Advocacy Resources

Freshwater Action Network has put together a resource to inform members about the Right to Water, the Commission on Sustainable Development and the Millennium Development Goals.

The three chapters are compiled from pre existing advocacy resources, final texts and from international meetings and web resources on water and sanitation.

If you have any questions about the origin of the material please contact us.

Download here or contact fan@freshwateraction.net to receive a copy by post

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Online Campaigning Toolkit for Civil Society

Released by CIVICUS, the toolkit provides basic information on the MDGs, advice on how to plan a campaign, a range of essential campaigning tools and case studies on existing MDG campaigns.

Read more   

Guide to Civil Society Engagement in PRSP, Trocaire (2004)

This guide aims to help civil society organisations build their capacity to engage with the PRSP process. Organised into four sections, the guide opens with an overview of PRSPs and the opportunities they provide for participation, followed by a section on participation in poverty diagnostics and a section on Participatory Public Expenditure Management (PPEM). Finally, there is also a section on participatory monitoring and evaluation. The guide contains links to further reading for all sections and looks set to be a useful resource for civil society organizations wanting to engage in the PRSP process

Download here

NEWAH's Gender and Poverty Approach in Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education Projects in Nepal

This research recognizes that better off and poor women and men have different roles, interests and needs in the rural drinking water and sanitation sector, facilitating their participation in the decision making processes can increase project efficiency and sustainability.

This research is a good example of an NGO case study which draws conclusions from field work into an accessible & useful document for lobbying.

Download here

Advocacy Guide to Private Sector Involvement in water services, TearFund and WaterAid (2003)

This guide has been written with Southern community and civil society organizations in mind and builds on the results of a two year research project undertaken by Tearfund and WaterAid - "Does PSP benefit the poor?"

One of the main findings that emerged from the research was the pivotal role that civil society organizations can play in making water utility reform processes more poverty focused. There is an enormous need for capacity building to encourage effective engagement with these processes.

This guide is aimed at contributing to that capacity building.

Download here

Advocacy Sourcebook: a guide to advocacy for the WASH campaign, WSSCC and WaterAid (2003) 

The sourcebook is for co-ordinators working on the WASH campaign, but it offers practical guidance to anyone involved in advocacy work in water and sanitation. It explains the different advocacy tools, provides practical examples of advocacy work and includes information on key policy actors and processes including how to influence them at local, national and international levels.

Download here

Advocacy Manual for Gender and Water Ambassadors, Gender and Water Alliance (2002)

The the Manual provides useful information and guidance for staff from any government, civil society organisation or private sector organisation striving to recognise and address gender issues in their work and that of other organisations. The Manual aims to:

• Provide concise information on various aspects of water management from a gender perspective
• Develop understanding of the key processes involved in mainstreaming gender in the water sector
• Provide practical information on advocacy, including the skills and techniques used in lobbying, preparing and presenting speeches, and promoting attention to gender issues at conferences or similar forums
• Provide examples of training exercises which can be used to develop and practice advocacy-related skills
• Provide case study examples of the practical benefits of mainstreaming gender in community level water initiatives, which can be used for advocacy and training purposes

Download here

Advocacy Sourcebook - A Guide to Advocacy in the Water and Sanitation Sector, WaterAid (2001)

The objectives of the Sourcebook are:

• To explain the reasons for, the various approaches to, and the different tools for planning and undertaking advocacy work
• To provide practical examples of advocacy work
• To provide information on key water policy actors and policy processes and how to influence them at international and local levels
• To provide information on agencies, networks, and institutions engaged in advocacy work in the freshwater sector

Download here

Advocacy Tools and Guidelines: Promoting Policy Change, Care International (2001)

A resource manual for CARE programme managers and others interested in advocacy strategies. This manual provides a step-by-step guide for planning advocacy initiatives, as well as advice for successful implementation.

The manual is divided into chapter ranges:

Introduction (431KB)
Chapters 1-4 (660KB)
Chapters 5-7 (620KB)
Chapters 8-10 (706KB)
Final pages (409KB)

Online WSSD library 

IIED has developed an online library of civil society documents produced for the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development. There are approximately 700 MB of documents available to download.  Each document is linked to the organisation that produced it, which can be contacted for further information.   

Access the database