Business advocacy manual 2013

PRIVATE SECTOR FEDERATION

Business Advocacy Manual Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change

2013 With Support from: TradeMark East Africa

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

CONTENTS

1.

5

What is Business Advocacy?

6

2.

7

Key Advocacy Stakeholders in Rwanda

2.1.

PSF/ Chambers/ PSOs/ Businesses

7

2.2.

Rwandan Government

7

2.3.

PPD Secretariat

8

2.4.

Research Partners

8

2.5.

Funding Partners

8

3.

Advocacy Tools

9

3.1.

Legislative Tracking

9

3.2.

Research

9

3.3.

Position Papers

10

3.4.

Communication Tools

10

4.

2

Background

Step 1: Solicitation and Prioritisation of Issues

12

4.1.

Direct solicitation from members

12

4.1.1.

Stakeholders

13

4.1.2.

Mix of advocacy tools

13

4.2.

Sourcing issues from the government

13

4.2.1.

Stakeholders

14

4.2.2.

Mix of advocacy tools

14

4.3.

Other channels

14

4.3.1.

Stakeholders

14

4.3.2.

Mix of advocacy tools

14

4.4.

Prioritisation of advocacy issues

15

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

5.

Step 2: Preparation for Advocacy

16

5.

Step 2: Preparation for Advocacy

16

5.1.

Advocacy Programme and Action Plan

16

5.2.

Advocacy Research

17

6. Step 3: Engaging in Advocacy Channels 6.1.

PSF Advocacy Platforms

18 18

6.1.1. Stakeholders

19

6.1.2.

Mix of advocacy tools

19

6.2.

Public-Private Dialogue (PPD)

19

6.2.1. Stakeholders

20

6.2.2.

Mix of advocacy tools

20

6.3.

Meetings, conferences, workshops

20

6.3.1. Stakeholders

20

6.3.2.

Mix of advocacy tools

20

6.4.

Informal Advocacy

20

6.4.1. Stakeholders

21

6.4.2.

21

7.

7.1.

Mix of advocacy tools

Step 4: Monitoring and Evaluation Measuring success

7.2. Reporting

8.

Annexes

Annex 1: How the Government creates a Law

22 22 23

24 24

Annex 2: Template Guidelines for Terms of Reference (TOR) for expert consultants (Research, Moderator, Meeting Planner, PR services, Legal, Etc.)

26

Annex 3: Structure of Advocacy Brief and Advocacy Research Paper

27

Annex 4: Structure of the Advocacy Position Paper

29

Annex 5: Template of Advocacy Brief

30

Annex 6: Advocacy Issue Tracker - Example

31

Annex 7 – Template of the Advocacy Action Plan

32

Annex 8 - Template for Reporting on Implementation of Advocacy Programme

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS BTC COMESA DFID EAC GIZ

Belgium Development Agency Common Market for East and Southern Africa Department For International Development East African Community Deutsche Gesellsch aftfĂźr Internationale Zusammenarbeit

IFC

International Finance Corporation

IGC

International Growth Center

JICA

Japan International Cooperation Agency

MINAGRI

Ministry of Agriculture

MINEAC

Ministry of East African Community

MINICOM

Ministry of Trade and Industry

MININFRA

Ministry of Infrastructure

NTB

Non-Tariff Barrier

PPD

Public-Private Dialogue

PSF

Private Sector Federation

PSO

Private Sector Organization

RDB

Rwanda Development Board

REMA

Rwanda Environmental Management Authority

RNP

Rwanda National Police

RRA

Rwanda Revenue Authority

RURA

Rwanda Utility and Regulatory Agency

SADC

Southern African Development Community

TMEA

Trademark East Africa

ToR

Terms of Reference

WB

The World Bank

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Figure 1: Target groups for the Manual

5

Figure 2: Logical structure of the Manual

6

Figure 3: Example of government stakeholders

7

Figure 4: What to do with a draft or an existing law?

9

Figure 5: Steps toward proposing a new law

4

9

Figure 6: Key communication tools for advocacy organisation

10

Figure 7: The main stakeholders groups

11

Figure 8: Channels for solicitation of advocacy issues

12

Figure 9: Selection of advocacy issues obtained in direct solicitation

13

Figure 10: Selection of advocacy issues obtained through legislative tracking

14

Figure 11: Typical advocacy channels in Rwanda

18

Figure 12: Structure of new Public-Private Dialogue

19

Figure 13: Monitoring and Evaluation

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

1.

Background

The purpose of the manual The purpose of this manual is to provide a guiding and training tool for delivering effective and competent business advocacy services at a national and regional level. By providing quality advocacy, the Rwandan Private Sector Federation (PSF) and its business associations will help address domestic and regional barriers to business development in order to stimulate the Rwandan Private Sector and improve national and regional competitiveness.

Sector Associations in the EAC countries operate in the area of business advocacy without clearly established structures and processes.

The Private Sector Federation (PSF) and its members, supported by development partners, have recently engaged in strategic planning and have developed specific Chamber and Private Sector Organization (PSO) activities to increase the general level of their assistance to Rwandan Private Sector companies.

One of the key pillars of this effort is business advocacy.

PSF and PSO staff seeks to continually grow capacity in this area within the limit of resources and experience in developing a comprehensive advocacy program.

Both PSF and its development partners believe that establishing a channel for a functioning public-private dialogue will be key in establishing PSF and PSOs as valuable advocates for Private Sector membership and beyond. This would be especially effective when coupled with: a systematic legislative review process, research of priority advocacy topics, training for staff and an advocacy communication strategy.

Target groups This Manual is designed to cater for the needs of multiple stakeholders. It will primarily serve PSF, its Chambers and PSO members to better organize and structure their advocacy activities. In addition, it will serve as a basic advocacy reference book for the PPD Secretariat. The manual is also intended to have a wider regional audience because most of the Private

Figure 1: Target groups for the Manual

The structure of the manual The manual’s modular structure reflects its purpose.

It first introduces the key advocacy stakeholders in a Rwandan context and identifies basic advocacy tools.

The manual then presents a five stage explanation of how the stakeholders use tools to participate in advocacy processes. This breakdown enables advocacy training at different levels by simply selecting appropriate advocacy tools and relevant stakeholders for each stage of the process.

This approach is illustrated in Figure 2.

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

What is Business Advocacy?

Figure 2: Logical Structure of the Manual

Definitions Business advocacy is the influence of a special form of persuasive activity undertaken by business organisations (chambers of commerce, industry associations or individual companies on trade-policy making. The intended outcome is to change laws, regulations, court decisions and attitudes and the approach of governmental and political forces. For the Private Sector associations, business advocacy is geared towards creating a hospitable business climate for all its members.

However, some business associations exceed this requirement and enter into activities such as: obtaining preferential treatment for a particular party, becoming a detailed business advisor for routine transactions or settling disputes between members and the government.

To resolve such matters, members should obtain the services of lawyers, collection agencies, consultants and other specialists.

Business advocacy at the EAC level As the need for EAC integration grows more pressing, each member country needs to secure the most favourable position possible. The government of Rwanda has a

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very intensive regional advocacy programme at different levels. Country expert teams are constantly engaged in negotiations with other EAC countries and lobbying activities at regional institutions in Arusha. These activities are shaping regional legislation and facilitating its implementation so as to be as beneficial as possible for the Rwandan economy. The business community and particularly Private Sector Organisations have an important role to play in this process.

They represent the business community, identify research and propose key priorities for EAC integration to government negotiators. They also have to be active advocates of these issues through the regional business organisations and sector specific regional cooperation.

Many possibilities have been raised by businesses, of which many are still pending. For example, Rwandan PSOs suggested allowing the unrestricted movement of grains (maize, rice, wheat) across East Africa.

The outcome would be to improve food security by removing tariffs on the import of sugar into EAC, securing the Mutual Recognition of Standards for manufactured goods and reporting various NTBs along the transport corridors which affect the price of its imports and exports.

Principles Effective advocacy should adhere to these key points: Establish a regular presence. Meet regularly with decision makers to discuss key policy issues and provide well researched publications; Create a unified voice. Articulate members concerns as a unified voice – thus attracting the attention of policy makers as much as possible; Communicate. Establish regular channels of communication and close working relationships with government officials and other key stakeholders; Monitor and report. Make sure that you followup on the results of your advocacy activities and regularly report to all stakeholders both directly and through the media.

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

2. Key Advocacy Stakeholders in Rwanda

2.1. PSF/ Chambers/ PSOs/ Businesses

Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM)

These organizations are the key drivers of the national and regional advocacy agenda in Rwanda. The Private Sector Federation (PSF) is the strongest association of the Rwandan business community.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry is the key government stakeholder when it comes to issues related to trade-policy as well as identifying, registering, eliminating, monitoring and evaluating the removal of NTBs.

It provides a platform to its members to keep up with the latest public policy changes, to obtain training and professional development opportunities and to gain exposure for their products, services and brands. The tasks of PSF have become multifaceted and gained a regional dimension following Rwanda’s membership in East African Community (EAC) in 2007.

Rwanda Development Board (RDB)

2.2. Rwandan Government Government institutions are key stakeholders in the advocacy process. They are interested in facilitating the growth of businesses and promoting aconducive business environment. Below is a list of government institutions that often take part in the business advocacy process. The list is not exhaustive because in principle any public institution can be an advocacy stakeholder and partner.

Figure 3: Example of government stakeholders

With its mandate to promote export and investments,RDB is one of the key partners of the business community.

This organization is also the host and co-chair (together with the PSF) of the new Secretariat for Public-Private Dialogue.

Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) The Ministry is the main government stakeholder responsible for issues related to infrastructure development and protection.

Ministry of East African Community Affairs (MINEAC) MINEAC coordinates all issues related to EAC integration.

The Ministry as a business sector advocacy partner provides guidance on the EAC protocols and laws.

Rwanda National Police (RNP) Some of the NTBs that have been identified are police road blocks and check points. RNP will help NMC to address this issue through the regional police network that exists between them.

Rwanda Utility and Regulatory Agency (RURA) Together with MININFRA, RURA will provide technical expertise for NTBs related to public utilities, communication and transport. RURA will also help the NMC to address local NTBs which are closely related to its responsibilities.

Rwanda Revenue Authorities (RRA) The Customs office deals with clearance of all goods meant for exports and imports. NTBs related to delays in customs and border procedures and in goods clearance are of the utmost importance.

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

RRA is an institution that has formulated customs laws, regulations and procedures and is therefore a key stakeholder of the NMC in proving guidance and helping to address such NTBs.

Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA) REMA is a public institution that has been created with the objective of protecting the environment. Protection of the environment can be an NTB itself if it does not comply with the regional environment laws or an obstacle for intra-regional trade by making some products uncompetitive. REMA will help the NMC to address the NTBs in that category.

Effective advocacy cannot be realized without comprehensive knowledge of advocacy subjects. In the event of there being many potential subjects, it is unlikely that any one organization will have all the necessary expertise.

This is why advocacy organisations need to develop a network of research partners with organizations that are researching various aspects of EAC integration. This research can be for academic or commercial purposes with results made available to the public. By being regularly updated on this research, the advocacy organization could extend its knowledge base by commissioning all the necessary research from its own resources.

Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI)

2.5. Funding Partners

Like RADA, MINAGRI is a leading ministry in advising the NMC on agricultural policy at a national and regional level. Evidenced facts will be provided by the Ministry for all NTBs related to agriculture products and discriminatory policies.

Advocacy efforts can be long and expensive and although business associations exist to represent the interests of the wealth generating sector of the economy, they are rarely wealthy themselves. On the other hand, government produce many proposals that affect the business environment and business associations do their best to prioritize and address as many of them as possible.

One of the advantages of the Rwandan development partners’ enthusiasm for business development is the availability of funding for advocacy research. Potential funding partners for business advocacy associations include:

2.3. PPD Secretariat The PPD Secretariat is comprised of RDB staff within the Strategy and Competitiveness Unit and PSF. The Secretariat serves as a facilitator of the PPD process and ensures its effectiveness. More details about the functions of the PPD Secretariat are provided in Section 6.2

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2.4. Research Partners

International Finance Corporation - IFC

African Development Bank –AfDB

World Bank Group – WBG

TradeMark East Africa – TMEA

GIZ

Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

USAID

International Growth Center – IGC

DFID

Embassy of the Netherlands

Swedish Embassy

Belgium Development Agency (BTC-Rwanda)

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

3. Advocacy Tools

3.1. Legislative Tracking What is Legislative Tracking?

Legislative Tracking is the process of systematic review of drafted and pending legislation with the objective of determining its impact on Private Sector activities.

Why is it important?

Legislative Tracking enables the organization to take preemptive advocacy actions to alleviate or remove possible future negative impact on business legislation. As the legal landscape is rapidly growing in Rwanda, business associations need to have a systemized and thorough approach for influencing new and draft legislation. Generally associations are reactive, often joining late in the process when legislation is already enacted or at the request of a validation meeting by the responsible Ministry. A proactive approach that begins as early as possible in the process has the potential for significant impact. Advocacy during the drafting stage of a bill is infinitely more effective for changing established law.

Even if the Ministry does not think a law on the issue is timely, producing an initial draft will most likely be the starting point on which the eventual draft is based – a huge win for the future of that regulatory environment. It could be the case that the law on a subject does not exist in any form; yet the advocacy organisation thinks that regulating the issue would improve the position of a business. The steps to be taken in this case are presented in Figure 5Details on the steps in the creation of the law in a Rwandan context are provided in Annex 1

Figure 4: provides basic steps for Legislative Tracking

Figure 5: Steps toward proposing a new law

3.2. Research What is Advocacy Research?

Advocacy Research is a form of descriptive policy research carried out by business associations or companies concerned about certain economic or regulatory problems. The research seeks to measure the problems with a view to heightening public awareness and providing a catalyst for policy proposals or other solutions.

So what can be done with a draft or existing law?

Figure 4: What can be done with a draft or existing law?

In cases where the law does not yet exist, the association should request the ministry or other responsible institution to work together in designing the concept paper on the new law and/or in drafting a ToR (Annex 2) for a consultant to assist in drafting.

Why is it important?

Advocacy Research provides an organisation with the background knowledge of the subject in question and enables it to propose alternative solutions. Quality research makes the organization more powerful when engaging in 9

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

discussions with the government and increases the impact of advocacy. A typical process and content of the Advocacy Research Paper is provided in Annex 3

3.3. Position Papers What are Position Papers?

Position Papers are documents that discuss institutional, technical, political and financial requirements for addressing the advocacy issues and propose alternative solutions to these issues. Position Papers are often based on Advocacy Research but could also be developed by advocacy organisations from their existing in-depth knowledge

Why are they important?

Communication Tools are used by advocacy organisations to promote and support discussion on key issues and concerns of the business community. The aim is to raise awareness and influence both public and Private Sector policy-making processes, activities and decisions. There are many ways to relay messages, conduct consultations and engage with stakeholders but a key focus should be on which channel is the most credible for the specific target audience. Knowledge of the communications environment is critical.

The following are the key communication tools used by advocacy organisations:

Why are they important?

The position papers improve problem definition, propose alternative solutions and provide a platform for alternative solutions used in all advocacy channels.

Fully developed position papers will be presented to the government as official Private Sector (counter) proposals for addressing advocacy issues. Advocacy organisations usually establish and manage working groups consisting of subject area experts to develop position papers on priority advocacy issues.

A well-prepared policy Position Paper includes: Overview of the issue; Impact of the issue on the Private Sector, government, and society (why it is important); The business association’s concrete policy recommendation (supported by evidence,discussing relevant experiences from other countries or regions, etc.); And likely opposing arguments and their rebuttal.

The typical structure with examples of the Advocacy Position Paper is provided in Annex 4

3.4. Communication Tools What are Communication Tools?

Communication Tools are creative, effective and engaging communication devices designed specifically for each target audience to enable advocacy organisations to get the right message to the right stakeholder using the most relevant medium.

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Figure 6: Key communication tools for advocacy organisation

Communication tools will differ amongst stakeholder groups. Usually a combination of tools is most effective, depending on available resources. The type and frequency of communication tools employed will vary depending on the stakeholder group targeted. More resources will be focused on primary stakeholder groups and less to secondary targets.

The main stakeholders groups; targets for the advocacy communication include: •

Government

•

Association Members

•

Media

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

In this context, the case studies have to document the “what, when, where, how and the final results” and distribute the text to media houses, members -and other stakeholders as standalone publications, within a newsletter and on the website.

Newsletter

Figure 7: The main stakeholders groups

To reach a diverse stakeholder base with varying messages, the advocacy organisation should develop the following communication tools as a minimum:

Advocacy Communication Toolbox This will be an off-the-shelf toolbox that will fully outline and describe communication processes and materials that any advocacy organisation, platform or other group can use and customize to meet their specific communication needs. It will include such elements as the following: How to develop an effective advocacy paper Best practices in advocacy and lobbying Guide and template explaining how to write and distribute press releases Events planning schedule Microsoft office templates that can be customized with specific logos and information Key contact lists including media and other stakeholders

Case Studies Showing the results of advocacy, especially those with large impact on businesses is important for increasing an organisation’s advocacy leverage. Results that affect and assist businesses and economic growth should be regularly followed and published.

The newsletter is a regular publication summarizing the key advocacy events of the organisation. The newsletters should be written using form and content that is easy to read and of interest to the target stakeholders. Revenue opportunities exist to sell space/banners on these newsletters to members for advertising purposes. Newsletter distribution can include hard copies, the website, alerts on SMS and an electronic version sent to members.

Editorials These are articles on specific topics of interest to stakeholders to inform and educate. They may be written by key personnel within PSF or by well-established external experts on business or advocacy issues. Keep in mind the audience when writing these articles.

Website The PSF and PSOs websites should have the functionality to inform and communicate to members and the wider public. It should enable the conducting of online surveys to test message dissemination and garner feedback.

Other information such as FAQs, newsletters, press releases and editorials should also be available on the website.

As it targets more of the elite within Rwanda, as well as those in the Diaspora, the website should take advantage of Social Media forums, as well as forums that will encourage discussion and debate. For example, the CEO should be trained and start a blog in conjunction with other social media activities.

The website can also be developed as a very cost effective tool to train and educate members through online training modules, a resource for “how to” section for such things as how to write a business plan or apply for a loan. These special sections can be offered to members only, demonstrating the benefits of membership to members and why it is important to join to non-members.

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4. Step 1: Solicitation and Prioritisation of Issues

The best way to identify issues that are of concern to members is to ask them.

However, there are two problems that advocacy organizations face when it comes to solicitation of issues. Firstly, asking members presumes that members have a clear understanding of what the issues actually are. This might not always be the case. For example upcoming rules and legislation are not always fully addressed during the consultation process and businesses might not be aware of them.

Figure 8: Channels for solicitation of advocacy issues

Issues that arise from regional or international agreements, such as EAC common market regulations, tripartite negotiations between EAC, SADC and COMESA are another example. In order to comprehensively and efficiently source advocacy issues the association has to collect issues through multiple channels. Secondly, most associations receive frequent advocacy requests from businesses. Some of these requests are very minor issues such as local regulations for licensing of certain business activities or minor bureaucracy hold-ups.

Others could be very complex, such as those related to transport infrastructure, standards or environment.

Therefore every association has to find a way to properly classify and prioritize these requests and then pursue them through appropriate advocacy channels. The solicitation and prioritisation of advocacy issues are probably the most important steps in effective advocacy. If done properly the association will be able to select the most relevant issues for its Advocacy Programme and follow them up in line with its capacity and available resources.

The most common channels for sourcing advocacy issues are: Direct solicitation from members From government sources through legislative tracking International sources

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4.1. Direct solicitation from members Direct solicitation is the most common channel for sourcing advocacy issues. It is also the best way to identify member’s problems. This can be done through meetings, conferences, workshops or via the association’s website or e-mail.

Once the issue is reported to the association, the first step for the advocacy team is to prepare an Advocacy Brief.

The Advocacy Brief is a one-page document that should contain at least the following: Identification of the company and sector reporting the issue; Description and cause of the problem (existing regulation, problems in implementation, lack of regulation or infrastructure, etc.); Indication of responsible government institutions (ministry, municipality, etc.); Short description of possible solutions if proposed by the reporting member; Preliminary evaluation of the issue in line with the association’s criteria for prioritisation of advocacy issues.

The template of the Advocacy Brief is provided in Annex 5.

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

The Advocacy Brief is then sent to the association’s advocacy team and the reporting association member. In this way the reporting member has the opportunity to check if the problem was understood by the advocacy team and, if necessary, provide additional comments and suggestions.

The template of the Advocacy Action Plan is provided in Annex 6.

Submission of the brief is also an indication that the claim is being seriously considered. All Advocacy Briefs should be addressed in a set period of time, ideally 1-2 weeks and should be reviewed within the context of the provisions of the association’s Advocacy Programme when establishing priority. It would be pertinent to prioritise issues in a consistent manner in line with your available resources

Private Sector companies from the concerned sector PSF/Chambers/Associations.

For all reported issues deemed a priority, the advocacy team prepares the Advocacy Action Plan in line with the Advocacy Programme. This plan explains the steps to be taken in addressing an advocacy issue. The Action Plan should consist of at least: Identification of the leader of the advocacy team for this issue; Identification of the advocacy channels that will be utilized to communicate to the government and other stakeholders; The need for further research of the issue; Estimated time and other resources needed.

Figure 9: Selection of advocacy issues obtained in direct solicitation

4.1.1. Stakeholders The key stakeholders in the direct solicitation are:

The specific roles of these stakeholders are explained in Section 3.

4.1.2. Mix of advocacy tools Advocacy tools used for sourcing issues from the government are: Communication tools Meetings/Conferences/Workshops

The specific features of these advocacy tools are provided in Section 4.

4.2. Sourcing issues from the government The key advocacy tool employed for sourcing issues from the government is legislative tracking. As a first step, the association needs to establish open lines of communication with the government in order to be informed about the initiatives and on-going processes in drafting or enacting new laws. This could be through direct communication with the key Ministries or government organizations or by regular review of the Official Gazette.

Another useful source of information is regular consultations with the Private Sector organized by the government as a part of a process to design the new legislation. In any case the communication with the government and members has to begin as early as possible in the process. Before advancing any further, the association needs to decide if the identified issue would fit in its Advocacy Programme.

Not all relevant issues need to be addressed by the advocacy organization at the same time. It is essential to prioritise issues in a logical manner.

If the decision is made that the issue can be included in the association’s Advocacy Programme, the association should continue by consulting potentially affected members and informing them about upcoming legislation.

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

The consultation meetings should be established if the new legislation is a genuine concern and warrants agreement on a common position when following up with the government.

On the private side:

It is also a possibility that a specific law does not yet exist but the advocacy organisation considers its creation or regulation as a benefit to an organisation. In this case the organization should enter into consultations with members to decide on the next step. One possibility would be to prepare the draft legislation and present it to the responsible government institution. Alternatively,making a comprehensive case for the new law may be more suitable, followed by asking the government to act.

The specific roles of these stakeholders are explained in Section 3.

Private Sector companies from the concerned sector PSF/Chambers/Associations.

4.2.2. Mix of advocacy tools Advocacy tools used for sourcing issues from the government are: Legislative tracking Meetings/Conferences/Workshops

The specific features of these advocacy tools are provided in Section 4.

Figure 10: Selection of advocacy issues obtained through legislative tracking

4.3.

Other channels

Other channels for solicitation of issues include: Regional organisations and events, Reports of international organisations and donors, International research and surveys

4.3.1.

Stakeholders

The key stakeholders included are: EAC regional institutions and associations Development partners operating in Rwanda International organisations

4.2.1. Stakeholders The key stakeholders in the legislative tracking are: On the public side:

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The specific roles of these stakeholders are explained in Section 3.

4.3.2. Mix of advocacy tools

Government

Advocacy tools used for sourcing issues from the government are:

Parliament

Communication tools

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

The specific features of these advocacy tools are provided in Section 4.

can be resolved by specific policy proposals that have a reasonable chance of success in the short term (avoid issues that require an overhaul of the constitution or of the entire regulatory system);

4.4. Prioritisation of advocacy issues

are backed by the majority of association members and board members (avoid controversial issues);

Meetings/Conferences/Workshops

Associations that correctly prioritise key advocacy topics are much more successful in reaching desirable advocacy outcomes, and are able to better manage their resources and provide more useful services for the majority of their members. Prioritisation also means that not all reported problems can be addressed by the association and some members may be left feeling that they are not properly served.

For this reason it is important for the association to design formal prioritisation criteria, agree these with members and publish them so that everyone is fully informed.

The process of prioritisation should also be made fully transparent by publishing the ranking of advocacy requests on the association website, in the newsletter or in any other publication. The criteria for prioritisation should be tailored to member’s needs and could vary between associations. These may include issues that:

are both proactive and reactive; are not strongly opposed by powerful groups or legislators or the general public; will not damage the association’s image or reputation.

In parallel to designing and agreeing the prioritisation criteria, the association must examine the budget and other resources available for advocacy.

In addition to the other criteria, the priority of issues would also be determined by the availability of resources to address them. For this reason each reported issue needs to firstly be evaluated in terms of expected resource requirements. This information must be provided in the Advocacy Brief. The general resource availability for priority issues will be possible to determine from the Advocacy Programme.

promote market-oriented reform and free enterprise; are relevant to a significant number of association members; are relevant for wider processes of EAC integration; advocacy would offer significant benefits to members in the near term; concern flaws of particular policies, law, or regulations (as opposed to isolated incidents not necessarily resulting from them); failure to take immediate action could seriously harm an association’s members; failure to take immediate action jeopardizes future chances for policy changes;

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cy 5. Step 2: Preparation for Advocacy

Number of Research Papers that the association is planning to undertake in priority areas; Type of advocacy channels that the association is planning to utilize and an estimation of frequency; Estimation of budget and resources

The main idea behind the Advocacy Programme is to adequately match ambitions, needs and resources so that the advocacy effort becomes relevant, focused and well-funded.

5.1. Advocacy Programme and Action Plan The preparation for advocacy starts with the design of the Advocacy Programme and Action Plan. The Advocacy Programme is a general document describing the association’s advocacy approach for a certain period of time. It is advisable to make advocacy programmes for the period of at least one year. However it is pertinent to consider that longer term objectives mean that the continued relevancy of the project or its outcomes or the availability of resources is less certain.

An Advocacy Programme and Action Plan should define as a minimum: Goals of the advocacy Key areas of advocacy that the association and its members are considering a priority. The areas could include themes such as environment, standards, tax, infrastructure, EAC integration and others. In any case the focus should be on a limited number of themes;

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It is therefore imperative that the Advocacy Programme provides information on the resources needed to ensure that advocacy efforts have the means to be successful.

This includes determining the necessary staff and financial resources needed to achieve each advocacy objective for each issue or set of priority topics.

A detailed budget needs to be developed that contains specific line-item indications of how much staff time and funding will be devoted to each activity when advocating for each topic.

The Advocacy Programme and the Prioritisation Criteria are related and should be designed in close consultation with the association’s members. One of the ways to consult members in a structured manner is to run a short survey. The survey can be organized through e-mail or conducted in person.

Once priority areas of advocacy are agreed, they would serve as very effective tool for the fast selection of priority advocacy issues.

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

The template for an Advocacy Action Plan is provided in Annex 6.

discussing relevant experiences from other countries or regions, etc.);

The advocacy Programme is a narrative part of the Action Plan and can be completed in various forms depending on the resources and needs of the organisation.

and likely opposing arguments and their rebuttal.

5.2. Advocacy Research Once the priority issues have been identified, the association needs to elaborate on suitable policy solutions to advocate.

It is imperative that the organisation develop a detailed position document on each issue, clearly stating your association’s rationale and supporting evidence for the proposed solutions. This document will help your members’ structure their ideas on a given policy issue and prepare strong arguments either for or against it.

It may be very tempting to skip this somewhat tedious stage of research and argument preparation for an association that feels it simply “knows” what needs to be done and is anxious to start advocating that particular solution. The danger of such a zealous approach is that it prematurely pushes the organization to the next phase of the advocacy process: direct contact with the decision-makers, media, and the larger public.

Attempting this external persuasion without paying enough attention to the preliminary research frequently backfires when association representatives are found ill-prepared to talk about the specifics of their policy recommendation or lacking credible evidence.

The solutions may or may not be obvious after gathering feedback from the members. In either event, the proposed solutions will be stronger if they are derived from thorough research and interviews with issue experts. Therefore, the organisation should reach out to academia and other experts in order to open the discussion and acquire valuable input.

The aim of advocacy research is to prepare a high quality document. A well-prepared policy position document should include: overview of the issue; impact of the issue on the Private Sector, government, and society (why it is important); the business association’s concrete policy recommendation (supported by evidence,

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

6.

Step 3: Engaging in Advocacy Channels

The Advocacy Brief developed for each reported advocacy issue will already indicate the appropriate advocacy channel or channels that will be used for advocacy.

Once the issue is established as a priority in line with the Advocacy Programme, a full Advocacy Action Plan can be developed that lists necessary activities and resources.

Each advocacy issue should have at least one advocacy channel could be identified. However, for some issues several channels will be used simultaneously or consecutively. The practice of business advocacy in Rwanda has already resulted in the development of several important advocacy channels used by the Private Sector to discuss and influence government policies.

Among these channels, two are quickly becoming a mainstream: The Advocacy platforms run by the PSF and PSOs, and Public-Private Dialog (PPD) run jointly by PSF and RDB

In the past, the use of these channels has not been consistent or well structured. Recently, after long discussions, the PPD mechanism was formally established. However, this picture evolving fast under the leadership and participation of the PSF. In conjunction with development partners, the key advocacy channels are quickly becoming more institutionalised and better structured.

Figure 11: Typical advocacy channels in Rwanda

Other important advocacy channels are: Informal advocacy that involves establishing direct dialog with policymakers on an ad-hoc basis, and Meetings, conferences and workshops as an opportunity to discuss issues in more formal setting with the assistance of experts

6.1. PSF Advocacy Platforms Advocacy Platforms are a form of public-private dialogue that includes government, business associations and companies and if necessary, other relevant stakeholders.

They are initiated and managed at different levels from local to national and for various sets of community specific, sector specific or cross-cutting issues.

The PSF Advocacy Platforms represent the primary forum for PSF to engage with the government and try to resolve the priority issues reported by Private Sector. Currently PSF operates the Advocacy Platform on Taxes and is establishing the Platform on Standards and Environment. Other Advocacy Platforms are in the pipeline such as an Exporters Platform.

Each platform is designed as a permanent discussion forum for the platform members. The core members include the representatives of the PSF (or/and PSOs) and relevant government institutions. Expert speakers and external participants such as representatives of civil society will be invited on an as-needed basis.

In order to ensure ownership and sustainability, the national platforms will be demand driven and the agenda will be defined within the wider programme of public-private dialogue.

The objectives of the platforms are to: Raise awareness on the importance of issues to develop the Private Sector; Share information on new concepts, key problems and achieved results; Raise concrete issues in the subject area and initiate their resolution nationally and regionally

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

The main activities of the national platforms include:

6.2. Public-Private Dialogue (PPD)

Identification of the key national issues in subject area (based on internally developed positions);

A robust and active Public Private Dialogue (PPD) is a key advocacy tool in any highly functioning economy.

As the Private Sector grows in Rwanda, the business community increasingly demands more access to and influence over the changing regulatory landscape of a developing country. A PPD can be used to complement other advocacy methods described in this manual, particularly in cases when the PSF Advocacy Platforms do not provide enough leverage and high-level attention to issues. In October 2012, Following several attempts to better structure public-private dialogue, a new PPD structure was created to address the prior challenges to PPDs and provide a framework for Private Sector and government to engage in a dialog on high level issues.

Identification of priority EAC common issues, if applicable, (based on the conclusions of the regional platforms and the harmonization agenda) Identification of quick wins (issues to be addressed immediately and with existing resources); Conducting or contracting research on key national priority issues and quick wins (cooperation on the research agenda between the public and Private Sector); Taking initiative and mobilization of the key stakeholders on resolution of key issues; Monitor implementation of agreed activities to improve the subject area;

6.1.1. Stakeholders The key stakeholders for the operation of Advocacy Platforms are:

In PPD the Private Sector is represented by the PSF and public sector by Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

The Joint PPD Secretariat was established to manage the PPD process. This new structure provides consistent organizational leadership of the PPD which was missing in all previous attempts to establish a functioning PPD.

Governments (national and regional/local) PSF/Chambers/PSOs Businesses with particular stakes in a specific area addressed by the platform

Figure 12: Structure of new Public-Private Dialogue

Donors for the funding of research and other activities of the platform Experts for specific area addressed by the platform

The specific roles of these stakeholders are explained in Section 3.

6.1.2. Mix of advocacy tools Advocacy tools used for sourcing issues from the government are: Research Position papers Communication tools Meetings/Conferences/Workshops

The specific features of these advocacy tools are provided in Section 4.

Engaging the PPD in addressing the advocacy issues should be channelled through PSF as it represents and coordinates the Private Sector inputs to PPD. A separate detailed Operations Manual for the PPD was developed and is available from the RPPD Secretariat.

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

6.2.1. Stakeholders The key stakeholders in PPD are: PSF RDB

should strive to invite only the most necessary participants in order to have the most constructive outcomes.)

The specific roles of these stakeholders are explained in Section 3.

Other government institutions Chambers/PSOs/Companies

6.3.2. Mix of advocacy tools

Donors for the funding of research and other activities of the PPD

Meeting design principles included in the RPPD detailed operations manual

Experts for specific area addressed by the PPD

Communication tool-kit

The specific roles of these stakeholders are explained in Section 3.

Position Paper (for round tables or other dialogue meetings)

6.2.2. Mix of advocacy tools Advocacy tools used in operation of PPD are: Advocacy Research Advocacy Position papers Communication tools Meetings/Conferences/Workshops

6.3. Meetings, conferences, workshops Host “recognition events” such as banquets, lunches, or other special events to honour policymakers; invite key association members and representatives from development partners and other organizations that support your cause; issue press releases that commend policymakers for their work and support. O r g a n i z e meetings that bring together key players who do not normally interact on a particular issue such as national, regional and local representatives or officials from diverse departments or regulatory agencies related to the issues.

One form that such meetings can have is a periodic public policy round table. If you organize a policy round table, you should develop an issue paper to be distributed prior to the event. During the meeting itself, encourage audience participation. Depending on the scale of the event, you may also want to invite the press and hold a press conference. Personally thank all those who have supported your issues and advocacy efforts.

Informal advocacy involves establishing good working relationships with target policymakers (targets may change from issue to issue) and their staff. Staff members provide public officials with essential information that may influence their perception of certain issues. Moreover, many mid-level administrators and staff will remain in their positions despite changes in government. Therefore, the association’s advocacy team should establish good relationships with policy making staff. A combination of the following measures should be considered by the association as part of their informal advocacy efforts: Establish regular contact with key officials in public institutions by meeting them in informal settings such as over lunch, dinner or drink after work. They do not have to necessarily be high-ranking public officials. Provide them with information about your association’s position on particular issues. Bring with you the Advocacy Briefs for one or two selected issues.

Use social events to promote you association’s position on an issue with public officials, donor representatives and experts. These two groups of stakeholders may be critical for the success of your informal advocacy effort as their work and positions can highly influence public policy decisions.

Regularly monitor the agendas of policymakers

6.3.1. Stakeholders

and regulators so your association can participate

The stakeholders for this section may include any listed in this manual.

timely manner. Always distribute your advocacy

(Sponsors of a meeting, conference or workshop

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6.4. Informal Advocacy

in policy debates and voice its concerns in a materials during these events (Advocacy Briefs, Position Papers, Fliers, Newsletter, etc.)

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

Keep track of legislators and policymakers statements at different national and EAC regional events and link them with your advocacy issues

6.4.1. Stakeholders The key stakeholders in informal advocacy are:

and objectives. Publish this information regularly on your website, newsletter or other publication.

PSF/Chambers/PSOs/Companies

This will help to put your advocacy issues into

Representatives of various government institutions

a wider perspective and demonstrate that

Donors supporting Private Sector development

they are in line with national and EAC regional integration strategies and policies.

Keep track of legislation: know when it was sent to special committees for discussion, when the debate will occur in a plenary session and so

Experts on specific areas in Private Sector development The specific roles of these stakeholders are explained in Section 3.

on. Use this information and your contacts with staff members to arrange and send a delegation to observe or participate in the discussions.

When policymakers’ staff members are helpful, thank them in writing and provide a copy to their boss.

Regularly provide policymakers and their staff with advocacy materials on relevant issues.

6.4.2. Mix of advocacy tools Advocacy tools used in informal advocacy are: Advocacy Position papers Communication tools Meetings/Conferences/Workshops

Helpful Hints When Meeting with Policymakers and Other Stakeholders Before the meeting Research your interlocutor’s profile.

Read available interviews or statements relevant to your cause.

During the meeting Be brief, factual and truthful.

Start with the main points (not the specifics). Have documentation ready.

Be prepared with draft legislation or policy proposals. Ask specifically for his or her support on the particular issue either through a vote, sponsorship of a proposal or support during policy or legislative deliberations.

Do not mention or discuss problems or issues that are unrelated or for which you do not have a sound answer.

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7. Step 4: Monitoring and Evaluation

7.1. Measuring success The efficiency of every Advocacy Programme needs to be periodically assessed. This helps to ensure that the goals and objectives of advocacy efforts will be achieved in a reasonable time frame. By answering the following questions, members of the advocacy committee can accurately assess the effectiveness of their strategy and then make the necessary changes.

�

Check list for monitoring of Advocacy Programme

Are the priority issues still highly relevant to our members?



Have the issues changed in any way?



Is further research required?



Are our advocacy goals still achievable?



Are the time-lines for priority issues still realistic?



Are we up to date with our advocacy actions?



Are we targeting the right people/institutions nationally and regionally?



Are we reaching our advocacy targets?



Are we using the right advocacy channel(s)?



Does our advocacy message need to be modified?



Do we have sufficient resources to implement advocacy activities?



Based on the answers to these questions, the advocacy team should make the necessary changes. Before any suggested modification is implemented, consideration should be given to how the change might affect other components of the advocacy strategy. At the level of each advocacy issue the PSO has to monitor and report on the implementation of the advocacy plan.

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One of the ways to do this is to use the Advocacy Issue Tracker. The Advocacy Issue Tracker is a similar tool to the check list presented above and is used to monitor the Advocacy Programme. It provides background information on advocacy, PSO recommendations made for addressing advocacy issues, describing the progress made and the current status. An example of the Advocacy Issue Tracker is provided in Annex 8.

7.2. Reporting Any positive results from the assessment should be relayed to association and coalition members and other key stakeholders through e-mails, faxes, and/or newsletter announcements to demonstrate the success of advocacy efforts.

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

Figure 13: Monitoring and Evaluation

evaluated, the association’s leadership should emphasize the celebration of successes rather than dwelling on failures, and should underscore each key member’s active role and contribution to the process.

Even if the results were not entirely satisfactory, recognition of a collective effort is necessary to sustain enthusiasm for future work, encourage even more member involvement and attract new supporters. This approach also benefits the organization’s image and credibility by reassuring the membership of its determination to conduct further advocacy campaigns.

The advocacy report should include the following: List of planned vs. implemented advocacy activities per prioritized advocacy issue; The narrative section for each advocacy issue explaining: The reasons why the issue was prioritized Advocacy channels and tools utilized to address the issue The status of the issue before and after the advocacy issue Role of main stakeholders Table detailing cost of advocacy effort

The template for Reporting on Implementation of Advocacy Programme is provided in Annex 7.

It is also important to make some time for recognition of the association members’ common efforts. Once the progress on the advocacy agenda issues has been

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

8. Annexes

Annex 1 - How Government creates a Law Annex 2 – Model ToR for engaging a research consultant Annex 3 - Structure of the Advocacy Position Paper/Research Paper Annex 4 - Structure of the Advocacy Position Paper Annex 5 – Template of the Advocacy Brief Annex 6 – Advocacy Issue Tracker - Example Annex 7 – Template of the Advocacy Action Plan Annex 8 - Template for Reporting on the Implementation of an Advocacy Programme

Annex 1: How the Government creates a Law The list shows each step generally, although there are slight variations on the process. In order to end up with a pro-Private Sector regulatory environment from the outset it is necessary to understand where advocacy can and should happen. There are various points in process law that can be taken for revisions and key people to provide information and counter proposals to Private Sector

1. A policy is drafted a.

How was it framed? Where did it come from? Did the Cabinet follow a Cabinet Manual and issue a White Paper?

b.

The Policy stage is a pertinent time to be influential. While Ministries are creating and drafting policy, PSF and advocates should have relationships with each individual involved in order to capture these issues at the draft policy stage and begin providing research and perspective from the outset.

2. Ministry technical staff research/write a law or regulation or by-law to implement the policy (Was an expert hired?)

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a.

If advocacy does not start at policy level, then it is essential to participate in the first draft of the legislation.

PSF and the RPPDS needs to call, email or visit the office of the legal officers of each Ministry relating to Private Sector activity in order to ascertain what is pending and how they can participate and assist with a Position Paper.

b.

Ensure you are hired: PSF needs to ensure that they meet with the expert and provide data and comments during their writing process. Additionally, PSF can arrange a meeting with the hiring Ministry to receive comments from the PSF as a requirement in the Terms of Reference (ToR).

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

3. Stakeholder validations In addition to PSF secretariat or RPPDS attending a validation workshop, it will be vital for PSF to write a position paper to disseminate facts and alternative solutions for their members to present at the meeting. Actual CEOs and MDs need to be sought out at advance notice to participate and be brought up to speed on the issues under discussion. They will provide areal life context and PSF gives them macro level facts and solutions from best practice research.

4. Present draft to Cabinet for approval Influencing Cabinet is best at the technical levels prior to their review. There are certainly cases however where, given the right reasons and support, Ministers have pulled legislation back out of Cabinet and had revisions done.

(E.g., the Tourism Bill was already in Cabinet and Minister Kinimba was alerted by the Private Sector of the fact that they did not support the bill or have much input. He had it removed and completely re-written.)

5. Present to Economic Parliament Commission for approval.

There are 8 members on the Economic Parliament Commission. PSF and RPPDS should make contact with them, forge relationships and provide them directly with position papers supporting various points. Alternatively, if a draft needs to be pulled, they are in a position to champion this action. This requires building a trusted brand and providing quality information and support to each contact.

6. General Members of Parliament vote. If it is passed: At this stage, personal relationships within the General Assembly can be valuable, in order to have someone speak on behalf of a specific action or adjustment to a clause. Support similarly as above.

7. Senate Commission reviews and approves, 8. General Senate votes and approves, 9. Sent to MINIJUST who reviews law, edits and validates, MINIJUST is an opportunity to make sound arguments of flaws in the law from a legal or implementation standpoint.

If the law is vague, leading to difficulty in enforcement or if there is something potentially unconstitutional or PSF identifies a conflict with another law – this is an opportune moment for the stakeholder to present the case. This action may well have an impact on the law. This would highlight the issue and send it back to step 2 where PSF can now influence the re drafting again with the Ministry legal team.

10.

Sent to President to sign

In some cases there will be an opportunity to lobby the President prior to signing. In the case of the change of article 165 in the 2012 penal code, members of the faith and civil community arranged a meeting on this issue and made their direct pleas to both the Minister of Cabinet and the President. The law remained, however the activists noted that there was a constructive conversation. They later commented that because they were not prepared with soundly researched support, they were not able to be as effective. Preparing a tight, well researched, 1-2 page statement for use by the CEO or Chairman is crucial.

11.

The Law is Publically Gazetted

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

Annex 2: Template Guidelines for Terms of Reference (TOR) for expert consultants (Research, Moderator, Meeting Planner, PR services, Legal, Etc.) 1. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT State the background and context to the problem area for which a solution is sought.

2. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT What solution is being sought and what gap is it intended to fix? State the general and specific objectives.

3. SCOPE OF THE SERVICES State the target area to be covered in general and specific terms. Note that this has a close link with duration of the assignment.

4. TASKS (General and SpeciďŹ c) State in a very clear and concise manner what you expect the consultant to do for you and what areas you expect him to tackle. You could state this first in general terms and then in more specific terms. It is important to clearly state the capacity building component (coaching, mentoring, hand-holding, or process facilitating)

5. EXPECTED OUTPUTS State the expected results of the assignment in a clear and concise manner.

6. DELIVERABLES Typical deliverables consist of: (1) Inception report, which may include a work plan; (2) Draft report; (3) Final report.

These are pegged to payments based on acceptable and approved deliverables. In the case of long TA’s, approved monthly or quarterly reports could be considered as deliverables for payments.

7. REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS It is always important to state clearly what the reporting arrangements are so that the consultant and others know who is supposed to manage and monitor the assignment. Doing this helps avoid frustration and failure of the assignment. It is also necessary to establish who clears reports and gives feedback and direction to the consultant/s.

8. DURATION OF THE CONSULTANCY Be specific and realistic on how long the assignment is going to take, depending on the scope to be covered and the defined tasks in 3 & 4 above. It should be clear whether there are person-days; calendar days; continuous (non-stop) throughout the assignment or with breaks in between.

9. PROFILE Clearly indicate the profile of the person or persons you require both by qualification; relevant experience and the competencies (knowledge and skills) he/she or they must possess. It should be noted that ability to transfer skills and knowledge (coaching and mentoring) is an important component. It should also be clear whether you need an International; Regional or National Expert or a mix. It should also be established whether it is an individual consultant; a pool of consultants or a firm. This must be clear in all sections of the ToRs. This choice should be in tandem with the magnitude or complexity of the assignment.

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

N/B: Finally, although this should not appear in the ToR, it is essential to have an estimated cost for the assignment.

Usually this is the basis on which to justify the value for money based on comparator or related assignments and the impact/weight of the assignment.

For every TA there should be a local counterpart both in terms of the profile mix (for a firm) and a technical person provided by the host institution, plus an institutionalized mechanism to ensure skills and knowledge transfer are effected.

Annex 3: Structure of Advocacy Brief and Advocacy Research Paper Ask: is there is a policy guiding the issue?

YES? - Then the approach is reactive and advocates must understand GoR’s main point and be able to rephrase it back to them with new solutions to gain favour and interest in your position. This is firstly to know their side better and to build trust with the regulator and a sense of shared understanding. This research is important internal work and is similar to drafting the Position Paper but is different in that the Position Paper looks more specifically at an issue and provides different specific actions to the current implementation.

1. What should the Policy Research Briefly reveal?

1. Background a. Did it come from a problem, a political will, or a demand by X? b. Rationale for why a policy would address the above, gathering any evidence policy makers used c. What ‘harm’ did the policy try to stop or avoid?

2. Current state a. Evidence of a particular impact the policy aims for? b. Who/how the implementation of this policy will be carried out? Legislative process? Ministerial Order?

Public/PR event?

3. Research a. Create impact assessments if there are none or evaluate the accuracy of an existing problem that the policy is targeting. b. Create a counter story if needed, to show how the policy is or is not working c. Qualitative research into attitudes of stakeholders or a personal story d. Best practice internationally

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Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

4. Proposed Solutions a.

It may not be a re-write of policy, but the next steps for improved policy should be in light of the current situation, international best practices and opinions of the public.

b. Draft or amended policy c.

Make the connection between the policy and how to implement it differently to benefit the Private Sector but still achieve policy goals

1.

Conclusion

a.

Restate issues and the preferred course of action

b. Name and info of the contact person at the footer of the document

NO? – Consider writing one. With the rapid growth of opportunities and collateral effects cropping up in a developing economy, many of the policies do not yet exist for issues that will have a long lasting effect on the Private Sector. Working internally, with local experts, or foreign hired consultants to draft a policy that is balanced and sets a healthy tone for the industry in question is a great help to an overstretched GoR office. This goes back to building relationships with the policy and legal people in key Ministries where these advocacy efforts are vital.

Consider the process for how a law is made (Annex 1) for the process of taking a draft policy through to law.

1. Is there a law, regulation or by-law already governing the issue that is having a negative impact?

2. Work with PSF or public sector to retrieve the law, draft or final as well as any Orders or regulations that govern the issue under consideration. a. The advocacy team either does the above research internally if there is capacity or drafts a narrow Terms of Reference (ToR) for quick procurement for a consultant researcher. The ToR (Annex 3) can be drafted where the consultant gives a spectrum of research on the issue, arguing for a pro-government position and a probusiness sector position in one paper. Alternatively, advocates can also hire expert researchers to solely focus on the issue from one side of the Private Sector position. b. The advocacy team needs to make use of the locally available pool of development consultants who are underutilized and could offer quality research as part of their existing mission in Rwanda. Building relationships with the above mentioned list of available research partners (Section 3.4 & 3.5) would help offset costs and time delays of procurement. E.g. Babson Entrepreneurship at PSF 3. Advocates may also hold a technical working group to define and refine solutions to the issue. This creates buy-in to the process and identifies solutions from the end users who would benefit from the change.

This also identifies which firms can serve as leads in meetings and negotiations later.

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Annex 4: Structure of the Advocacy Position Paper Summary of Issue: Define a clear description of exactly why, who or what is a barrier to the Private Sector. Work on a key issue statement that is concise and a person can make a ‘yes / no’ or an ‘either/or’ type decision.

“Private Sector manufacturers and value add food processing firms in Rwanda are not competitive with the current plastics packaging ban. They seek action around Article 4 of the Polythene Law of 2008, which states that a Ministerial Order will list those plastics that will be allowed for use in Rwanda. After significant research, they have created a draft Order with the list of environmentally friendly plastic products that should be allowed in Rwanda and request passage of this Order as law before June 30, 2013.”

Background Short summary as to why this law/policy was drafted  show GoR now you understand and appreciate them and their efforts Who the stakeholders are on both sides, including specific names, not just institutions when possible Prior attempts to solve this issue to indicate the necessity of the current appeal and the previous unsuccessful process.

Research(Impact) Big Picture: International best practices and Impacts – the most conservative states and the most liberal states on an issue  Finish with why Rwanda should side with one or the other “No country has a global ban on plastics like Rwanda, the closest cases are countries with levy or taxes on plastics bags like Ireland, RSA, Kenya and the proceeds of the levy go to environmental funds. India uses a selective ban on certain plastics.”

Study by reveals that those countries with restrictive bans on plastic products face ______ constraints to growth and competitiveness.

Local Picture: Cost / Benefit story for Rwanda How much money or how is competitiveness hurt by the regulation?

Use a particular case study of a firm, showing their price for packaging vs. their competitor in Uganda or the price vs. imported product that has plastic packaging available to a Rwandan consumer.

Proposed Recommendations List the options to address the issue, together with the projected impact.

Be honest and acknowledge challenges or those stakeholders who will ‘lose’ something, but find a mitigating factor for them

Conclusion and Request for Action Should restate the intro and why the problem is important in light of research, which of the proposed solutions is ideal and the reasons behind the chosen resources plus any other justifications.

N.B. Further research, studies and meeting minutes from technical working groups should be attached as appendices for deeper review by reader.

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Annex 5: Template of Advocacy Brief Short Description (one line): Reported by: Sector: Received by: Date:

Summary of Issue: Direct description of why, who and what is a barrier to the Private Sector.

History and key stakeholders Prior attempts to solve this issue indicate the necessity of the current appeal and the previous unsuccessful process.

Who the stakeholders are on both sides, complete with specific names, not just institutions when possible

Existing Research/Documents List existing documents relevant for this case such as; laws, policy documents, existing research, etc.

Possible solutions List the options to address the issue with the projected impact of that option Be honest and acknowledge challenges or those stakeholders who will ‘lose’ something, but find a mitigating fact for them

Request for Action Recommend follow-up action such as a meeting with members for further discussion, more research, consulting the government for more information to bring to the platform, what to prioritise, etc.

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Annex 6–Advocacy Issue Tracker - Example ISSUE TRACKER Issue

Employer contributions for Occupational Risks

Background

- A change of government increased the employer contribution rate in 2009. The PSF has been active in advocating for a return to the original rate.

The main argument used was that government did not effectively consult the business on the likely impact the change would have; nor conduct any kind of wider impact assessment.

- Experience from the PSF members has been negative in that it has added to an increasing cost base. It put pressure on a key sector, the textile sector, at a time when it was adjusting to changes in the trading environment that was leading to a loss of business.

- PSF also reported some loss of investor confidence in the country as the government actions on this - and other cost related policy action – appeared to investors as weakening the investment climate and reasons to invest in comparison to regional competitors.

PSF Recommendation

• Survey on constraints in one sector • Position paper developed and widely disseminated • 10 Meetings with Ministerial officials • 4 meetings with Senior Ministry officials • 1 meeting with Minster • 6 information seminars with members • 5 meetings with Chamber of commerce

-

PSF seeking reduction in contribution rate from 0.8% to 0.5% across all Private Sector industry sectors.

• Joint statement released with Chamber of commerce

- PSF notes in its submission that while it would be preferable to have higher rates for industries that are more prone to accidents and health risks – there is now historical or current data to facilitate such a differentiation. Until such a time, all enterprises should be treated the same.

• 3 preparation meetings with members

- PSF notes that the long term goal should be major efforts and improvements in safety and makes a number of suggestions on how to do this.

Progress

PSF Inputs

• 3 press articles • 2 news interviews • Report commissioned

- The PSF/CEO has met with the Head of the Ministry on 5 occasions in the last two months and provided her with direct information from members.

- This activity prepared the way for a meeting between the Director General, the President and the Minister in which they presented the findings of a survey the PSF had undertaken on the impact of the rate increase on the textile sector.

- As a result of these efforts, the Government has agreed to a partial reduction – for the main exporting sector – textiles (which directly employs 35% of the country’s labour force). This sector suffered a major downturn and as a way to alleviate pressure in response to the Employers demand for a reduction rates where decreased just for this sector.

Current status

- PSF is now pushing the government to extend the reduction across all other sectors.

- It has commissioned a report to outline the impact the reduction has had on the textile sector. This report showed positive impact for the sector, for jobs and for wider growth. The report is now a key tool being used by the PSF in its advocacy efforts with the Ministry.

- PSF has also utilised comparative information from International and regional organizations that show employer contributions are one of the highest in the region.

- Government has agreed to host a round table with PSF and some of its leading members from across sectors in one month’s time to hear specific suggestions on OSH improvements. PSF feels that this could be the way to position its argument to secure the reduction across sectors.

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Annex 7 – Template of the Advocacy Action Plan Advocacy Action Plan 2013 - Template with examples No.

Item

Description

Advocacy Goal

What do we want to achieve? Private sector led sustainable economic growth and social development Why are we doing it?

Jan

Purpose of Advocacy 1

Outcome

Increase the level of understanding of key issues in the region/country/sector/company

1.1

Output

Research on Topic 1

1.1.1 1.1.2 1.1.3 1.1.4 1.1.5 1.2

Activity Activity Activity Activity Activity Output

Preparing Advocacy Brief

1.2.1 1.2.2 1.2.3

Activity Activity Activity

Prepare ToR Design a survey

1.2.4 1.2.5 1.3

Activity Activity Output

Analyse survey results Prepare Position Papers Reserch on Topic 3

1.3.2 1.3.3

Activity Activity

Prepare Advocacy Brief

1.3.4 Activity 1.3.5 Activity Total Outcome 1 2 Outcome

Engage surveyors

Study documents Consult stakeholders Prepare Position Papers Change of laws and legislation in favour of businesses

2.1

Output

Active advocacy on Topic 1

2.1.1

Activity

Organize information sessions with key ministry officials

2.1.2

Activity

Call a meeting of advocacy platform

2.1.3

Activity

Organize radio shows and other media events

2.1.4

Activity

Present an issue at regional meetings

2.1.5 2.1.6 2.2 2.2.1

Activity Activity Output Activity

Propose and issue for discussion with PPDS Organise informal meetings with technical staff of the ministry Active advocacy on Topic 2 Call a meeting of advocacy platform

2.2.2

Activity

Organize a workshop for government and private sector stakholders

2.2.3

Activity

2.3 2.3.1

Output Activity

Design and run a communication campaign Active advocacy on Topic 3 Organise informal meetings with technical staff of the ministry

2.3.2

Activity

Organize awareness raising events with key speakers

2.3.3

Activity

Total Outcome 2 Outcome 3 3.1 3.1.1

Output Activity

3.1.2 3.1.3 3.2 3.2.1

Activity Activity Output Activity

Activity 3.2.2 Activity 3.2.3 3.3 Output Activity 3.3.1 Activity 3.3.2 3.3.3 Activity Activity 3.3.6 Total Outcome 3 32

PrepareToR Engage a consultant Organise a research validation session Prepare Position Papers Research on Topic 2

Members are fully informed about the advocacy results Advocacy Reporting on Topic 1 Organise regular update and discussion sessions with members Publish a Case Study Advocacy Reporting on Topic 2 Organise regular update and discussion sessions with members

Advocacy Reporting on Topic 3 Organise regular update and discussion sessions with members

Improve internal communication (see comms strategy)

Feb

Mar

Apr

M

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

2013 2013 Mar Mar

Apr Apr

May May Jun Jun

Jul Jul

Aug Aug Sep Sep Oct Oct Nov NovDecDec

Resources Resources required required (TA, (TA, staff staff time,time, conference conference facilities, facilities, etc) etc)

Budget Budget

Responsibility Responsibility

33

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

Annex 8 - Template for Reporting on Implementation of Advocacy Programme No.

No. Item

Item

Status StatusMonitor Monitor

Description Description

Select Green Yellow Select Green Yellowor orRed Red

Advocacy Goal What do wedo want to achieve?

Private sector ledled Advocacy Goal What we want to achieve?

Private sector sustainable economic growth and and social sustainable economic growth social development development PurposePurpose of of Why are weare doing it?

Why we doing it?

Advocacy Advocacy 1

Outcome 1 Outcome

1.1 1.1 Output Output 1.1.1 Activity Activity 1.1.1 1.1.2 1.1.2 Activity Activity Activity Activity 1.1.3 1.1.3 1.1.4 1.1.4 Activity Activity Activity Activity 1.1.5 1.1.5 1.2 1.2 Output Output Activity Activity 1.2.1 1.2.1 1.2.2 Activity Activity 1.2.2 Activity Activity 1.2.3 1.2.3 1.2.4 Activity Activity 1.2.4 Activity Activity 1.2.5 1.2.5 Output Output 1.3 1.3 Activity Activity 1.3.2 1.3.2 Activity Activity 1.3.3 1.3.3 Activity Activity 1.3.4 1.3.4 Activity Activity 1.3.5 1.3.5 Total Outcome 1 Total Outcome 1 Outcome 2 2 Outcome 2.1 2.1.1

Output Output 2.1 Activity Activity 2.1.1

2.1.2 2.1.3 2.1.4 2.1.5 2.1.6

Activity 2.1.2 Activity 2.1.3 2.1.4 Activity Activity 2.1.5 Activity 2.1.6

2.2 2.2.1 2.2.2

Output Output 2.2 Activity Activity 2.2.1 Activity Activity 2.2.2

2.2.3 2.3 2.3.1

2.2.3 Activity Activity Output Output 2.3 Activity Activity 2.3.1

2.3.2

Activity Activity 2.3.2

Activity Activity Activity Activity Activity

2.3.3 Activity Activity 2.3.3 Total Outcome Total Outcome 2 2 3 3 Outcome Outcome 3.1 3.1.1

Output Output 3.1 3.1.1 Activity Activity

3.1.2 3.1.3 3.2 3.2.1

3.1.2 Activity Activity 3.1.3 3.2 Output Activity 3.2.1

Activity Activity Output Activity

3.2.2 3.2.3 3.3 3.3.1

Activity 3.2.2 3.2.3 Activity Output 3.3 3.3.1 Activity

Activity Activity Output Activity

3.3.2 3.3.3 3.3.6

Activity Activity 3.3.2 3.3.3 Activity Activity Activity Activity 3.3.6

Total Outcome Total Outcome 2 2 34

Increase the level understanding of key issues in in Increase the of level of understanding of key issues the region/country/sector/company the region/country/sector/company Research on Topic 1 Research on Topic 1

Preparing Advocacy BriefBrief Preparing Advocacy PrepareToR PrepareToR EngageEngage a consultant a consultant Organise a research validation session Organise a research validation session Prepare Position Papers Prepare Position Papers Research on Topic 2 Research on Topic 2 Prepare ToR ToR Prepare DesignDesign a survey a survey EngageEngage surveyors surveyors Analyse surveysurvey results Analyse results Prepare Position Papers Prepare Position Papers Reserch on Topic 3 Reserch on Topic 3 Prepare Advocacy Brief Brief Prepare Advocacy Study documents Study documents Consult stakeholders Consult stakeholders Prepare Position Papers Prepare Position Papers Change of laws in favour of of Change ofand lawslegislation and legislation in favour businesses businesses Active Active advocacy advocacy on Topic on Topic 1 1 Organize Organize information information sessions sessions withwith key key ministry ministry officials officials Call a meeting of advocacy platform Call a meeting of advocacy platform Organize Organize radio shows radio shows and other and other media media events events Present Present an issue an at issue regional at regional meetings meetings Propose Propose and issue and issue for discussion for discussion withwith PPDS PPDS Organise informal meetings withwith technical staff of of Organise informal meetings technical staff the ministry the ministry Active Active advocacy on Topic 2 advocacy on Topic 2 Call a meeting of advocacy platform Call a meeting of advocacy platform Organize Organize a workshop a workshop for government for government andand private private sector sector stakholders stakholders DesignDesign and run and a run communication a communication campaign campaign Active Active advocacy advocacy on Topic on Topic 3 3 Organise Organise informal informal meetings meetings withwith technical technical staff staff of of the ministry the ministry Organize Organize awareness awareness raising raising events events withwith keykey speakers speakers

Members Members are fully areinformed fully informed about about the the advocacy advocacy resultsresults Advocacy Advocacy Reporting Reporting on Topic on Topic 1 1 Organise Organise regular regular update update and discussion and discussion sessions sessions with members with members PublishPublish a CaseaStudy Case Study Advocacy Reporting on Topic 2 Advocacy Reporting on Topic 2 Organise Organise regular regular update update and discussion and discussion sessions sessions with members with members

Advocacy Advocacy Reporting Reporting on Topic on Topic 3 3 Organise Organise regular regular update update and discussion and discussion sessions sessions with members with members

Improve Improve internal internal communication communication (see(see comms comms strategy) strategy)

Expe Expe m m

r

rRed Red

Understanding Advocacy and Inducing Change 2013

Expenditure Expenditure made made

Budget Budget

Comment Comment Jan

RevisedRevised Time Table Time 2013 Table 2013 Feb Jan Mar Feb Apr MarMay AprJun May Jul Jun AugJul Sep Aug Oct Sep Nov Oct Dec Nov Dec

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With Support from: TradeMark East Africa September 2013