Key Terms for Understanding New Tactics Strategic Effectiveness Method

The act or process of people supporting a cause or proposal or working for change within a rights-based approach. Advocacy is a means for individuals, constituents, or organizations to shape public agendas. To change public policies, and influence other processes that impact their lives. Advocacy is not one march, meeting or poster. It is a series of strategic, integrated activities designed to achieve a goal.

Four action components needed to conduct any advocacy campaign. Research, internal capacity building, mobilization, and engaging decision makers. These are useful for evaluating advocacy progress.

People, groups or institutions working together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose. Allies can be short-term to long-term. This depends upon the benefits and degree of common purpose. Active allies are people or organizations that actively and openly support your work. Allies engage in your work. Passive allies are people or organizations who support your goals. But they have not yet become involved in advancing your work.

A group of two or more people or organizations working together.

The people from whom an organization hopes to attract, continue to attract, and gain their support.

The aim or purpose toward which an effort is directed.

Inherent to all human beings. (Regardless of our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status.)

New Tactics has identified four primary human rights-based tactical aims. These include prevention, intervention, promotion, and restorative. Most organizations accommodate one or two primary tactical aims within their institutional frameworks.

A term used to describe a person who acts to promote or protect human rights. Human rights defenders work individually or with others to promote human rights. They might also be called human rights activists, advocates, or practitioners.

The exploration and implementation of the 5-step Strategic Effectiveness Method. This journey of change is refined and adapted over time to achieve advocacy goals.

A person, group or institution whose aim is to prevent one from achieving their goal.

A planned or achieved result of an action or series of actions (tactics). An outcome may be positive, negative or neutral.

The way actions are organized to carry out strategy and tactics to achieve goals.

A situation, condition, issue or obstacle that makes it difficult to achieve a desired human rights related objective, purpose or goal.

A set of decisions that defines how to carry out a plan of action. This strategy brings about a desired future, such as achievement of one or more goals to solve a problem.

A journey of change requires key components for effective advocacy. These include longer-term and immediate goals. Identification of targets needed for reaching goals. Selection of tactics to move targets to take action. These combine to move advocacy forward.

A fixed standard of success for your outcome. This standard can be compared with the actual results of a tactic or advocacy action.

A specific action or combination of actions taken to affect a given situation. Tactics are how you move a strategy forward.

New Tactics has identified four primary human rights-based tactical aims. These include prevention, intervention, promotion, and restorative. Most organizations accommodate one or two primary tactical aims within their institutional frameworks.

The ability to change tactics easily and readily to meet new circumstances and conditions.

A tool developed by New Tactics to visualize the contextual terrain of human relationships involved in human rights issues.

The intended person, group, or place the tactic seeks to affect. Targets are also referred to as “actors” in the online Tactical Mapping Tool.

A team is a group of people who work together in joint actions to achieve common goals. A team may be part of one or more groups or organizations. A team is an organized collection of people with a strong sense of mutual commitment. A healthy team also contributes to the personal well-being and growth of its members.

A term generally used to refer to physical features of the earth. But New Tactics refers to the terrain as the human relationships engaged in a problem or issue. These relationships take place within a social, political and cultural context. This includes the institutions and structures created and maintained by humans.

A source of inspiration that focuses on how the world can be in the future.