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In Focus guides

We have a range of free guides that cover specific areas of the campaigning and influencing process in more detail. Many are based on Campaigning Effectiveness events and seminars we have run over the past few years and we are very grateful to our speakers for sharing their insight and helping shape these guides.

Beneficiary Voice

This guide jointly produced with Bond exlpores in detail at how to fully involve beneficiaries in all stages of a campaign from: selecting the issue, deciding how the campaign should be implemented, involved in the delivery and have the power to hold the campaign to account.

Building your evidence base

This guide explores why building your evidence base is important and what it involves. It guides you through the various stages of embedding an evidence-based approach to your campaigning and policy work and also provides a list of further reading and online resources.

With specific thanks to our speakers Veronique Jochum & Belinda Pratten from NCVO, John Young from the ODI and Rachel Burr from Citizens Advice.

Commissioning research

Explores the commissioning process from developing a research brief to appointing a provider, and guides you to sample research tenders and commissioning documents as well as a list of further reading.

With specific thanks to our speakers Karl Wilding from NCVO, Sujata Ray from Age Concern and Alison Blackwood & Sandra van der Feen from LVSC.

Effecting change through collaboration

Change cannot happen without the active support and cooperation of others. Collaboration of some form therefore lies at the heart of successful campaigning and influencing. This free guide covers the principles of effective collaboration such as deciding on your approach, agreeing a share vision and processes for communication and coordination and indicators to evaluate if you are collaborating effectively. 

With specific thanks to our speakers Sakthi Suriyaprakasam from NCVO, Simon Berry from Colalife and Semakeleng Moema from the Scouts Association.

Influencing devolved governments

Engaging with and influencing devolved governments form a critical part of any Uk-wide campaign influencing strategy. This guide looks at how to develop separate engagement strategies for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

With specific thanks to our speakers Michelle Matheron from WCVA, Jillian Flye from SCVO and Frances McCandless from NICVA,

Inspiring Supporter Action

This guide jointly produced with Bond considers the why, when and how to mobilse supporters into action looking in detail at recruiting supporters, sustaining activism, empowering the grass roots and addressing some of the challenges and risks.

Integrating social media

Social media tools provide a huge range of opportunities to enhance your campaigning and influencing work - from widening participation, creating conversations with people to crowdsourcing solutions or reaching decision makers.  Our guide to integrating social media sets out some steps you can take to successfully incorporate social media into your strategy for change by exploring the stages of a campaign - from analysing the issue and gathering an evidence base, to developing and planning your strategy, delivering and monitoring progress to evaluation. It also  explores ways in which amongst others RSS feeds, Google alerts, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube can be utilised in campaigns. Packed with examples from recent campaigns such as the Children's Food Campaign, Colalife and the British Heart Foundation.

Involving people that matter

Explores why participation is important in campaigning and policy work, what it involves, and some of the key principles for good participation. A list of further reading is also included.

With specific thanks to our speakers Edward Andersson from INVOLVE, Maeve McGoldrick from Community Links, Laura Greene from Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Rachel Haydon from Mencap and Steven Pryse from NCVYS.

Making sense of the external environment

Explores why analysing the external environment is important, guiding you through some of the key tools and approaches you can use to help make sense of the external policy environment and the implications for your policy and campaigning work. It also points you towards useful further reading and resources.

With specific thanks to our speaker Megan Griffith Gray from NCVO.

Persusion or pressure? Campaigning and the private sector  

The private sector employs the majority of the workforce in many countries, owns much of the world’s assets and has a huge effect on the environment, society and politics. Campaigning focused on the private sector can bring results not only to shareholders but to individuals and to wider society; largely through effecting changes to the ways companies and individuals operate in securing a profit.

Our free guide explores the best routes to do so by exploring analysing power and routes of influence, choosing the right mixture of tactics from pursuasion to pressure. It's full of real life examples including the Living Wage campaign, Sexism and the City, Tar Sands counting the cost campaign and Trafigura.  

Policy development

Policy development is the process through which an organisation identifies and articulates the changes it wants to see in the world. The process plays a central role in developing the vision, aims and objectives of any strategy to bring about change. This guide takes you through the process from identifying an issue to policy analysis to developing your positions, then communicating your position.

With specific thanks to our speakers James Lee from the Refugee Council and Imran Hussain from the Prison Reform Trust.

Theory of Change

Theory of Change is systematic approach to evaluating campaigning know as Theory of Change which has emerged in the United States through a number of Charitable and Philanthropic Foundations seeking to develop an overarching approach to setting the strategy, planning and evaluation of campaigning. 

Theory of Change approaches can help you plan and evaluate campaigns that reflect a changing environment and ensure planning, evaluation and impact measurement are an integral part of the campaigning process.

Following the step by step process of the guide follows the Theory of Change approach in its different stages and draws out key implications for UK campaigners.

Download the report Campaigning for Change learning from the US (PDF 484KB).

Working with Whitehall

Building relationships with civil servants is often a key component of influencing public policy and achieving legislative change. This guide looks into the how and who to make initial contact with, how to develop and maintain relationships, and a trouble shooting guide including tried and tested ways of working with civil servants. It’s full of real life tips. It's illustrated througout with helpful tips from Forum members.

With specific thanks to our speakers Emma Taggart, Brian Lamb, George Lamb from the Home Office, Former Children's Minister Baroness Delyth Morgan and Vicki Nash from Mind. 

Coventry University

Charity Times Award 2013

Fundraising Consultants | Charity Fundraising Ltd

Pensions Trust
HSF Health Plan

Scottish Widows

Phoenix Software

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