Advocacy

Types of Advocacy

As a CCCM Cluster Coordinator, you may need to conduct advocacy on issues including:

• Funding for CCCM response
• Specific issues relating to CCCM response
• Specific issues impacting communities living in displacement sites

If there are several advocacy priorities for the Cluster over a period of time, you might wish to adopt an advocacy strategy, either standalone or integrated into the overall CCCM Response Strategy (see Yemen CCCM Cluster Advocacy Strategy, in Related Resources below). Or, undertake advocacy issue by issue.

Some advocacy issues will require partnerships. Ensure to reach out to other clusters to conduct joint advocacy on issues that affect more than one sector. Joint advocacy efforts might involve developing common messages, joint advocacy notes or briefings, or different, complementary efforts by different actors. Joint advocacy can be more effective than single-cluster efforts. For issues of relevance to multiple clusters, OCHA and inter-cluster support can also be sought. Advocacy efforts from the cluster can be reinforced by similar messaging being promoted by cluster partners, and Cluster Lead Agency and Co-Coordinating Partner organization support sought in raising issues to the HCT.

Communication & Building Relationships

Having existing good relationships with key stakeholders, such as donors and government representatives, is important for gaining support for and success of advocacy. Similarly, so is good regular communication, whether formal or informal, with key stakeholders on CCCM response, gaps, and any critical issues. If key stakeholders already feel informed and engaged with, they are more likely to be willing or quicker to act.

See Toolkit Section 7.3 Donor Engagement for tips on ongoing engagement with donors.

See Toolkit Section 7.2 Communication for tips on CCCM Cluster communication.

Planning Advocacy

Advocacy can take many forms, with differing methods and level of formality – from one-to-one meetings to resolve an issue, to a series of efforts by multiple actors at different levels. It might involve drafting of documents such as advocacy notes or position papers, as well as conducting formal and informal meetings and briefings.

In Related Resources below you can find two documents to help guide you to develop advocacy approaches:

• Advocacy Guidance Tool from the Education Cluster – outlining steps for successful advocacy, key actions to take, key advocacy targets for a cluster, advocacy for funding. It also contains a Rapid Advocacy Checklist. The Tool is designed for Education Clusters, but very relevant to CCCM Clusters.
• Template for Advocacy Planning from the CCCM Cluster – designed to be used internally by a Cluster coordination team, to help map out advocacy approaches

Drafting Documents

Advocacy notes and position papers, and documents providing information such as SitReps (situation reports) and background briefings, are often important parts of advocacy efforts. If you are drafting these:

• Be concise and keep the document short
• Be clear about what you are asking people to do
• Target the messages and asks towards the audience

You can reach out to your Global Cluster focal point to request examples, if needed.