Key questions for campaign planning

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These planning questions capture the areas that you need to be thinking about when you are putting your work plan together. There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers.

1. How do I know if I have picked the right campaign issue?

• Is it winnable?
• Is it (politically or publicly) popular?
• What’s happening in the external environment? Is now a good time for this campaign?
• Is it more widely relevant?
• Are there others who already support or oppose this campaigning?
• Is it an issue you have sufficient knowledge or experience of?
• Do you have the resources, time, staff, money etc. to carry out this particular campaign?

Example campaign

Shelter’s Million Children campaign focused on a number of issues relating to poor housing. Its decision to focus the campaign on the plight of children in poor housing was in many ways an inspired choice. It skillfully tied the campaign to government priorities (around the reduction of child poverty, for example) and at the same time provided a message that could be easily and effectively communicated to both political and public audiences.

The campaign helped to persuade the government to commit to building three million more homes by 2020, including a substantial increase in social rented homes. It has also contributed to moving the debate about social housing up the political agenda, building consensus around the need for increases in the numbers of affordable houses being built, for example. The campaign attracted widespread support and has been instrumental in enhancing Shelter’s capacity to speak with a consistent voice.

Example taken from Tips on good practice in campaigning (NCVO)

2. What will change look like after the campaign?

• How will we know when we have ‘won’?
• What are the differences this campaign will make?
• What are the key steps (milestones) to achieving impact?

Example campaign

Oxfam’s Cut the Cost campaign called on GlaxoSmithKline to develop a cost-reduction strategy (for essential drugs used by poor communities) and to provide annual reporting on the implementation of the strategy.

Depending on the target and the viability of self-monitoring, it can sometimes be more appropriate to include within the text of any proposed policy change an agreement to allow independent monitoring.

Companies who joined the Ethical Trade Initiative, for example, commit to openness to independent verification visits.
Example taken from  Is your campaign making a difference? (NCVO)

3. Who are the key players in the campaign?

Influence mapping (Overseas Development Institute) is the process of identifying the individuals and groups with the power to effect key decisions.

• Who will make the change, that is, who needs to be influenced? For example: politicians, civil servants, sections of the public, private companies, the media.
• Is your campaign about changing behaviour or attitudes (like the Time to Change campaign to end mental health discrimination) rather than changing law or policy? How does this impact your approach?
• Who opposes the change? Is it more useful to ignore them or actively oppose them or try to persuade them?
• Who might support what you are doing and therefore needs to be convinced and/or enabled to support you?
• How can you influence the positions of these ‘key players’ to  best benefit your campaign (that is, encourage supporters to actively support, prevent opponents from actively opposing your work)?

Example campaign

When the Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) planned its campaign for sanctions against South Africa in the 1980s it would have probably identified the following forces that were resistant to their campaign:

• the UK government was strongly opposed to sanctions,
• some companies were still investing in South Africa, such as Barclays.

AAM decided that in order to change the stance of ministers they need to influence public opinion. On corporate investment in South Africa, AAM decided to organise a consumer boycott of companies like Barclays in order to encourage them to disinvest.
Example taken from Quick Guide to Campaigning (Sheila McKechnie Foundation).

4. How will people respond to my campaign?

• Have you appealed to your target’s interests/needs?
• What will they get from it, if you win?
• What will they lose, if you do not win?
• Is there pressure coming other sources that can compliment your campaign?
• For media campaigns, what is ‘the story’ - why would an editor think it was worth printing?
• For public campaigns, how can we get people's interest?

Example campaign

One reason cited for the success of the international campaign to ban landmines was that those who were campaigning against landmines took the argument away from the technical experts. They did this by describing landmines as a humanitarian, not a military issue. By keeping the focus of the debate on the practical consequences of human suffering and away from arguments relating to the theory of warfare and deterrence (the preferred realm of government experts), campaigners pushed the issue higher up the political agenda.

Example taken from Tips on good practice in campaigning (NCVO).

5. What resources in terms of people, time and money do I need for the campaign?

• What resources do you have available?
• Have you fully costed how much your planned activities will take?
• Who will take responsibility for undertaking each task? 
• Who has overall responsibility for the campaign?
• Have you put aside time and money for evaluating your campaign?

Useful links

• TheyWorkForYou: find your local MP
• WhoRunsLondon? : understand decision making in London

Have your say

Can you answer these questions on your own or do you work with a campaigning team?