When developing an influencing strategy, it’s useful to begin by clearly identifying the issue which needs addressing, and then analysing its causes and possible solutions. For example, it might be gaps in the current laws or perhaps the need to address new forms of violence (e.g. online violence). Think about what needs to change, who needs to change, and the possible routes to effect change. There are many tools available to undertake a problem analysis, including a SWOT analysis, fishbone diagram, or problem tree analysis.

Understanding the local context, including cultural, social, economic, and political factors, helps to make an influencing strategy more relevant and effective. You can also conduct wider context analysis and gender analysis to understand the drivers of VAWG, the state of existing VAWG response services and the wider policy, legal and institutional environment that enables or constrains change. 

Effective influencing strategies have a clear goal that sets out a transformational vision of change to motivate and engage people. To achieve this overarching goal, it’s helpful to identify a set of clear, measurable, and time bound objectives for the influencing work. This can be organised into an operational framework or action plan, to ensure all partners share these goals, and monitor progress and results of influencing activities. The following table is an example:

Goal:

A key element of developing an influencing strategy is mapping all potential people, groups and institutions to engage with. Think about which stakeholders hold power and influence. What are their roles, interests, and potential contributions to addressing VAWG? Are they potential champions, or could they block progress? Are there allies you could work with to create synergies? There are many tools available to accomplish this, including interviewing women’s rights organisations, or via a stakeholder mapping, social network analysis, power analysis, or political economy analysis. As an example, the Tithetse Nkhanza advocacy strategy on VAWG prevention and response in Malawi highlights the power holders and allies who can influence different objectives of the national influencing strategy. 

In the process of developing a VAWG influencing strategy, it’s important to consider different tactics to help influence change. Oxfam’s Influencing for Impact Guide provides the following examples of influencing tactics:

• Research and policy development
• Lobbying and direct advocacy
• Convening and facilitating engagement and dialogue with key stakeholders and decision makers 
• Supporting community engagement on issues 
• Supporting women and men to become change-makers and influencers
• Communications and media
• Alliances and network building
• Supporting civil society organisations
• Mobilisation and public campaigning
• Supporting community engagement on issues

Influencing tactic(s) should be selected according to the VAWG issue being addressed, how it manifests within the context, and the audience identified. These tactics can also look different according to the different spaces where groups are convened, for instance influencing in public forums or events would be different to closed or private spaces. 

Working collectively can help maximise the impact of influencing work. Engaging a diverse group of stakeholders with a mix of skills, knowledge and experiences can help identify levers where influencing can impact change. Depending on the scale of the VAWG influencing strategy, it could be helpful to establish a governance mechanism to ensure partnerships are grounded in agreed principles and ways of working. 

As outlined in Spotlight Initiative’s Pillar on Women’s Movements, engaging stakeholders on VAWG issues presents a key opportunity to shift balances of power to national, local and grassroots organisations. Actively bringing in women’s rights groups, autonomous social movements and civil society organisations, including those representing youth and groups facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination or marginalisation, can support long-term influencing efforts and advance progress on gender equality and women’s rights and ending violence against women and girls. Read more on working with women's movements.

Communications that distil the complexity of VAWG issues into clear messaging focused on personal and social values, and resonate or motivate audiences, can be powerful tools to move people to action and change behaviours. Depending on the influencing strategies and tactics selected, communications and raising awareness can take different forms; the framing of a national media campaign will be different to that of lobbying and direct advocacy. These options should be considered on the basis of the target audience, their needs and contextual factors, such as language or dialect to use and platform use and accessibility. Find out more about how to design an EVAWG Campaign and how to work with the media to end VAWG.

Establishing a systematic approach to collecting and analysing data on influencing activities can help to measure the progress, impact and effectiveness of the overall VAWG influencing strategy. A Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plan should be developed from the outset. When setting goals and objectives, indicators that can measure and evaluate progress should be identified. It's also important to monitor any impacts or potential risks of the VAWG influencing strategy, especially to vulnerable groups including survivors of violence. Collecting data regularly is important to enable you to review and update your influencing strategy in light of changing circumstances.

Without good MEL planning, it is difficult to demonstrate impact and identify what resources, budget and timeframes are required, or where adaptation is needed to support the safety and wellbeing of women and girls. Find out more about how to get started with Monitoring and Evaluation, and how to use participatory monitoring, evaluation and reporting approaches.