Orientation on Advocacy for Policy Process to Champions of Dhading and Makwanpur
Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group that aims to influence decisions within political, economical, and social institutions. Advocacy is a process of supporting and enabling people to express their views and concerns, access information and services, defend and promote their rights and responsibilities and explore their choice and option. Advocacy includes activities and publications to influence public policy, laws and budgets by using facts, their relationships, the media, and messaging to educate government officials and the public. Advocacy is exciting work and is also important because of its ability to draw attention to issues from grassroots to national level.
Advocacy is very important in the present context of Nepal. Today’s highly politicized atmosphere. In democratic society advocacy is incredibly important for various reasons. The following are;
- Improving public services (COVID related)
- Holding elected personnel/officials to greater accountability
- To mobilize communities for a cause
- To give a voice to those who cannot protect themselves
Considering the present context of lockdown DEC-Nepal team has discussed and consulted with Champions for further support in the working communities and municipalities to influence roles on local level planning process and prompt services and facilities by local government to advocate issues and challenges.
Objective of the orientation:
- Deepening advocacy issues and process from local to national
- Common understanding on local issues that raised
- Experience sharing and learning each other intra and enter working districts (Makwanpur and Dhading)
- Enlightening emerging advocacy issues
The orientation on advocacy for policy process with Champions was conducted on 1 June 2021 by DEC – Nepal under CSMAP Project at the chairmanship of Shikha Shrestha (Chair, DEC-Nepal) in presence of 30 participants. Speaking in the event, Bhola Bhattarai (Policy Advisor, FHI 360) presented about policy process to the champions present. He highlighted on the key features of advocacy model such as evidence based advocacy, and policy research for providing policy recommendations. He stressed that policy process is a continuous process hence CSOs should be deliberatively engaged and reflect themselves on regular basis and have to hold optimistic and patience because the transformation process may take a longer period of time depending on the issues we are advocating for and our strategic plan. To add, Shikha Shrestha (Chairperson, DEC-Nepal) stressed that along with optimism, increased solidarity of CSOs to avoid challenges of shrinking space of CSOs is necessary. CSOs need to partner with different agencies for effective media, budget and legislative advocacy along with following evidence based and policy research process, she added. The Champions also pointed out about more efforts is required in the areas of person with disability (PWD) to make the government more accountable towards PWD. Ramila Sapkota (Chair, NFN Makwanpur) also pointed out that CSOs should refrain from political ideologies and be neutral to be aware of roles of different agencies and institutions in mobilization of local resources to advocate for issues in solidarity. In the concluding remarks, Chair of DEC-Nepal also stressed that it is equally important for CSOs to improve their internal good governance for effective advocacy.