1. Get to the root of the problem you want to solve. Knowing the cause, you will be able to focus your efforts on eliminating the problem, not just addressing its symptoms. Anush Begloyan recommends the method of “But why?”. The reasoning behind it is that as soon as you find the cause of the problem, you have to ask yourself “Why did this problem occur?” and continue to do so until you get to the bottom of it.

2. Work with external factors: You have to understand their impact not only on your campaign but also on the opinion leaders who can support it. Determine who your audience, stakeholders, allies, and opponents actually are. This classification will reveal the scheme of relations between those who can support you and those who could oppose you. Knowing this scheme, you will be able to purposefully build partner relations, involve opinion leaders who mobilise citizens, and even identify influential third parties.

3. Focus on allies: Do no try to convince radical opponents early in your advocacy campaign, as they are most likely to stick to their beliefs. It is better to concentrate your efforts on those who are undecided with regard to the problems of the campaign, people who share your views and those who can positively influence the opinions of your target group.

4. Lobby competently: At a certain stage, you would need to personally convince high-level officials to support the values of the advocacy campaign at the legislative level. If you manage to set up a meeting, prepare thoroughly and research the views of your interlocutor. Tell him or her about the goals of your campaigns and the outcomes you wish to achieve in the first minutes of the meeting and not when your interlocutor is obviously bored.

5. Evaluate your results: It is not about just creating a list of what you have done. You have to evaluate the impact of your campaign. Identify the benefits your campaign has brought the target audience, partners, and your organisation. In addition, assess whether your work has contributed to facilitating access to government and influence on policy for civil organisations.

Get more tips and cases in the online Advocacy Course. Having completed the course, you will also learn how to prepare the package of required advocacy materials, how to build partnerships and examine real cases. After a short test, you will receive a certificate from the EU-EaP Culture and Creativity Programme. You can also complete other short online courses such as Creative Europe and Strategic Planning.