings, the linkage between domestic violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS was identified as the major concern. The women constituted a coalition of women’s organisations advocating to stop violence against women and girls, coordinated by UWONET, based in Kampala. UWONET organised a dialogue for a number of women’s organisations, and the advocacy goals identified were:

• Increase access to justice for victims of domestic violence; • Put in place polices and legal regimes to stop violence against women and girls; and • Support victims of domestic violence.

Selecting advocacy objectives. The next stage was to agree on the expected changes, which were defined in terms of objectives. The overall objective was to end violence against women and girls through enacting and enforcing appropriate laws and policies. The specific laws targeted were the Domestic Relations Bill, the Sexual Offences Bill, and the Domestic Violence Bill. A small team was selected to undertake an analysis of existing laws, out of which position papers were developed to highlight the relevant gaps identified in order to end violence against women and girls. Identifying the target audiences. The primary audiences agreed upon were the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development; the Ministry of Health; the Parliamentary Committee on Social Services; and the Cabinet. The secondary target audiences were donors, the police, the Law Reform Commission, local governments, and cultural and religious leaders.

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Developing and delivering advocacy messages. A team was selected to work on messages for influencing the relevant target groups and the mode of dissemination of the messages. Some of the key messages included:

• We call upon the government to put in place appropriate policies and laws to end all forms of violence against women and girls; and

• The government should establish mechanisms to support victims of all forms of violence against women and girls.

The messages were to be disseminated through media houses (newspapers, radios, and television stations), public meetings, and public demonstrations to profile the issues.

Building partnerships. The core NGO involved, UWONET, which spearheaded the advocacy initiative, mobilised other women’s groups and activists and formed them into a critical mass that was difficult to ignore. The coalition was able to attract the attention of the public, donor community, policy makers, the police, and the judiciary. In addition, it drew tremendous sympathy from the public. Influencing and lobbying strategies. This involved a peaceful march, media coverage, and handing over of a petition, with well-articulated messages to the Speaker of Parliament. In light of the publicity given to the advocacy issue and the size of the coalition, the cause of preventing violence against women came into the public domain. When a peaceful demonstration was planned, there was much enthusiasm and support from various stakeholders, as evidenced by the high turnout. The stakeholders marched to Parliament, where they handed over a petition to the Speaker of Parliament. The event was well covered in both electronic and print media.

Fundraising. The coalition secretariat developed fundraising proposals targeting donors and contributions from members. Most contributions were raised from coalition members who had a stake in the struggle to end violence against women and girls in Uganda. Monitoring and evaluation. CSOs held regular review meetings to monitor progress towards the realisation of their set advocacy objectives, by tracking the incidents of reported cases in the media and at police stations, by questioning their village councils, and by watching the outcome of their petition to Parliament. The major achievements were as follows:

• Violence against women was recognised as a critical concern; • A coalition developed and presented a petition to the Speaker of Parliament; • The parliamentary committee invited CSOs for a hearing and they articulated issues

and policy demands; and • The committee promised to table a report before Parliament.

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Case Study 2: Advocacy for the Education of Disadvantaged Children This case study outlines CSOs’ engagement in advocacy for the education of disadvantaged children. Identifying the policy issue. One of the effects of the war in the north was the destruction of the social services infrastructure, such as schools and health facilities. An estimated 1.8 million people (as per 2006 estimates) ended up living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, and others migrated to neighbouring districts, such as Masindi and Hoima. As a consequence, most of the school-age children could not take advantage of the government education programme, called universal primary education (UPE). CSOs working on education in Masindi recognised the problem and, with the support of the Commonwealth Education Project, designed interventions aimed at influencing the government to formulate a policy on non-formal education. The advocacy issues focused on were the development of an appropriate curriculum that would allow flexible learning hours, recognition and support of non-formal education centres, and also training of teachers. Selecting an advocacy objective. The specific change expected in the long term was disadvantaged children accessing and enjoying their rights to education. This would be achieved by the government formulating a policy on non-formal education. Using data and research. A model on non-formal education was designed and implemented for influencing policy formulation. Specifically, in Masindi District, about 20 non-formal education centres were created as evidence to inform policy processes, and the stories of change were documented. Policy briefs were developed explaining the problems and proposing policy interventions. Later, a Northern Region Education Forum (NOREF) was created to amplify the voices of the communities in the advocacy processes. Identifying the target audiences. The key stakeholders agreed on the Ministry of Education and the Parliamentary Committee on Social Services as the primary targeted audiences. Developing and Delivering Advocacy Messages. The lessons from the model mentioned above were documented by NOREF, out of which came recommendations for policy formulation and implementation. The key message was that ‘Government should formulate a policy on non-formal education to enable disadvantaged children from IDP communities to have access to basic education.’

Several awareness meetings, workshops, and seminars were held at the sub-county and district levels targeting leaders. Local FM radio stations also played a large role in profiling the issues. Building partnerships. NOREF built alliances with other with stakeholders in education from different parts of the country, like Alternative Basic Education for Karamoja (ABEK). Making persuasive presentations. Later NOREF and its allies planned and implemented lobbying initiatives targeting the Ministry of Education, including meetings, seminars, workshops, and sharing of policy papers with evidence that the policy proposals could work. The experiences of CSOs’ work helped in debates with policy makers by providing evidence, hence the importance of evidence-based advocacy.

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The Ministry was later convinced and drafted a policy on non-formal education, which ultimately was passed. Fundraising. NOREF wrote fundraising proposals and secured resources from the Commonwealth Education Fund. Monitoring and evaluation. The government took over most of the community-initiated non-formal education centres and is currently paying the teachers’ salaries. The CSOs, however, continued monitoring the implementation.

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Annex F. RECOMMENDED FURTHER READING FOR CSOs

Knowledge is power, and it promotes credibility. CSOs need to be knowledgeable of key areas touching on their legal status, their operations, or the workings of their key partners, such as Parliament and local governments. It is therefore recommended that you access the following books/reports, either individually or through your district networks:

• The Constitution 1995 with its Amendments 2005 • The NGO Act 2006 • The Local Government Act, CAP 243 • The Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP, now under review) • Uganda Vision 2035 • Peace Rehabilitation and Development Plan (PRDP) for Northern Uganda CSOs • District and lower local governments’ plans and budgets for respective areas • The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) • Quality Assurance Mechanism (QuAM) toolkit • Relevant policy thematic documents, such as the National Health Policy, Population

Policy, Reproductive Health Policy, National Gender Policy, National Education Policy, National Environment Policy, and Water Policy, as well as the Participatory Harmonised Development Planning Process for Districts, Sub-counties, Parishes and Villages

• Standard rules of procedure for local government councils • Copies of the annual state-of-the-district address by the district chairperson • Minutes of the district or sub-county council meetings.