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SELF GUIDED ASSESSMENT ON ADVOCACY CAPACITY FOR DISABILITY INCLUSION IN DEVELOPMENT
SELF GUIDED ASSESSMENT
ON ADVOCACY CAPACITY FOR DISABILITY INCLUSION IN DEVELOPMENT
DPO advocacy assessment guide
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This tool is intended for self-guided assessment and identification of disabled persons’ organization (DPO) capacity to carry out lobbying and to advocate for disability inclusion in development. The content will enable exploration of organizational strengths and areas of need in improvement and seek to inform accompanying action plans. This tool is designed to facilitate group discussions among members and supporters of a DPO. There are 5 sections relating to specific areas of advocacy capacity, namely institutional capacity, media, popular mobilization, lobbying and building of alliances. The definitions of these forms of advocacy and methodology of application have been borrowed from DPO Advocacy Skills: A training manual for Disabled People’s Organisations by the National Council for Persons with Disabilities of Kenya, June 2009.
Participants assess their own organization’s strengths, areas in need of improvement and capacity building needs, but also develop their understanding of how they might strengthen their capacity or improve the way they work. Each question will be scored as per the key (see box below) and answered with useful, concise information and, when possible, quantified in the comments column. The tool can be administered by DPO members or with the help of an external facilitator. Before finishing the discussion, the participants will agree on how the assessment will be followed up with next steps, including:
Who will document and share the final report? How will agreed actions and plans be implemented? For example, who will take responsibility for them and how will they be monitored?
How can technical support be provided? For example, are there useful publications or training resources that can be obtained for the organization? Are there organizations or people who could provide advice or share experiences with participants?
Key 4 points = True and functioning well 1 point = Not true but under consideration 3 points = True but needs strengthening 0 point = Not true and not desired 2 points = Not true but in process
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1. Institutional capacity This section explores how advocacy is supported by your organisation’s internal systems and resources.
Guiding questions Score 0-4
Comments
Does your mandate or constitution include advocacy?
Does the mission of the organization capture advocacy?
Do you have a specific strategy on advocacy?
If yes (above), does it capture inclusion in development programs?
Do you have staff working or assigned to do advocacy work?
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Are there any funds allocated to advocacy work?
Analysis and summary of issues raised:
Resolution
Capacity-building needs
Plans for action or change
Suggestions/areas for technical support
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2. Media This refers to the means of communication aimed at reaching or influencing people widely (this may include newspapers, radio, television, internet, posters, leaflets, newsletters and other means). This section explores your organization’s experiences, lessons learnt and capacity to engage in media work.
Guiding questions Score 0-4
Comments
Does the organization have any experiences with media work for the past three years?
Are there any lessons learnt in your engagement with media activities in the past three years?
Is there an existing action plan for media work that guides implementation of media engagements?
Are there any specific issues the organization is currently advocating for?
What is the specific audience the organization targets in term of advocacy using media?
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Do you have the skills and capacities to:
use mass media (TV, radio, newspapers): writing articles; organizing press release; giving interviews, sensitizing editors, developing adverts?
use communication tools such as
maintaining your own website; developing posters, leaflets, brochures or carrying out public shows?
use existing development agencies
and networks tools (newsletters; bulletins; websites; forums)?
Are the posters, television adverts, leaflets, newsletters, articles and other tools accessible to persons with disability?
Analysis and summary of issues raised
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Resolution Capacity-building needs
Plans for action or change
Suggestions/areas for technical support
3. Popular Mobilization This the process of activating as well as assembling and organizing persons through the use of strength of numbers of your supporters to exert political pressure (it could include organizing a public meeting, organizing a demonstration or bringing a group of your grassroots members to meet with a decision-maker). This section explores your organization’s experiences, lessons learnt and capacity to engage in popular mobilization.
Guiding questions Score 0-4
Comments
Does the organization have any experiences with popular mobilization for the past three years?
Are there any lessons learnt in your engagement in popular mobilization in the past three years?
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Is there an existing action plan for popular mobilization that guides implementation of involved activities?
Do you have popular mobilization skills?
How many people can you currently and realistically mobilize?
Do you have leaders/speakers that
can voice agenda during popular mobilization? How many?
How can you attract participants to
a forum?
How can you maintain order and ethical standards within a forum?
Do you have key facilitators (animators!) that know how to guide, empower and supervise a group of people during an event?
Do you know how to use fun and
creativity techniques?
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Do you know how to launch and
conduct a petition?
How prepared is your organization to face and overcome challenges of accessibility and equal and full participation by all?
How do you ensure security is maintained in such meetings/ forums?
Analysis and summary of issues raised:
Resolution
Capacity-building needs
Plans for action or change
Suggestions/areas for technical support
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4. Lobbying This is a form of advocacy with the intention of influencing decisions made by policy makers and officials in the government (it involves direct one-on-one communication with decision-makers and other people who have influence on decision-makers. A lobbyist is a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest or a member of a lobby. This section explores your organization’s experiences, lessons learnt and capacity to engage in lobbying.
Guiding questions Score 0-4
Comments
Does the organization have any experiences with lobbying for the past three years?
Are there any lessons learnt in your engagement in lobbying for the past three years?
Is there an existing action plan that guides implementation of activities involved in lobbying?
Do you have lobbying skills in the following areas:
Understanding the political environment?
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Knowing, identifying, and
classifying those in position of decision-making?
Knowing where, when and how decisions are made?
Do you have public relations skills? Do you receive invitations to attend gatherings and meetings with influential people and organizations?
How many influential persons/organizations are you able to contact and approach? How many development agencies or key program people are you able to contact and approach?
Do you have the skills of negotiation?
How prepared is your organization to face and overcome challenges and barriers in lobbying?
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Analysis and summary of issues raised:
Resolution
Capacity-building needs
Plans for action or change
Suggestions/areas for technical support
5. Building alliances
This is the creation of cooperation and partnerships between groups whereby resources, capabilities, and core competences are combined to pursue mutual interests (when organizations work and share with organizations of similar aim they are building alliances).
This section explores your organization’s experiences, lessons learnt and capacity in building alliances.
Guiding questions Score 0-4
Comments
Does the organization have any experiences in building alliances?
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Are there any lessons learnt in your engagement in alliance building?
How many organizations are you partnering/ linking with for advocacy for inclusion?
DPO embracing the same disability?
DPO embracing other type of
disability?
Non DPO (human rights groups, development agencies, women networks, youth networks)?
Do you feel competition with other organizations? How many?
Is there an existing action plan that guides activities and the process of building alliances?
What is your purpose or intention as an organization towards building of alliances?
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What is your target organization towards formulation of alliances?
Do you have the skills for building alliances?
Do you have a clear understanding of your (possible) role and responsibilities within an alliance?
Are you able to lead/chair an
alliance?
Are you able to actively participate in an alliance?
Are you able to share and pool
resources with other organizations? What can you contribute to?
Do you maintain or are you able to
maintain flowing and transparent communication with other organizations?
How do you value activities and contributions of other organizations?
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How prepared is your organization to face and overcome challenges and barriers in alliance building?
Analysis and summary of issues raised:
Resolution
Capacity-building needs
Plans for action or change
Suggestions/areas for technical support
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Glossary Accessibility
This concept ensures any space, building, product, service or information be designed to be available, usable, understandable and comfortable for all people thus optimizing access, freedom of communication and movement of people with disabilities. An accessible environment allows for free and safe movement, function and access for all, regardless of age, sex or condition. It is a space or a set of services that can be accessed by all, without obstacles, with dignity and with as much autonomy as possible. Advocacy Advocacy is a strategy used around the world by NGOs, activists, and even policy makers themselves to influence policies. Advocacy is about creation or reform of policies, but also about effective implementation and enforcement of policies. It extends to a process of campaigning or debating an issue in a given time to come up with a consensus on course of action to change the situation Disability Disability is an evolving concept and results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. This also may be defined as restricting an individual’s life habits ensuing from the exchange between personal (impairment, disability) and environmental factors which act either as facilitators or obstacles. Equal participation
Equal participation of PWD in society is the realization of inclusion and equal access to the physical and social environment with no discrimination based on one’s level of ability. It implies that the environment must be truly usable to all. And so this is reflected in the motto of Nothing about Us without Us. Full participation
An inclusive society requires that PWD have a role to play towards a decision which enables their self-realization: that he/she be informed of any need for a decision to be taken with implications for their status,
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that he/she be consulted in advance for any sharing/contribution needed towards a decision to be taken and finally—and this is the ‘ultimate’ realization of full participation—that he/she be a part of the final decision taken. Inclusion This concept means that everyone at the local and national level has equal access to the physical and social environment with no discrimination based on one’s level of ability. It implies that the environment must be truly usable to all. Mainstreaming The mainstreaming of disability is a process defined as the two-way, inter-active relationship within communities needed to change attitudes so that persons with disability are included and have access to existing services and assistance that will minimize their disability and maximize their personal development.
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Handicap International is implementing a project “Expanding Participation of Persons with Disability” which
seeks to promote the full inclusion of persons with disability in development programs and towards realization of their rights by enhancing the capacity of development organization (non-DPO) in the civil society as well as Disabled Persons Organizations (DPO) in advocacy to mainstream disability into development activities. It also seeks to document and disseminate good practices to facilitate replication of similar interventions.
The development of this tool is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Handicap International and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
