1. Getting your voice heard and achieving results
Camelia Bulat, Executive Director,
Regional Center for Organization Management
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2. Questions To Answer
How is policy made and how do we advocate for
or against a policy?
What are the steps to develop an advocacy
program?
What is a coalition and how do we create one?
How do we communicate our message and follow
up on the actions of our legislators?
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3. Advocacy means:
Changing policies or programs of any institution
Putting issues on the public agenda
Providing solutions for issues of public interest
Building public support for issues and solutions
Making the case for or against a public position or
policy
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4. Advocacy is about CHANGE
What needs to be changed?
Who can make changes?
How much change should be made?
When should changes be made?
How can the case for change be made?
How will the changes be implemented?
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5. The ADVOCACY Process:
 Develop the issue (your position, what is that you want)
 Educate & mobilize your network
 Analyze stakeholders
 Build like-minded coalitions
 Target decision makers
 Select proper communication tools
 Coordination of grassroots advocacy campaigns (build
public support)
 Direct advocacy
 Track debate on policy (the issue)
 Follow-up
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6. How could women associations
better represent women issues?
Advocating on behalf of women entrepreneurs
(representation)
Working in cooperation (alliances, coalitions, etc.)
with women business associations
Moving from Representation to Involvement
Training, training, training:
Training in advocacy process;
Branding, negotiation, coalition building,
communication
Etc.
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7. Why Build Coalitions?
A refined way of dialogue
A common/united voice
Larger representation/
(grassroots support)
Greater visibility
More resources
(information, people,
finance, etc.)
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8. How to Build a Coalition
 Formal coalitions v. informal coalitions
 Long term (common vision) v. short
term (common objective)
 Creating a coalition means more than
signing a letter
 Sharing responsibilities and resources
 Joint commitment to the goal
 Acting together = increased power
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