Advocacy planning

Advocacy planning is a citizen participation method identified to be suitable for determination of legal aspects in planning of secure public spaces.

Advocacy planners' (in this context, an advocate is referred to a planner and not to a legal representative) main activities are informing ordinary citizens about planning issues (on security or other) and working out suggestions together. Advocacy planners also represent ordinary citizen before official bodies such as the city administration, and promote and chair discussion processes, etc.

Process

Advocacy planning is mostly employed at local or regional level; strict structures or sequence of events are not foreseen. Advocacy planners are usually available throughout a project period, but do not arrange activating citizen involvement. Advocacy planning also requires citizens' proactive initiatives. Examples for advocacy planners are local advice offices, youth, legal or environmental ombudsmen and others.

However, advocacy planning should not lead to ordinary citizens being pushed into passive roles or treated like children. Instead, it should help them to stand up for their own interests and should make it easier to compensate for possible discrimination.

How does it support in planning of secure public spaces?

• Underpinning the interests of segments of the population in planning processes where the former have difficulty in expressing themselves, are socially disadvantaged or are simply not organized;
• Ensuring that all segments of the population affected by a planning process are taken into account even-handedly;
• Mediating between the everyday world of ordinary citizens and the perspective of experts (security and general planning, legal and authority terms).

Further reading

• The Aspen Institute Advocacy Planning & Evaluation Program: URL: http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/apep [2012-08-21];
• CITI Network Strengthening Program: Advocacy Planning Model: URL: http://networks.seepnetwork.org/ppt-newhtml/chapter-3-advocacy-planning-model.pdf [2012-08-21];
• Participation & sustainable development in Europe: URL: http://www.partizipation.at/advocacy-planning.html [12-04-10];
• IPPF Handbook for Advocacy Planning: URL: http://www.ippfwhr.org/sites/default/files/Advocacy%20Planning%20web%20version.pdf [ 2012-08-21].