Campaign Planning: Issues, Power & Strategy Leading Campaigns (Level 2)
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Outline • • • • •
What is an Issue Campaign? Choosing your issue Power & Influence Tactical Guide to Power Strategy Development
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Learning Outcomes • Understand the term Issue in the context of campaigning • Apply key criteria to select your issue • Analyse the balance of power and your ability to affect that balance • Develop a strategy chart and understand it’s ongoing use
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What is an issue campaign?
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Issues vs Problems • Problem = What’s wrong • Issue = specific solution to a problem – Ie. A new law
Focus on winning something NOT just expounding on a problem!
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Issue Campaigns • Campaign = series of connected events over time = build strength & bring victory
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Issue Campaigns ≠ ≠ ≠ ≠
educat i on campai gn el ect i on campai gn f undr ai si ng campai gn ser vi ce del i ver y campai gn
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Issue Campaigns = specific victory = gain = beginning, middle, end = method to build POWER & ORGANISATION
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Choosing your issue
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Key Issue Criteria 1) Win REAL, concrete, immediate improvement’s – Breakdown into short term attainable goals – No issue = no reality principle = no measure of success
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Key Issue Criteria 2) Give people a sense of their own POWER – Mobilise the power that people have – Teach the value of united action by example – Build self confidence of the organisations and indviduals – Avoid disempowering short cuts
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Key Issue Criteria 3) Alter the Relationships of POWER – Make hearing what “we” have to say a necessity – Strengthen our image so “we” must always be consulted/ considered on decisions – Build Medsin’s political role – Press for power allocation
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Does/is this issue‌ 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8)
Result in real improvement? Give people a sense of their own power? Alter the relations of power? worthwhile? winnable? widely felt? deeply felt? easy to understand?
9) Have a clear target? 10) Have a clear time frame that works for you? 11) Be non-divisive? 12) Build leadership? 13) Set your organisation up for the next campaign? 14) Have a pocketbook angle? 15) Raise Money? 16) Be consistent with your values & vision?
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Power & Influence
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Power & Influence POWER = Money or People ∴Our ability to win = doing with people what the “otherside” can do with money!
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Tactical Guide to Power 1) DEPRIVE the “other side” of something it wants 2) GIVE the “other side” something it wants 3) ELECT someone who supports your issues
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Power analysis • Who has the power to deliver the change in your area • What are their current positions – Construct an influence graph:
• What are their relationships to one another • What are their relationships to Oxfam/allies
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Influence Graph High Influence Medium Influence Low Influence Blocker
Floater
Champion
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Illusions About Power • Groups believe they will win because: – – – –
They are morally right Truth is on their side They have the best information They speak for large numbers of people
• Opponents often have none of these and still Win! • However, everyday people can gain power!
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Influencing your targets • Identify key individuals who have the power to bring about the change you are looking for • Identifying your audiences - those who have influence on your target. – – – – –
Powerful public figures/Celebrities Close allies of the target Institutions Journalists The Masses
• Influence map
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Influence map Employees
Trade Unions
Shareholders
Customers
TARGET HEAD OF BIG COMPANY
Financial sector
Media
Governments
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Tactical Guide to Power
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Achieving Change lasting change = convinced decision makers credible arguments + sufficiently broad and intense support + an infrastructure that sustains change + mass attitudes and beliefs that also sustain change (and sometimes are the change)
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Tactics How are you going to achieve your objectives? – Influence your targets directly – Using your target audiences to influence your target
• • • • • •
Research Policy Development Lobbying Working with the media Popular mobilisation Alliance building
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Types of Power • Political/ Legislative Power – Getting something passed by elected body • • • •
Primary: Voters Secondary: Money & Media Timing: Prior to election Q’s – Is the decision made by Committee or Leadership? » If Leader: are they dependent on your votes, are they trying to move up ranks, will they need your votes in future? » If Committee: you need 1/2 +1 of voting members, how many definite & how many never? Can you influence them? Is it possible to win?
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Types of Power • Consumer Power: – The ability to conduct a boycott • • • •
Primary: Cut profits/change consumer choices Secondary: Media coverage that could influence purchasing Timing: Time of stress for company Q’s – – – –
What is their profit margin? Is their market local/regional/national/ international? Who or what really owns the company? Can you really hurt profits?
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Types of Power • Legal/ Regulatory power – The ability to win in court or in a regulatory process • Primary: Clear laws and tight regulations • Secondary: Money, voluntary professionals & Media • Timing: Must be prepared to carry on for several years. Sometimes you do this to delay and actually want the process to last many years. • Q’s: – Are laws or regulations clearly on your side? – Have similar cases been won before/elsewhere? – What are the extra costs?
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Types of Power • Strike/Disruptive power • Primary: Cutting profits/ income by stopping a company/ agency from functioning • Timing: During times of stress for company/ agency • Q’s: – What is the comapany’s profit margin? – Can you make a significant dent by stopping/ disrupting work or customers? – How costly will it be to replace or get rid of you?
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Strategy Development
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What is a strategy? Strategos (Greek) = rank of general in army = design of the campaign combined w/ an analysis of power relationships = relationship of power between you & the official/body ≠Tact i cs = i ndi vi dual st eps i n car r yi ng out a st r at egy
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Strategy components • What is the problem we are wanting to address – Being specific and focused
• What is the solution: – What do we think will address the problem
• Power analysis – Who has the power to deliver the change you want to see.
• What do we need them to do.
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Strategy Development • 1st Aim: Voluntary agreement – Tactics = letters/ meetings/ conversation/ fact/ explanation/ persuasion/ people’s needs/ morally right
• 2nd Aim: Pressured agreement – Tactics = build power to compel
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Strategy Development • Target = public or voters – Simple plan NOT strategy
• Target = decision maker – strategy
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Strategy Development • Goals = Power • Tactics = Cost to target
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Chart Preparation • Maps • Election returns • Someone who know s about the organisation/ function of the target • Phone directory and internet access • Members/ affiliates list • Time • Facilitator
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Goals
Organisational Considerations
Constituents, allies, and opponents
Targets
Tactics
1) List the long term objectives of your Campaign
1) List resources That your org. Brings to the campaign. Include money, number of staff, facilities, reputation.
1) Who cares about this issue enough to join in or help the org?
1) Primary targets
For each target list the tactics that each constituent group can best use to make it’s power felt.
2) State the intermediate goals for this issue campaign victory? 3) What short-term partial victories can you win as steps towards your goal?
2) Secondary targets
2) Who are your opponents?
2) List specific ways in which you want your org. to be strengthened by this campaign. 3) List internal problems that have to be considered if the campaign is to succeed
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Stages of a Campaign 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Choose the issue Develop strategy Open communication with the target Announce the Campaign Begin outreach activities Stage direct encounters with decision makers Build the organisation!
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Summary • Choose your issue carefully • Consider the balance of power and how you can influence that balance • Develop a strategy • Adapt the strategy as the campaign progresses
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Evaluation • Please complete your evaluation form and return to your trainer. • Enjoy your day!
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