Advocacy Project Model

MBB volunteers may demonstrate mediation in the course of advocacy, providing mediation is taking advantage of an opportunity that developed during the advocacy project and is not the focus of the project. If a team anticipates providing this service, team members must demonstrate in advance that they have the necessary expertise. Travel at a later date to provide mediation, training, or any other type of intervention that arises out of the advocacy project would require a separate capacity-building proposal.

It is critical that process advocacy be distinguished from activism. MBB does not take any public positions on the content of conflicts; we advocate for the use of effective processes to resolve them. MBB members with project ideas work with the Projects Committee to present and refine proposals, and all proposals must be approved by the Board of Directors before proceeding. Whether an idea fits within MBB’s definition of process advocacy and is consistent with other aspects of MBB’s mission is a Board decision.

Guiding Principles for Advocacy Projects

MBB encourages members considering undertaking an advocacy project to think through these questions and
principles.

Distinguishing process advocacy from activism:

• Is the project connected to one side or to multiple/all sides?
• Is the context for the project accessible to all groups connected to the issue?
• To what extent are team members motivated to see that the “truth” about the conflict is known?
• What are you seeking to educate about ? (mediation? the conflict’s content?)
  

Where process advocacy includes a capacity-building intervention:

• Does the team anticipate initiating an intervention (mediation, facilitation, dialogue, training, etc.)?
• If so, how will you ensure that members with skills in advocacy and mediation are recruited and matched to the right roles?

Perception of impartiality/omnipartiality/conflict of interest:

Everyone is entitled to hold personal opinions. At the same time, to be effective, the team must be perceived as credibly advocating for process alone. This can most likely be achieved either by constructing (1) an omnipartial team with a range of viewpoints on the content of the conflict for which mediation is being advocated, or (2) a team whose members have not taken public stands on that content.

Please consider:

• Do your team members have a range of views on politics, social issues, and on the substance of the conflict, or can additional members be recruited to accomplish this?
• What is the potential impact on the project of each team member’s participation, given his or her background, experience, affiliations, and financial connections?
• Are potential project partners known to have strong political affiliations or reputations related to this conflict?
• If any of your answers suggest the team might be perceived as unreasonably biased, what steps will you take to counteract that?
  

Advocacy Project Review and Implementation

MBB advocacy projects proceed through two main phases:

1. Project Exploration
2. Project Implementation

Project Exploration

MBB members should have initial conversations with each other, potential local and international partners, and others about local needs, possible relationships, and possible projects. Early in these conversations, MBB members should submit a Project Exploration Form to the Projects Committee to keep MBB informed of the possibilities, elicit support for the project, increase linkages and communication, and reduce duplication of effort.  

The Committee will review the Project Exploration Form and help keep the Board informed. When MBB members request it, the Committee will serve as a resource, will help publicize the potential project and recruit potential team members, and will be available to provide guidance. 

As the MBB members explore ideas and make contacts, they should:

• Have all involved affirm that their role is to advocate for process and remain impartial in public statements about the substance of the conflict
• Make joint decisions about the message team members are delivering during contacts
• Work with the MBB administration (the Executive Director, or someone he or she designates) if any forms, applications, statements of interest, etc., need to be submitted in MBB’s name
• For any written materials using MBB’s name, have the MBB administration review them for consistency with MBB’s mission and for quality
• Provide the Projects Committee with brief quarterly updates
  

Project Implementation

When the team determines it would like to go forward with a project proposal, the Board will assign a Board Liaison to advise in design and implementation, and to serve as an information conduit. The team submits a project proposal that will be reviewed by the Projects Committee and must be approved by the MBB Board.

Proposal Contents

The proposal should contain these components:

• A description of the project, including purpose, subject matter, anticipated plans, and budget

• A description of how the project carries out MBB principles

• A description of the project’s plan for leadership, and the designated leaders’ experience in managing or coordinating

• Plans for conducting contextual research and disseminating it to the team

• An explanation of efforts and strategies for building relationships with those the project is seeking to influence

• Current team members, including:
  • names, contact information, and MBB membership status
  • their roles and responsibilities in project implementation
  • their experience in conflict resolution and in advocacy
  • other relevant skills or experience, such as language or cultural connections
  • their relationships to/connections with any potential stakeholders/parties in the conflict

 

• Advocacy projects may be conducted jointly with other groups or individuals. If this is planned, the proposal should identify confirmed partners and:

• their roles and responsibilities in project implementation
• individuals’ backgrounds that may affect their being perceived as neutrally advocating for process, and their positions within the partner organizations
• the MBB team’s efforts and strategies for further building these relationships

 

• Identifying potential team members or partners not yet in place, and their activities or reputations that may affect their being perceived as neutrally advocating for process

• A written statement in which participants affirm that their role is to advocate for process and remain impartial in public statements about the substance of the conflict
  • Team members must, for the duration of the project, refrain from participating in public activities which express personal opinions that could undermine the project.

• Team members should carefully consider past experience and affiliations that could impact perceptions of the team’s impartiality. These must be disclosed in the proposal.

• Methods to help ensure that participants fulfill the impartiality commitment

• Plan for response should a participant not remain publicly impartial, or should one or more team members be accused of this

• Methods to provide guidance for those speaking publicly about the project (e.g., talking points, background research, etc.) These methods should include approval by the Board Liaison of any public speaking points the team adopts.

• Methods for deciding who delivers the project’s message generally, and who can speak “on behalf of MBB,” consistent with MBB policy

• Methods to ensure that project participants are MBB members
  • Members at any level are welcome to contribute to the project.
  • Members traveling for the project must be Mediator Members or Student Members in good standing.
  • If the project is planned as a coalition activity, not all participants need be MBB members, but participants must be coached to exercise care in describing whom they represent, to use the talking points and materials developed by the team, and to affirm that they will advocate exclusively for process.

• If you anticipate providing an intervention (mediation, facilitation, dialogue, training, etc.):
  • Methods to ensure there are team members with skills to demonstrate mediation briefly and spontaneously, if that may occur
  • Methods to help ensure that any such demonstrations are carried out only by those team members

NOTE: if you plan to provide mediation more generally, please also submit a capacity-building proposal

• Identification of potential constraints to implementation of the project and strategies for overcoming those constraints

• Statement of agreement to have the MBB administration review and approve news releases, brochures, handouts, MBB business cards and other printed material
  • Backgrounders on mediation and/or its application to a specific field may be distributed without prior approval.

• Plans for monitoring and evaluation, if applicable

• Statement of agreement to work with the MBB Board or administration on a legal consult to identify and mitigate any liability issues, if requested

• Documentation of a completed review required by Homeland Security for any coalition partner groups and groups the project hopes to influence

• Statement of what was learned when checking State Department bulletins on the areas where advocacy will take place

• Description of the team’s Security and Emergency Plan, if the advocacy is to take place in areas of concern as indicated in the State Department bulletins.
  

Review Process

The Projects Committee will review the proposal at the monthly meeting following submission. The team can request an expedited review, which can usually be accomplished in about one week. Proposals should be able to demonstrate most of the criteria above, but can be approved if a few cannot be met.

After review, if the committee is unwilling to recommend that a proposal be approved by the MBB Board as written, the project team may request assistance from the committee to strengthen the proposal and then may resubmit it to the committee. The committee is happy to work with teams to accomplish this.

Once the committee determines a proposal satisfies criteria sufficient for approval, the committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Directors. If the committee remains unwilling to recommend the proposal, at that point, a project team may also request that the proposal be forwarded to the Board in the absence of a committee recommendation.

The Board may approve or deny the proposal. If the proposal is not approved but is consistent with MBB values, the team may work to address the Board’s concerns. Until the proposal is approved, potential advocacy team members cannot travel or conduct significant activities in MBB’s name.

Implementation

Assuming the proposal is approved, the team will then have great discretion to make decisions about methods, team make-up, fiscal allocations, and other aspects of implementation within the scope of the approved proposal. Teams are encouraged to develop monitoring and evaluation plans in the earliest stages; some funders require it, and it helps the team to be more reflective and to identify necessary course corrections.

The great majority of project work occurs at home, with occasional travel by some, but not necessarily all, members. The team may solicit other MBB members, interns, and chapters, along with partners and experts outside MBB, to assist it in carrying out the project. The team is responsible for raising all costs of carrying out the project and is more than welcome to work with the Fund Development Committee to accomplish this.

Traveling members of the team need to be Mediator Members or Student Members in good standing, and complete all legal forms and satisfy all security and travel requirements before each trip. If the team believes a non-member is important to fulfill the team’s purpose, it can raise the money to pay for a membership for that person, or apply to the Executive Director for scholarship monies that have been set aside for that purpose.

The team should keep the Projects Committee informed of upcoming and completed trips and other significant developments on at least a quarterly basis, and should work with various committees to provide similar information for fundraising, the newsletter, the website, and Conflictpedia. Traveling members are encouraged to debrief with the Lessons Learned Committee at a mutually acceptable time and place, typically by telephone.

Conclusion

Finally, we appreciate your interest in developing a project proposal. Our mission is to build conflict resolution capacity around the world, and it would not be possible to do so without your willingness to put in the extra time and effort that help us make sure our projects are well thought out, coordinated, safe and effective. Thank you for helping make that happen.