Forming alliances and coalitions with other groups can bolster and strengthen your campaigns in a number of ways. Find out why joint working is useful, and just as importantly, how to make joint working a positive and productive experience for all involved. You can find out more about joint working for advocacy in our free Strategic Advocacy Course here: http://worldanimal.net/our-programs/strategic-advocacy-course-new/about

1. Networking & Alliances
Module 4

2. Working together with others
can:
Combine strengths and
resources
Empower those participating
Build the capacity and
reputation of those involved
Strengthen an advocacy
campaign

3. Principles of Partnership
Advocacy
Integration – mainstream in your organization’s work
Joint planning – with your own steering group too
Play to your strengths – know and use skills/resources
Focus on capacity building – and continuous
improvement
Share visibility

4. Models of Joint Working
Networks:
Primarily for information sharing
Alliances:
Longer-term strategic partnerships
Coalitions:
Usually formed for a single issue or campaign
Federations:
Ongoing collaboration in a union or
association

5. Advantages &
Disadvantages
• There are many
advantages and
disadvantages in advocacy
collaboration
• Thought and analysis can
help to understand these
• In particular, think carefully
about your choice of
partners!
Careful planning can lessen risks and
surprises…

6. Don’t reinvent the Wheel!
• Is there an existing coalition?
• If so, consider joining or
supporting this
• But if none, consider
forming a new coalition with allies
• Read and research – see WAN’s
web resource:
http://www.worldanimal.net/our-
programs/consortiums

7. Forming a Coalition
Key elements are:
• A clear mission and purpose
• The involvement of committed individuals
and organizations that share this mission
• Action orientation
• Realistic objectives and tasks
• Agreed participatory management, or
decision-making structure - A joint steering
group may be useful from an early stage

8. Role of Coalition Leadership
• Promote participatory planning and decision
making
• Delegate tasks
• Spread responsibilities and workload across
members
• Share information readily
• Foster trust, openness and honesty among
members
• Motivate and empowers members
• Act as role model
• Ensure that coalition members practice
cooperation, not competition

9. Effective Meetings
It is also an important
function of coalition
leadership to run meetings
effectively.
This is more difficult than it
sounds – with different
organizations and interests!
See the Advocacy Tool on
Effective Meetings!

10. Starting a coalition is the
easy part…
Developing the coalition and keeping
momentum is far more difficult!