You understand how advocacy is different from other types of strategy: ___It involves actions that lead to a selected goal ___It usually involves getting government, an agency or private business to correct an unfair or harmful situation ___It is not the same as direct service ___It may or may not involve confrontation You understand what you need for successful advocacy: ___Your cause needs to be right ___Your group should have some power in numbers and/or clout ___You should have thoroughly researched the issue, the opposition, and the climate of opinion in the community ___You should be skilled in using the tools available to you (including the media) ___You should pick your strategy and tactics carefully When is advocacy appropriate? ___When a powerful agency, institution or company needs to change but will not ___When nothing else will work ___When you know you have the capacity to carry it through Other sections of this chapter can help you with different aspects of preparation for advocacy To understand the issue: ___Research the root cause of the problem ___Conduct an analysis of the power structure To bring others into your campaign: ___Learn to recognize potential allies ___Choose them (and bring them on board) with care To identify (and stand up to) opponents: ___Start with the cause for resistance, and from that identify the people or groups who are likely to oppose you ___Once you have identified opponents, prepare for opposition, and plan to counteract it To make sure you conduct your advocacy campaign efficiently: ___Use the survival tips that will help you achieve your goals and stay out of trouble To put it together: ___Make a master action plan that lets you consider all aspects of your campaign at once, so you can adjust different elements to fit ___Include your mission and objectives, your allies and opponents, your targets and agents of change, and your strategies and detailed action plan When you look around for help: ___Check into groups that might normally be against you, but who may help with at least part of your goals To make sure you are on track: ___Do a careful self-assessment to make sure you are reaching all your objectives and sticking to your timetable ___Check up on the process, to make sure your group is efficiently working together
