What is the right way to come up with a campaign strategy?: Difference between revisions
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<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "times new roman", times;" >A '''''theory of change'''''''' '''is "a strategic process by which we identify a winning approach to achieving positive change, and the specific milestones and tactics that are required to effect that change." - </span>[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YIBlngntMqeQAbRHJC8SuVbwFGBmTQKh Ella Baker School of Organizing]</p> | <p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "times new roman", times;" >A '''''theory of change'''''''' '''is "a strategic process by which we identify a winning approach to achieving positive change, and the specific milestones and tactics that are required to effect that change." - </span>[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YIBlngntMqeQAbRHJC8SuVbwFGBmTQKh Ella Baker School of Organizing]</p> |
Revision as of 20:45, 9 June 2022
To decide on a strategy as a group, the first step is to agree to a strategic process. This requires determining the steps you will need to complete to come to an effective strategy. The hub recommends the following steps be included in a strategic process: 1. Get your group to agree on the strategy process 2. Agree on a theory of change 3. Make an asset map 4. Make a power map 5. Decide on a timeframe and goal 6. Evaluate your strategy by comparing with other case studies 7. Set moments and milestones
A theory of change''' is "a strategic process by which we identify a winning approach to achieving positive change, and the specific milestones and tactics that are required to effect that change." - Ella Baker School of Organizing
If we put public pressure on the banks
then they will be forced to divest from fossil fuels
because they care what customers, especially young ones, think and their reputation will be threatened.
Asset mapping is "the general process of identifying and providing information about a community [or group's] assets, or the status, condition, behavior, knowledge, or skills that a person, group, or entity possesses, which serves as a support, resource, or source of strength to one’s self and others in the community [or group]." - Healthy City
Examples of questions that could be asked when developing an asset map are:
- How much time do we have?
- How many people are ready to move with us?
- How much money or other resources do we have?
- Relationships to leverage to get to influencers-decision makers? (journalists, politicians, community leaders etc.)
So which should come first?
If you're just starting off as a new group, or are starting from scratch in your strategic direction, we recommend starting with your theory of change first. This will ensure you know what you want to achieve before you dig into what you'll need and what's available to achieve it. Of course, you can always go back and revisit your theory of change if it's unrealistic based on your asset map. Typically, a theory of change should serve as a vision for your goals, where an asset map helps to build the objectives which describe how exactly change can be achieved.
After agreeing on a strategic process the following steps are involved in strategizing: 1. Theory of change, 2. Asset mapping, 3. Power and systems mapping, 4. Moments and milestones and 5. Comparable cases.
If we want to work backwards, beginning with comparable case studies of campaigns working towards similar goals can act as a starting point for strategies your team hasn't yet considered or tried. Continuing with the idea of working backwards, setting 'moments and milestones' (shorter timelines for what you want to achieve) based on a comparable strategy your group agreed with might help your team plan based on where your capacities are at. Revisiting a power and systems map next could support describing who your targets could be and what leverage points are available. From here, you can take your comparable strategy, milestones and power considerations into an asset map which would define what you have available to make the final step, your theory of change, happen. This final step should come quite easily if you've described the targets and resources involved in your strategy.Hub Community Responses
Emily Thiessen (Climate Justice Victoria and Our Time Vancouver)
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"When we did [our strategy process], we ended up just skipping Theory of Change entirely because we had to cut something (and it was fine) but if we did do it the plan was to set goals for the year first and then come up with a theory of change *for* each goal. I've found before that things get mushy and vague when we've *started* with Theory of Change. We did: 1. agree on the process 2. asset mapping 3. power mapping 4. campaign goals 5. timeline."' |
Caitlin Chan (Climate Justice Montreal)
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"The general strategy for Theory of Change first is that filtering out is easier than adding in after. Perhaps, depending on the group situation, maybe starting in a specific root (goal) and sprouting out makes more sense." |