Make a difference! Presented by Ben Gilchrist

CVAT Policy & Participation Team

The campaign cycle

Analysing the political context

• Crucially only government – national and local – has the capacity to make a profound and consistent difference to people’s lives through legislation and changing the context and terms of engagement in which voluntary and community organisations operate.

• Organisations therefore need to be aware of the overall context in which they work and need to play a part in shaping the framework for the benefit of those they serve.

The Good Guide to Campaigning and Influencing (Brian Lamb)

Localism explained

• Localism Act (2011) - legally shifted power from central government to local authorities – with the intention of ‘giving power back’ to individuals, communities and councils.

• New commissioning structures and political players, such as CCGs and PCCs.

• The Coalition’s “deficit reduction” plan to eliminate the “structural” deficit by 2015 – latest indications that cuts may continue till 2018. Local government will see 50% overall cut in funding by 2015

• Increased demand in social care services, non-statutory services less likely to receive funding, e.g. children’s centres.

Social value and public services

Social Value Act (2012):requires commissioners to take account of social, economic and environmental benefits when deciding how to deliver a public service.

Definition of “social value”

“A concept which seeks to maximise the additional benefit that can be created by procuring or commissioning goods and services, above and beyond the benefit of merely the goods and services themselves”.

(Chris White MP)

Social value in action

Café West Tender – York City Council

• pre-tender engagement with VCS - built social aspects into contract specification.

• Offered 6-month initial rent free contract to encourage VCS bids.

• Contract was won by United Response, a voluntary organisation that had 18 years experience of employing people with learning disabilities to build employability skills.

Other case studies of social value in action:

http://www.ncvo.org.uk/policy-and-research/public-services/what-we-believe

Voluntary sector funding contd.

• Assuming that the voluntary sector experiences proportionate cuts, funding for voluntary sector will be £1.7 billion lower by 2017/18 than it was in 2010/11.

• Best Value Statutory Guidance - response to disproportionate cuts to sector.

Further reading:

The Road Ahead, NCVO 2013,Counting the cuts, NCVO 2013

Developing your campaign strategy

What is a campaigning?

“ the mobilising forces of organisations or individuals to influence others in order to effect an identified and desired social, environmental or political change”

What is a strategy?

Setting out a clear campaign aim which encapsulates the overall purpose or impact of the change you want to see.

Identifying 3-5 campaign objectives which are changes you will need to see in order to achieve your overall aim.

Defining your issue – Free Dave [VIDEO]

Problem Tree

Problem Tree

Solution Tree

Influencing Objectives

Institutions

• Policy Change

• Practice Change

Individuals

• Knowledge

• Skills

• Attitudes

• Behaviours

Selecting Objectives

When selecting objectives from your list of recommendatons, you could choose:

• The most important one (the big hitter)

• The easiest one (the low hanging fruit)

• The one that needs to happen first to enable the others to happen (the key)

• The one that is easiest to explain (the crystal)

• The one that is most emotive (the heart puller)

Or any other criteria that fits your organisational camapign strategy.

Intro to campaign planning

• Using your strategy to identify decision-makersand influencers

• Assessing timescales for decisions and deadlinesfor actions

• Choosing tactics and activities

Free Dave – Know who to lobby [VIDEO]

Understand change process

• Who makes the decision?

• How is the decision made?

• When is the decision made?

• What influences the decision?

Stakeholder Analysis

Helps us to:

• Identify our allies & opponents

• Prioritise who we should target to achieve maximum influence

• Determine the influencing strategy for each priority audience

Influence Map

Minister of Health

National Media

Arch-Bishop

Senate Committee

InfluencingOrganisation

Civil Servants

Clergy

Parishioners

Influencing Options

For the audiences you select to target, you have five influencing options:

• Persuade them to agree with your position – with influential neutrals and soft opponents

• Persuade them that the issue is important – with disinterested allies

• Build alliances with them – with influential and interested allies

• Increase their influence – with allies of low influence

• Decrease their influence – with opponents of high influence

Strategic Approaches to Influencing

• Rational

• Collaborative

• Legal/Judicial

• Political/pressure

Make a difference!

Ben Gilchrist

Community and Voluntary Action Tameside131 Katherine StreetAshton-under-LyneOL6 7AW

Tel: 0161 339 4985

www.cvat.org.uk