Getting started, what steps to take? – Creating possibilities
- Be well aware of the policy of your own organisation, information from the field and information from research
- Analyse policy documents of your national government, the EU or UN
- Discover chances and challenges. Know the decision-making processes that apply. This to make sure lobbying efforts coincide with key points in the process and avoid wasting your energy and time on issues that are ‘dead’.
- Choose the issue or issues you want to focus on: What public policy goals do we want to influence? How do they relate to our organisational goals and how do they affect the people we serve?
- Make sure to support your views with accurate and up-to-date information. This data can complement personal stories and anecdotes about your cause, making your point more convincing. Also, being reliable in your lobbying efforts is most important. People must be sure that you are a reliable source. This applies to the information you provide and also to meeting your commitments. Make clear you are speaking on behalf of certain people. Further, be honest when you do not know something. You can promise to come back with additional information. Reliability will benefit your future lobbying efforts.
- Create a clear strategy: what is your position; identify who you want to approach; how and where, seek for opportunities to get into contact with the person/people you want to approach. An issue that is important here is to be careful not to speak on behalf of people unless you have consulted them and involved them in developing your lobbying strategy.
- Define what you want and what your recommendations are. Also think of how decision-makers can benefit from agreeing with you. Often decision-makers will agree more easily if they can link your proposals to their own concerns.
- Prepare for opposition. Analyse their position and since they may also be lobbying the same person, develop counter-arguments to theirs.
- As lobbying isn’t something you can do on your own, it is necessary to identify other stakeholders whose support, influence or co-operation you need. Working in coalitions can be a powerful way of engaging in the lobby process, but is time-consuming.
- Make your voice heard!
