The Change Agency is an independent social movement education initiative. They work with community organisers and activists in the Australia Pacific region to help people win social and environmental change. Major projects include the Campaigners Toolkit, the Community Organising Fellowship and the People Power Manual.
For many years tCA has developed, collected and shared an amazing array of tools to help activists and community organisers define and achieve their goals. A selection of these resources, many of which equip social movement trainers, are included on the Commons.
A process guide to be used in training workshops and planning sessions about theories of change. This session facilitates political analysis, reflection and dialogue. Why start with a theory of change? This isn’t asking people to be academics, it’s just about being clear about our own and each other’s assumptions.
A process guide to be used in training workshops and planning sessions to identify the political assumptions that shape our opinions and analysis. Analysis and planning is improved by being aware of the lens through which we see the world. Our lens is influenced by our assumptions and values.
A process guide to be used in training workshops and planning sessions to introduce participants to lobbying in an experiential way; identify lobbying as just one tool in a community organiser’s toolkit of skills and techniques for change; provide resources and information for future reference.
Lobbying is one method of raising public awareness of an issue and enlists support for a particular cause. The objective of lobbying is to persuade decision makers to take or not to take particular actions. This handout covers the skills, knowledge and qualities of effective lobbyists, as well as the essential steps to preparing for lobbying.
A process guide to be used in training workshops and planning sessions to develop campaign strategy. A tactical timeline can support the development of a strategy designed to win over third-party support. This exercise needs to be used after the spectrum of allies exercise.
A process guide to be used in training workshops and planning sessions to help campaigners consider the social and political context within which they are developing strategy and creatively consider allies, opponents, targets and constituents prior to embarking on a campaign.
A process guide to be used in training workshops and planning sessions to develop campaign strategy. This process will help reduce the scope of campaigns in order to focus efforts on where change can really be achieved, and consider the possible consequences of working on one part of a problem rather than others.
The Community Organising Guide is 296 pages of training resources to deepen our understanding of core organising skills: relational meetings and self-interest, the power of story in organising, building alliances, coalitions and networks, holding decision-makers accountable, leadership development, recruitment, doorknocking and phonebanking.
The Campaign Strategy Guide is part of the People Power Manual, a resource created for organisers, activist educators and facilitators.
This article outlines a model for thinking about the different levels of engagement of people involved in a campaign; what kinds of things people at each level can do, and what support they need to do those things; and how people can move from one level to another, aka a ‘ladder of engagement’.