YOUR GUIDE TO ACHIEVING POLICY & FUNDING CHANGE

Practical. Adaptable. Transformational.

 

WELCOME TO SMART ADVOCACY!

SMART Advocacy is a disciplined, proven advocacy approach to build momentum and fuel progress.

  • “The SMART approach has given us a totally new perspective in how to transform our advocacy initiatives as we strive to ensure women’s legal rights are upheld.”

    – Josephine Arnold, Tanzania Women Lawyers Association

  • “It is a brilliant tool to develop key asks from different decision-makers. I learnt how to influence key decision-makers and shift their thinking particularly on gender responsive budgets for health, education and on disability rights issues.”

    – Easter Achieng Okech, Kenya

  • "I believe the tool is an effective way to approach our advocacy planning and efforts, as it puts things into perspective in a systematic manner.”

    – Arun Nair, Foundation for Research in Health Systems, India

A PHASED APPROACH

 

BUILD CONSENSUS

Phase One helps you make evidence-based decisions within the current context, recognize important actors and allies, and make strategic choices to narrow your advocacy efforts. 

FOCUS EFFORTS

Phase Two guides you in selecting a key decision-maker and refining an advocacy ‘ask’ or request for action, and determining the activities to reach your objective. 

ACHIEVE CHANGE

Phase Three explains how to execute the advocacy strategy, assess and learn from setbacks and success, and help others learn from your experience. 

Wheel Phases.gif

HELPING ADVOCATES ANTICIPATE
NEEDS.

 

SMART Advocacy focuses on decision-makers, the specific people with the power to act on requests from well-prepared champions.

It prepares advocates to anticipate what information and insights will convince a decision-maker that taking a particular action will achieve their goals and yours. 

WHY USE SMART ADVOCACY?

 
 

IT’S PRACTICAL

SMART Advocacy breaks down your goal into 9 steps across three phases. It shows you how to convince the people with power that taking action will achieve their goals and yours. By the end of the process, you will have an evidence-driven strategy that you can take forward confidently.

IT’S ADAPTABLE

Although SMART Advocacy was refined by the family planning community, it is designed for easy adaptation to any setting or topic area. More than 250 organizations in at least 26 countries already use SMART Advocacy for a range of issues.

IT’S TRANSFORMATIONAL

SMART Advocacy has helped the Advance Family Planning initiative mobilize more than 100 million US dollars for family planning and achieve hundreds of policy changes, both large and small. Whether you are a seasoned advocate or a beginner, or do not consider yourself an advocate at all, SMART Advocacy will strengthen your work and produce results.

 

CONNECT WITH SMART ADVOCATES

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