CASE STUDY

Civic Advocacy

Mission:

To prevent proposed infrastructure changes with broad support from disadvantaging a client’s business.

Stakeholders:

Local elected officials and civic leaders shepherding the infrastructure project.

Strategy:

Build an informal coalition of private and civic stakeholders by convincing them they had common interests, then coordinate a disciplined, common strategy. The keys are holding the coalition together such that their collective power is not whittled away piecemeal, and never actually opposing the proposed project. Outright opposition would harden the political resolve of proponents, who were already wary of opposition, and make negotiating changes more difficult. The coalition therefore consistently voiced support for the project, while suggesting improvements that would amplify its benefits.

Results:

The coalition had the intended effect of amplifying the client’s voice by turning it into just one part of a chorus. The ability to coordinate a common strategy put the combined influence of the coalition into months of negotiations with the interests behind the infrastructure project— interests influential enough that they could have swept aside the concerns of any member of the coalition, but not the entire group. We did not employ a media strategy or any sort of public pressure but argued privately for improvements to the project which would be costly but produce a better result for everyone. Millions of dollars in improvements were agreed to at no cost to the coalition members, resulting in new infrastructure that not only avoided the problems which the original plan would have created, but a better system overall than what previously existed.

Lessons Learned:

Disparate actors can successfully advocate against powerful and well-funded political interests if they fully recognize their own shared interests and avoid the Prisoners Dilemma by betraying each other to negotiate individual deals at the expense of the group. Being viewed as supporters of the project from the outset created the right conditions for negotiations by cultivating respect and trust.