Introduction
A process guide to be used in training workshops and planning sessions to develop campaign strategy.
Tactical Timeline Guide
Objective
- To support the development of a strategy designed to win over third-party support
Time needed
- 60-90 minutes
Resources needed
- Newsprint and pens, post-it notes or small cards (that can be moved around the paper)
How it’s done
This exercise needs to be used after the spectrum of allies exercise. It can also be used to enrich a critical path.
1. Select two or three target groups
- Choose a couple of target groups from your Spectrum of Allies.
- Indicate with an arrow where you want to move each target group on the spectrum. For example: move selected journalists from “neutral” to “passive allies”. This is now your objective. SMARTen it.
2. Brainstorm potential tactics
- Put each objective on a separate flip chart
- Remember: a formal brainstorm is about creativity. It is a process to generate the widest and wildest possible range of ideas. Let the craziest ideas flow. Do not let the critical mind interfere. The focus is on creating new ideas. Do not react to, or criticize, anyone’s ideas at this point.
3. Choose the most promising tactics for reaching your objectives
- Review the list generated by the brainstorm. It is now time to let the critical mind look at the list, and weed out the results.
- Choose the best tactics and most doable, to reach your objective.
- Identify at least one tactic you have learnt about in this workshop, and transfer/adapt it to your new context.
- For inspiration you can use Gene Sharp’s “198 Methods of Nonviolent Action”.
4. Build a minimum one year timeline
- Draw a line with at least 12 months on your flip chart
- Write the selected tactics on post-it notes
5. Put tactics in chronological order on the timeline
6. Prepare your presentation of the tactical portfolio to the whole group
- Make sure everyone has a role in the report back
- Make the report back creative in some way