Workshop on
Organizational Review for
the Farmers’ Organizations
of Bangladesh
Organized By: COAST Trust
9-10 March, 2014
AHM Bazlur Rahman- S21BR
Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for
Radio & Communication
[email protected]
The definition of lobby
To try to influence public officials for or against
a specific cause. Lobbying is a form of public
policy advocacy and educating government.
It is communicating with legislators and the executive
branch to encourage them to take action on specific
legislation.
A systematic informal effort to influence decision
makers
Lobbying is a part of the democratic process.
Key words of Lobbying
 To convince
 To persuade
 Talk to persons
 Sit and talk
 To make someone do something
 Take a problem to a decision maker
 Make a change
 Talk and meet with person to make him understand
something.
Principles of Effective Lobbying
Overall principles:
Be accurate : (and don’t lie). If you get a question
you can’t answer, say so.
Be brief
: For a written communication, try to
keep it to a page or less (unless it’s
an expose or well researched position
paper).
Be clear
: Have a specific goal.
Know your opposition: Know the main arguments
for and against a position or a piece of legislation.
Show them how they win: WIN WIN, WIN LOSS
See it their way
: Reference
Follow up
: Send a thank you. Make a
phone call. Recognize and
appreciate any effort made
Common Approaches to Lobbying
 personal visit
 informal meeting
 Exposure
 strategic alliances
 report from specialist
 media
 letters
 petition
 hired lobbyist
 contact with a political party
 demonstrations
Characteristics of a lobbyist
 Communicative
 Social
 Knows about decision
making processes
 Knows elementary facts
 Analytical
 Networker
 Open minded
 Empathetic, knows what moves other people
 Patient
Actor driven decisions
Target: influential groups, persons which
can be located
Political parties
Members of parliament
Members of government
Civil servants
Local politicians
Local leaders
Reality check!
5 knows to get to YES
Know what you want to achieve (SMART
objective)
Know who are the effective decision-makers
Know who are other influential stakeholders
Know what it will take to get the change you
want, and what needs to be in place
Know how to draw on the full range of tactics
carefully matched to specific targets, timing,
resources, delivered in most influential way