Lobbying and Advocacy: Start Here

Introduction

Welcome to the Lobbying & Advocacy topic in the Commons Social Change Library. We have gathered a wide range of materials to inform the public in relation to lobbying, advocacy and policy-making. 

Here are some suggested links. You can also narrow down the results in the Lobbying & Advocacy Topic according to your interests by using the ‘Refine by Format’; ‘Refine by Topic’ (for cross overs with other topics eg Organising); ‘Refine by Author’; and ‘Refine by Collection’ functions.

Lobbying and Advocacy Resources

Lobbying as a campaign tactic

Understand what role lobbying and advocacy plays within broader campaign strategies and social movements, and what skills and knowledge are required to lobby effectively.

Explore the Campaign Strategy and Theories of Change topics in the Library to work out where lobbying and advocacy fits in your campaign strategy

• Lobbying: a tactic for social change, The Change Agency
• Lobbying Workshop Guide, The Change Agency

Engaging and influencing MPs

Understand how to effectively engage with and influence MPs as a lobbyist.

• 10 things to know about how to influence policy with research, Overseas Development Institute
• Working with your elected representatives, Friends of the Earth UK
• How to get your local MP to listen to your community, Australian Conservation Foundation
• How to contact Australian Members of Parliament
• Tips for meeting MPs (or asking your members to)
• The Lobbying Playbook, Citizens Climate Lobby grassroots lobbying approach
• The Unicorn Activity, Australian Progress
• Politics 101, Organising in a Pandemic, ChangeMakers Organising School Season 1 – Scroll down to Session 9
• Inside Politics, ChangeMaker Chat with John Robertson, Changemaker Podcast
• Rights for Mums – MP engagement campaign case study, Leading Change Network
• 2022 Post Federal Election Australian Progress Webinars – Government Relations and Winning Reform, Australian Progress

Parliamentary processes

Understand how parliament operates, what the opportunities are for lobbyists to engage, and the legislative environment that informs lobbying and advocacy activity.

• 11 websites about the Australian federal government and MPs – includes tracking what representatives say and support, electoral insights, political donations and more
• A Stakeholder’s guide to the Australian Senate
• Understanding Parliamentary Committees, For Purpose
• Defending Democracy: Safeguarding independent community voices, Human Rights Law Centre

Policy development processes

Understand how governmental policy is formulated and how lobbyists and advocates can influence the policy development process.

• Cycles and windows: How policy gets made, Emily De Rango
• Problem diagram, Mobilisation Lab
• Participatory policy making, CIVICUS
• Workshop Assessing and opening policy windows, The Change Agency
• 3 resources to assess and open policy windows, The Change Agency

Writing lobbying material

Understand how to write effective and influential lobbying and advocacy materials and how to deliver them to decision-makers.

• Tips for Policy Writing, For Purpose
• How to Write a Powerful Submission to Government, Robyn Gulliver
• Writing to your MP, Oxfam Australia

Petitions:

• How to present a petition to parliament, ActionStation
• How to get more petition signatures, ActionStation

Guides to effective messaging and framing:

• How to Frame Issues for Social Change Impact
• From GDP to Wellbeing, Australian National Development Index
• How to Talk About Human Rights, ASO Communications
• Progressive Framing of the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Principles for a policy response to COVID-19, Sydney Policy Lab

Case studies on positioning affected individuals/communities as experts:

• Changemaker Chat with Fiona Lee, Changemaker Podcast
• TED Talk: Our fight for disability rights – and we’re not done yet, Judith Heumann

Doing research to inform lobbying and advocacy

Understand how to access and use existing data and undertake primary research to inform lobbying and advocacy work.

• Guide to publicly available data sources 
• Campaign Research 101, Jessica Kendall
• Citizen generated data: toolkits and guides, CIVICUS
• How to do Research, Skills You Need website
• Research methodologies comparison sheet, Data Center
• Starting your research project worksheet, Data Center
• Data security protocols, Data Center
• Forming survey questions, Data Center
• The SAGE Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods 

Evaluating lobbying and advocacy

Understand how to evaluate the outcomes of lobbying and advocacy activities.

• Campaign Monitoring and Evaluation, Community Organising Fellowship
• 3 tools for advocacy evaluation, The Change Agency
• 3 templates for campaign evaluation, Australian Progress

Browse the Lobbying & Advocacy topic in the Commons Social Change Library.

Thanks to Emily De Rango who undertook the review and update of the Lobbying & Advocacy topic as a volunteer project. If you have additions or suggestions for this topic contact the Commons Librarians.