Dr Jonathon Howard, NPA Executive
It is clear that the vast majority of Australians want the government to do more for the environment, but it’s not being delivered. Consider what is happening to our koalas. Or how the Labor government promised to create a new independent environmental regulator but stumbled at the wire.
Lily van Eedan from the Arthur Rylah Institute in Victoria recently led a group of researchers to interview 12 people who held influential roles in government or advocacy-focused environmental groups and to see if there was a ‘recipe’ for achieving real, long-lasting change for the natural world. Compared with traditional policy analysis, which focuses on the policy itself, this group explored policy processes using stakeholder perceptions. They uncovered five ‘take home’ lessons for all of us.
- Be prepared for a long haul. Governments change, whether through election of a new administration, changes in responsible individuals, or changes within the civil service. As governments change, priorities and contexts change. So, be willing and able to stay the course. Change can take a long time.
- Know the system. Identify who you need to influence and where the leverage points are in the system. The person holding the lever might not be a politician, but a public servant. Build your networks. Find out what are their interests and needs in the situation and pitch your message to appeal to their values. Start talking to people in your community: who might be the strongest voice, start shining a light on who needs to speak up. A conservative politician who ignores climate change may find it hard to resist talking to a group of farmers (a group which forms an important part of their voter base).
- Have networks established. Be able to access the people you need to influence. You’re never going to have that level of influence if you don’t build up networks of people who are civically engaged … you can win through other connected people using their networks. You’re building relationships with people and building the pathways to effect change.
- Choose your tactics. Be clever in considering when to work with the government, challenge them publicly, or do both. Big non-government environment groups often work in this way, relying on strong relationships with government insiders to achieve change. Both approaches have their merits in the right context. If you put the government off-side, you may push the government in the opposite direction.
- Seize the moment. Identify when your advocacy might be most effective. There are times when policy ‘windows’ are open. When they do open, seize the opportunity to jump through. The window might open as a result of an upcoming election or budget, or when a policy is being reviewed. Effective advocates know how to identify, create, and be prepared for these windows.
These findings provide a recipe for (potential) success for motivated individuals, or groups seeking to motivate individuals, to equip themselves with the tools and knowledge to influence conservation decisions. Governments are a permanent fixture in the system. They stand to benefit politically by engaging with community and advocacy groups. So, there is enormous potential for everyday people to genuinely make a difference.
Read the original article at: https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/csp2.13295