Choosing what issue to campaign on is the first strategic step in a successful campaign. Since most issues are multilayered and will have numerous related problems, the decision about whether a campaign is necessary - and what specific issue to focus on - is not always easy. You need to be strategic about your work, and determine which issue(s) for your organisation will most likely achieve a positive change through campaigning.
When defining the issue to campaign on, reflect on these questions:
The right people
The individuals involved in making the decision about the campaign issue should be those with the highest political and operational responsibilities within the organisation. They need to be able to picture different scenarios and analyse potential risks and benefits, taking into account that the campaign will have an impact on the organisation´s identity.
Ultimately, these people are accountable for their decisions to the organisation's supporter base (members, donors, etc). Therefore, final decisions about the campaign issue are usually made by board members, executive directors and senior managers of the organisation.
The right data
No organisation or campaign can live in a vacuum. To make the best informed decisions, the decision-makers will need information about the external and internal environments in which the campaign will be operating, as well as accurate information about the issue itself.
Decision-making processes vary from one organisation to another, depending on factors like size, political architecture (hierarchy, collective, or board), the experience and stability of the organisation and the local legal framework, among others.
In any case, the decision-making process should be as transparent as possible, and be defined in advance with a clear timeline. Some organisations might include a consultation with their constituencies in this process.
When making the decision around the campaign issue, political considerations have more weight than operational ones. As mentioned above, the decision will impact, in one way or another, the organisation´s identity, and the way internal and external stakeholders perceive the organisation.
Once you have defined the campaign issue, it is time to lay out detailed information about the different problems within the issue.
Defining the campaign problem should follow the same process used to determine the campaign issue. However, the process opens up to internal and external stakeholders and specialists on the campaign issue, and should include more operational input from people like senior managers (and less input from board members and executive directors).
Issue versus problem
Issue and problem are different concepts. There are many related problems associated with any one issue. For instance, problems related to the issue of Internet censorship includes the role of software providers collaborating with governments; the persecution and arrest of online journalists and bloggers; and the banning of human rights-related websites. To focus resources more strategically, organisations should select only one or two of the problems related to the larger issue to campaign on.
When deciding on the problems to focus on, identify:
Having identified the campaign issue and the problem, your organisation will have taken the first two steps in the campaigning cycle.
DEFINE THE ISSUE
When defining the issue to campaign on, reflect on these questions:- What are the changes you want to achieve?
- Is a campaign necessary to achieve these changes?
- How will these changes bring your organisation closer to realising its mission, vision or strategic plan?
The individuals involved in making the decision about the campaign issue should be those with the highest political and operational responsibilities within the organisation. They need to be able to picture different scenarios and analyse potential risks and benefits, taking into account that the campaign will have an impact on the organisation´s identity.
Ultimately, these people are accountable for their decisions to the organisation's supporter base (members, donors, etc). Therefore, final decisions about the campaign issue are usually made by board members, executive directors and senior managers of the organisation.
The right data
No organisation or campaign can live in a vacuum. To make the best informed decisions, the decision-makers will need information about the external and internal environments in which the campaign will be operating, as well as accurate information about the issue itself.
External data
Your organisation will need information about its external environment, including social, political, economical and cultural contexts in which a campaign will develop, and how these realities could have an impact on the campaign. For example, are elections coming up? What is the country's economic climate?
There are many analytical processes to help yoru organisation get this information. Among them is the PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) analysis. A general PEST analysis might involve the following factors:
Your organisation will need information about its external environment, including social, political, economical and cultural contexts in which a campaign will develop, and how these realities could have an impact on the campaign. For example, are elections coming up? What is the country's economic climate?
There are many analytical processes to help yoru organisation get this information. Among them is the PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) analysis. A general PEST analysis might involve the following factors:
Internal data
Objective data about your organisation itself is also needed at this stage. Take into account the organisation´s financial situation, staffing issues, information about its supporter base, media profile and presence, etc. The internal analysis aims to provide an accurate image of your organisation to help you determine if it is ready to embark on a campaign that will have associated political and financial costs.
Objective data about your organisation itself is also needed at this stage. Take into account the organisation´s financial situation, staffing issues, information about its supporter base, media profile and presence, etc. The internal analysis aims to provide an accurate image of your organisation to help you determine if it is ready to embark on a campaign that will have associated political and financial costs.
Issue-related data
Your organisation will also have to collect and analyse information on the issue it is considering campaigning on. This includes any previous work carried out by the organisation, knowledge of the issues, as well as the capacity of the organisation to continue this type of information gathering for the duration of the campaign.
It is also a good idea to have reliable information about the following:
Your organisation will also have to collect and analyse information on the issue it is considering campaigning on. This includes any previous work carried out by the organisation, knowledge of the issues, as well as the capacity of the organisation to continue this type of information gathering for the duration of the campaign.
It is also a good idea to have reliable information about the following:
- The people most affected by the issue;
- Other organisations working on the same issue; would there be value added by working together with them?
- Ethical considerations around the issue.
Your organisation may choose to obtain this information with the help of internal or external experts and stakeholders.
The right process Decision-making processes vary from one organisation to another, depending on factors like size, political architecture (hierarchy, collective, or board), the experience and stability of the organisation and the local legal framework, among others.
In any case, the decision-making process should be as transparent as possible, and be defined in advance with a clear timeline. Some organisations might include a consultation with their constituencies in this process.
When making the decision around the campaign issue, political considerations have more weight than operational ones. As mentioned above, the decision will impact, in one way or another, the organisation´s identity, and the way internal and external stakeholders perceive the organisation.
IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS
Once you have defined the campaign issue, it is time to lay out detailed information about the different problems within the issue. Defining the campaign problem should follow the same process used to determine the campaign issue. However, the process opens up to internal and external stakeholders and specialists on the campaign issue, and should include more operational input from people like senior managers (and less input from board members and executive directors).
Issue versus problem
Issue and problem are different concepts. There are many related problems associated with any one issue. For instance, problems related to the issue of Internet censorship includes the role of software providers collaborating with governments; the persecution and arrest of online journalists and bloggers; and the banning of human rights-related websites. To focus resources more strategically, organisations should select only one or two of the problems related to the larger issue to campaign on.
When deciding on the problems to focus on, identify:
- The significant actors for each problem;
- The potential for impact your organisation can have on the problem;
- Your organisation's campaigning policies and capacities with respect to each problem.
Having identified the campaign issue and the problem, your organisation will have taken the first two steps in the campaigning cycle.
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