Civil Society and Advocacy Manual (Advocacy Expert Series)

This manual on advocacy and civil society forms part of the 6-part Advocacy Expert Series which was developed by the Tanzania Advocacy Partnership Programme (TAPP), an advocacy capacity strengthening programme for Tanzanian civil society run by Pact Tanzania. The manual outlines ways in which civil society and individual citizens can be involved in political processes and ways for them to work in partnership with government to create policies and laws. It also looks at the role of advocates in the political process and outlines steps that can be taken to initiate an advocacy campaign.

While the manual was designed primarily for non-governmental organisations (NGOs), it is expected that the guide will be used by a wide range of organisations representing civil society to help them interact with government at various levels. According to Pact Tanzania, the manual is designed to present information in a simple and straightforward manner, but does not aim to have all the answers or steps regarding advocacy. Rather, advocates are encouraged to seek a variety of sources and case studies to learn about what has worked in Tanzania and other countries and to network with similar organisations to learn best practices. The manual explains concepts of public participation and the role of civil society. It also explains how to plan an advocacy campaign, and how to communicate with elected officials and leaders.

According to the publishers, the production of this material involved a participatory process with representatives from civil society in Tanzania playing an active role in the testing of the material.