Advocacy and Coalition Building

Advocacy and coalition building are essential aspects of improving the policy environment for successful and sustainable long-term health programs. Advocacy can raise awareness of important, yet neglected, issues and encourage greater political commitment for necessary programs. Advocates are drawn from across the spectrum—from a government official calling for more funding for HIV programs to a midwife fighting for greater access to emergency obstetric care in rural areas.

Futures Group’s approach to advocacy promotes the participation of NGOs, public and private sector groups, and other civil society representatives in policymaking and program development, as multisectoral participation is essential for ensuring that programs meet the needs of those most in need and that resources are mobilized from all sectors.

We provide technical assistance and training in forming networks and coalitions and in helping partners collect, analyze, and use evidence for better decisionmaking. Strengthening advocacy skills in this way builds in-country capacity among various groups to participate in the policymaking process, fosters the sustainability of policies and programs, and ensures accountability of implementing agencies.

Similarly, under the West Africa regional USAID-funded AWARE-HIV/AIDS program, Futures Group had primary responsibility for increasing stakeholder advocacy for policy change, thus building a broad base from which to advocate for improved policies, procedures, and norms at both national and regional levels.