Advocacy Navigator Pilot Program
Advocacy Planning Narrative Worksheet 2021
MENTEE: Goabaone__________
MENTOR: Angelo___________
Date: 07/01/2021________
What is the “Advocacy Planning Narrative Worksheet” tool all about?
This worksheet is designed to guide work planning for strategic action. You will work with your mentor to use this tool to help you focus on the “why”, “what”, “how”, and “who” of your advocacy project and goals. Participants may use this exercise to develop an action plan for their current work/organization and/or to submit a formal proposal to a funding agency following their participation in the Advocacy Navigator Program.
Note: Please note that before you begin this worksheet, you and your mentor should have reviewed the Advocacy Navigator course materials and discussed your overarching goals and interest in the field of HIV prevention advocacy.
Instructions:
The questions below are structured to help you define your advocacy goals, develop objectives and solidify strategic actions you propose undertaking. This tool is meant to be a working document shared back and forth with your mentor. Please work with your mentor to adjust this document as you see fit so that it works for you and your specific interest and needs. Feel free to think big, bold and out-of-the-box!
Section A: Becoming a more powerful advocate:
We recognize that you bring in many strengths from your experience in advocacy. In the following two prompts, please share with us more about your skill set and areas you would like to improve.
- What are your current strengths in advocacy-related activities? These may include: engaging and influencing policy makers, media, researchers, civil society and donors; developing action plans and strategy; building coalitions, organizing and facilitating meetings; writing publications; conducting trainings, and developing IEC materials, among other skills. Please provide examples.
My current strengths in advocacy-related activities includes;
- Organizing and facilitating meetings: for instance in my current work I do facilitation for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) on issues surrounding HIV prevention. I do organize out-door activities where they interact with one another as young girls. I have also organized camps for this age group where I was able to facilitate sessions like: WHO AM I, WHY IS PREVENT HIV IS IMPORTANT
- Capacity Building: An effective capacity building process must encourage participation by all those involved, it can be by stakeholders or colleagues. I did this by involving a capacity development response with my colleagues to instill a sense of responsibility amongst us. I did this because I had realized that the project is lagging and it was a concern to the department
- Stakeholder collaboration: I set around tables with different allies in discussing patients health and rights
- What advocacy-related or other skills would you like to gain and/or strengthen?
- Social media skills: Part of a successful campaign strategy relies on communication. Outreach is for sure a tactic to develop and effective campaign strategy, for both long and short term
- Interview skills: When working on a campaign, identifying the right target audience for my entire network of stakeholders and advocates it is very vital step to getting a higher engagement. Dividing and knowing my target audience also will help to craft a message with the right tone that is apprised of any geographical or cultural sensitivities, direct, and specific so it resonates with them and increases the likelihood of taking part
- Writing skills: e.g. policy brief development, writing for media, blog writing, developing action plans and strategies, etc
- Engaging and influencing decision-makers e.g. media, researchers, civil society, and donors
- Building coalitions
- Public speaking skills
Section B: Project Narrative – Questions to guide your project development
- Please provide a TITLE and a 100-word SUMMARY of your project (To be completed only after answering all questions below)
TITLE: Influence equitable investments in HIV/SRH programming for adolescent boys and young men in Botswana by 2023
SUMMARY
This title was motivated through an intense search on a boy child and services that are available for them. Although the brunt of new HIV infections in Botswana is among adolescent girls and young women (out of every four new HIV infections, 3 are among AGYW), it is important that programming doesn’t leave adolescent boys and young men behind. Most of the funding is directed to Adolescent Girls and Young Women or for both, and limited funding for programming for adolescent boys and young men. Specifically, I have realized that empowerment in all its forms is mostly directed to AGYW. But if we can look at problems and cases reported on a daily basis mostly involve men and boys yet they have been sidelined to receive empowerment programs. We can’t address the entire problem by addressing one side of it. ‘It is cheaper to prevent than to cure’.
To address the challenges experienced by adolescent boys and young men, I have decided to use a model called The Ecological Model which provides a conceptual framework for a clear approach to working with men. It emphasizes that to change one’s behavior, programs need to not only work with individuals, but also address the systems and groups such as; peers, families, communities, media, policies that have a part to influence individuals. This Model underlines the different levels of action that are required to make changes in sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, and violence.
- WHY this project? What is your problem statement or the gap you have identified that provides the rationale for your proposed project?
Note: Include information about why this problem or barrier is significant to the HIV response in your country. It should be specific and focused. For example, the statement “AGYW are at high risk of HIV” is not sufficiently focused to support strategic planning. Instead, a more specific articulation might read: “AGYW are at high risk of HIV. However, age of consent laws and lack of PrEP programs for AGYW hinder access to testing and prevention.”
Problem Statement: There is limited investment in HIV/SRH for adolescent boys and young men in Botswana which has led them to lag behind in accessing HIV prevention and SRH services.
In 2020 for example, the Government of Botswana, PEPFAR, Global fund have invested $964million on HIV/AIDS prevention, and DREAMS Botswana COP19 through to COP20 have spent $400,000 with an increase to $4.2million in HIV programming for AGYW compared to TK for ABYM. The government of Botswana has been spending a lot of money on the prevention, treatment, care, and support for HIV/AIDS patients for decades. Adolescent boys and young men are at high risk of contracting HIV because most services are targeted at AGYW. As such, adolescent boys and young men are ignorant or lack interest in receiving services that are already available. Also, when we take behavioral issues, men justify having more multiple partners than women by saying that it shows that they are manly enough when they have more women as compared to one.
In addition to this, most men are reluctant to test for HIV and/or seek health services, with many opting to know their HIV status through their partners’ results. The misconceptions and discrimination surrounding HIV have fueled the reluctance.
- WHAT do you want to change, win and influence as an advocate- in relation to your above-stated problem or barrier?
Note: The proposed ‘win’ (or expected outcome) needs to tie directly to the issue or problem statement you identified in question two. This win may be a change in policy, programming, budgeting, or service delivery. Please note that “raising awareness” and “building capacity” is not wins in this context. They are a means to an end: activities that you may undertake to help get what you want and do not encompass the overall goal of the project.
I would like to a doubling of the investment in HIV programming for ABYW by PEPFAR from the $4.2 million invested in COP20 to in each of the subsequent years.
Take inventory of any specific processes (e.g., budgeting periods, MOH strategic planning, specific events/meetings, etc.) that you might want to engage with during your advocacy campaign. You can use this information to coordinate the timing of your activities to feed into and influence these processes. Input this information into the chart below.
| Process | Date |
| The national budget development process | 1st April 2021 to 31 March 2022 |
| PEPFAR Country Operation Process | September 2021 to May 2022 |
| Global Fund process | April 2021 to September 2021 |
- WHICH people or entities have the power to make the change you want to see? These are decision-makers to whom your advocacy will be directed. You can use the form below to help organize key information about these decision-makers/entities.
| Decision-maker (Title/person type/process) | Role |
| Dr. Edwin Dikoloti |
|
| What is this decision-maker’s current level of knowledge about your advocacy goals? | |
| He does not have any information about my advocacy goals but I believe he needs to know about the engagement of men and boys in HIV prevention because he will help in influencing polies surrounding issues of HIV and men. | |
| What is (are) the key interest(s) of this decision-maker? | |
| His key interest is to offer a people-centered health system where the community can participate, mobilize, lead and come up with strategies, solutions, and innovations on issues relating to health. | |
| How do your advocacy goals align with or respond to this decision-maker’s key interests? | |
| He is the Minister of Health, I believe people’s health is his priority. | |
| What specific action do we want this decision-maker to take? | |
| Is it a service delivery issue | |
| Decision-maker (Title/person type/process) | Role |
| PEPFAR Botswana Coordinator Lindsay Little |
|
| What is this decision-maker’s current level of knowledge about your advocacy goals? | |
| The decision-marker has no knowledge about my advocacy goals | |
| What is (are) the key interest(s) of this decision-maker? | |
| To reduce the number of HIV among AGYW as per the planning of PEPFAR | |
| How do your advocacy goals align with or respond to this decision-maker’s key interests? | |
| Since I do not know about the decision maker’s interests I can not attest that my goals will align with hers | |
| What specific action do we want this decision-maker to take? | |
| To review equitable funding towards adolescent boys and young men | |
- WHO are your allies? Which other organizations or networks, if any, do you plan to work with in the course of your project – and why?
Allies to engage
| Allies (other advocates, coalitions and advocacy groups) | Focus of their work | Why would they be interested in supporting/participating in your advocacy activities |
| Men and Boys for Gender Equality | It engages men and boys to reduce gender inequalities, GBV, prevent HIV and promote the health & wellbeing of Women, Men, and Children. | Since they engage men and boys to reduce gender inequalities, GBV, prevent HIV and promote the health & wellbeing of Women, Men, and Children I believe it will be ideal to work with them since they work with group of interests. They have a department that deals with men issues and their mission is to engage men and boys in reducing gender inequalities, preventing HIV, ending gender-based violence, and promoting the health and wellbeing of women, men, and children |
| Stepping Stones International | It focuses exclusively on adolescent and youth development. SSI uses a holistic, human-centered design approach to implementation, as well as data-driven programs to reach vulnerable girls, boys, and families. | Since SSI helps in the holistic approach of HIV for changed behavior to reduce HIV transmission. They run a campaign called KoStrateng- Streetwise is a radio campaign where they go into the streets recording issues that youths are facing in their daily lives regarding HIV. The aim is to reduce HIV transmission, reduce gender-based violence. It will also target young boys because in this way it will help as there are ‘’boys chats’’ on HIV issues. This will help me to also take part in the activity to also raise awareness about HIV prevention.
|
| Bana Ba Kasi Youth Club | It was formed to improve the livelihood of youths. It focuses on a holistic approach of serving young people by educating, raising awareness on issues on concern in the community such as; HIV prevention, Gender-based violence, Crime in all its forms, adolescent mothers and fathers, | |
- You now have the WHY, WHAT, HOW, WHO. In the table below, please use these elements to develop a maximum of THREE objectives or key advocacy goals and relevant tactics and activities you will undertake to achieve these goals.
Note: There are three stages (beginning, middle, and end) of a project. Please indicate (based on the proposed duration of your project) how long you estimate each of these stages will be.
Timeline for your project: (could be a year or a few months):
| Objectives | Activities or tactics | Who has the power to influence? | Expected outcome | Project stage (mark with x) | ||
| Beginning | Middle | Conclusion | ||||
| Objective 1: |
|
|||||
| To build a coalition/movement focusing on SRHR/HIV issues for ABYM.
|
|
Allies | A vibrant active coalition/movement focusing on SRHR issues for ABYM | X | ||
| Objective 2: | ||||||
| Sensitization and awareness-raising about HIV/SRH investment inequality to bridge the gap in investment |
|
|
A well informed and engaged community ready to engage on issues of SHRH/HIV for ABYM | X | ||
| To influence MoH on SRHR/HIV to ensure equitable investments for both ABYM and AGYW |
|
Ministry of Health | More/Equitable funding committed towards SRHR/HIV services for both AGYW and ABYM. | X | ||
- If you are planning meetings or workshops as part of your advocacy, how are these meetings going to contribute towards your stated goal? Who are the key participants who need to be there and what are the outcomes? What materials, key speakers, additional resources or plans beyond the meeting itself will you need to ensure the meeting is not a “stand-alone” event?
Stakeholder meetings that include projects allies and community partner organizations
-IEC material about the project
The meeting will discuss the equity challenge on ensuring an equitable investment of resources for ABYM
The participants of the advocacy workshop will be engaged in project evaluation
- What challenges do you think you might possibly encounter in the life of this project?
Poor or Low participants and buy-in from target project beneficiaries who are ABYM
- What are you building into your project to make it sustainable so that others can build on it and maintain your accomplishments once your project concludes? For so many years, assumptions have been made about men and boys in regards to their health that they are doing well and have fewer needs as compared to their counterparts (women and girls). In addition, assumptions have been made that they are difficult to work with, are aggressive, and are unconcerned with their health. Often seen as perpetrators of violence, violence against women, against other men, and against themselves. We have not pondered on understanding how our socialization of boys and men encourages this violence. Over the years, many initiatives have been done to empower women leaving men behind. So, many women’s rights advocates have learned that improving the health and well-being of adult and young women also requires engaging men and boys. Therefore, I have found the need to start a project that solely addresses the needs of men and boys in SRHR. The project will advocate Influence equitable investments in HIV/SRHR programming for adolescent boys and young men. Globally, the behavior of many adult men and adolescent men puts them and their partners at risk for HIV. Men have more sexual partners than women. HIV is more easily transmitted sexually from man to woman than from woman to man. An HIV-infected man is likely to infect more persons than an HIV-infected woman. Engaging men more extensively in HIV prevention has a tremendous potential to reduce women’s risk for HIV, Hence why, I have decided to engage them in the fight against HIV. I will also work on building allies and other coalitions to work with on the project.
- What is your plan for implementing this proposed project? Will this be a proposal you make to your current organization or coalition to implement? Is this something you plan to develop a proposal around and seek funding? Or do you have other ideas for this?
The plan for the proposed project is a great one because I am planning on applying for funding to assist adolescent boys and young men out there in my community. There are several organizations that I have been working with and they have shown interest in the implementation of the project. But my aim is to start a movement that is stand-alone to assisting adolescent boys and young men in addressing their needs and issues of HIV and SRHR.
- What other information do you want your mentor to know and/or specific questions you would like help with?
NB: It is also important to address men’s use of violence and coercion in sexual relationships and its association with gender norms and risk behaviors
Why is it so difficult for men to share their concerns?
What can be done to assist men to be able to open up and be assisted on their daily concerns?
Is PrEP available for men and boys?