If have just read an excellent talk by WWF’s Stefania Campogianni on ‘achieving Policy Change: Lobbying, Advocacy and Influencing’. What she says is worth listening to. She was behind the campaign to stop the roll back of nature and habitats law in the EU.
I agree with most of the talk. Having worked for all sides of the table (except for a government) most of it is excellent advice. Indeed, I think the fundamentals of good lobbying and campaigning are the same for whatever interest you are working for.
Checklist
Indeed, I think many of the key elements of winning political and lobbying campaigns can be put down into a simple checklist.
The advantage of a checklist is that a NGO, donor, trade association, or company can have a good idea from the very beginning whether they stand a good chance of winning.
I don’t have any issue about anyone spending money on lost causes. Indeed, I rather liked the KLF’s burning of a million pounds. I just think it is useful to know if you are fighting a lost cause from the start, and maybe it would be smarter to just publically burn the money.
Success leaves clues that are worth following
There are some common basic rules, that if followed, will mean you stand a good chance of winning. This is the case if you are working on a discreet lobbying campaign or broader political campaign.
To be fair, the campaign play book has been written. Ex Greenpeace campaign lead, Chris Rose, in ‘How to win campaigns’ and ‘What Makes People Tick’ has written out the game plan to win as a NGO campaigner.
He also leaves less obvious clues on how to respond if you are the hit by a NGO campaign.
I have been asked for my own play book but always recommend Chris Rose’s work. I may get round to writing up a short book one day. In the meantime, here is my own checklist.
20 things you need to do win in lobbying and political campaigns
I know the list seems a lot. It requires a lot of upfront work. It is not for the indolent. It is reserved for a small group of people who really want to make a difference and do what it takes to win.
- Do you have a campaign war book and message bible written out, or is your strategy, supporting evidence, key contacts, in 1001 power-points/ scraps of paper.
- Have you planned backwards – do you have a plan to get to where you want to be?
- Base your expectations on the reasonable worse case scenario. Idealists and irrational optimists won’t like lobbying & campaigns.
- Do you know what success looks like? For example, what would your “ideal legislative text” look like
- Have you done your prep work – the less of the list below, the less good your chances:
- Do you have a a short justification to accompany your legislative text
- Do you have a clear 2 page justification to support your legislative text
- The technical/scientific case that speaks to technical experts
- The necessary supporting studies at hand
- The technical/scientific/ broader case for regulators – shorter and clearer than that given to technical experts
- The technical/scientific/ broader case for politicians
- The technical/scientific/ broader case for the trade media
- The technical/scientific/ broader case for the mainstream media
- The technical/scientific/ broader case for the public
6. Dissect your case. What would the other side say about your case?
- Get an independent expert to take apart your case
- Adapt your case in light of the feedback
- If your case does not stand up, can you improve it, or do you want to stop now.
7. Positioning your case to key decision makers and influencers
- Who are the key decision makers – the key 250 and vital 20
- Who are the key influencers – media, scientists, policy experts
- How do they see your case
8. Do you speak their language: Re-package your case to speak to Settlers, Pioneers, Prospectors
9. Trial run your case
- Test out your case on a few people
- Refine your case in light of feedback
10. Patience and resources. Changing legislation takes years. Plant the seeds of changes early. Do you have the resources on hand to play the long game. Do you have the cash on hand you need?
11. Where are you in the policy development process.
12. Be pleasant or banish those who can’t be they just harm your case.
13. Broad alliances work – do you have them?
14. What counts is votes in the College of Commissioners, Council and Parliament – do you have them lined up.
15. Know the rules for adoption in the Commission, Council and EP. Too many lobbyists and campaigners don’t and loose.
16. Telepathy does not work. Go and speak to the 250 people who make the decision. People think this impossible. It is not.
17. Have it written down in a war book and message bible and presume it gets leaked so don’t write anything stupid down.Nobody is clever enough to walk around with all this information in their head.
18. Play as if you are wearing Go Pro. It helps with ethics.
19. Use the media.
20. This is a lot of hard work. Most of it is done upfront. Get prepared to get burned out. If you don’t follow these core rules, get prepared to lose.