Advocacy Resource Hub
Advocacy is one of the many powerful tools that PATH uses to achieve its mission of health equity. The resources below draw from PATH’s decades of experience conducting advocacy globally and in more than 50 countries.
By working collaboratively with partners to influence the priorities and actions of decision-makers at all levels of the government, PATH helps create lasting policy change that results in better health outcomes for women, children, and families. The tools, case studies, and databases below are meant to help advocates and policymakers learn from and replicate PATH's successes. We encourage you to utilize and disseminate these resources widely. We will continue to update the Resource Hub on a regular basis.
PATH’s 10-part framework for advocacy strategy development
Learn moreAdvocacy capacity strengthening tools
PATH leverages a proven 10-Part Framework for Advocacy Strategy Development to strengthen the capacity of civil society advocates to help them achieve long-term success with their advocacy efforts. PATH’s suite of advocacy capacity strengthening tools has been used through participatory workshops engaging more than 700 individuals in 50 countries. The framework guides our own practice, and our partners have used it to influence health policy change and implementation ranging from funding for immunization, to advancing frameworks for health research and development and product regulation, to influencing national and subnational policies and budgets on maternal, newborn, and child health.
- Workshop curriculum on advocacy strategy development
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The starting point is our workshop curriculum, a customizable resource to introduce the 10-part advocacy strategy development process. It helps new and experienced advocates assess policy advocacy options, plan goals and activities, and develop a comprehensive strategy for advocacy impact.
The curriculum includes the following resources (available in English and French) which enable advocates and facilitators to build the capacity of their own and other organizations:
- Facilitator’s guide
- Facilitator’s slide set
- Training of facilitators manual
- Workbook for advocates
- Interactive e-learning course
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To increase the number of advocates who are able to access our capacity strengthening tools, PATH has adapted its workshop curriculum on advocacy strategy development to an online platform. The interactive e-course also allows users the flexibility to pace their learning and fosters a customized learning experience through the support provided in discussion forums. To access the course, please email advocacyandpolicy@path.org.
- Workshop curriculum on strengthening advocacy coalitions
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One of the most effective tools in advocacy is building and strengthening coalitions representing diverse perspectives. PATH has established several coalitions, strengthened the ability—collectively and individually—of members to advance their policy advocacy goals, and in some cases transitioned management to a local partner or an independent operating structure. To document and help others replicate these successful efforts, we have augmented our curricula to include a facilitator’s guide (available in English and French) and a facilitator’s slide set with a specialized module on strengthening advocacy coalitions.
HIGHLIGHTED RESOURCE
From Capital to Clinic: Tools for Policy Implementation
PATH's Capital to Clinic initiative examines bottlenecks that prevent policies developed at the national level from being implemented at the point of service delivery. Building upon defined strategic frameworks and practitioner know-how, the initiative includes a set of tools to help advocates move the policy process from development to implementation and evaluation.
Guides and toolkits
In addition to the curricula above, PATH has developed specialized guides and toolkits for various health issue areas and advocacy approaches. These resources provide deeper insights to drive advocacy strategies.
- Oxygen Is Essential: A Policy and Advocacy Primer
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Oxygen therapy is an essential part of ending preventable deaths among newborns, children, and adults globally. This primer provides the data, messages, and resources to help understand the planning, policies, and technologies involved in oxygen delivery scale-up. The materials are useful to anyone who wants to learn about scaling up access to oxygen and integrating oxygen delivery across national and subnational policies, programs, and health budgets.
- Advocacy Pack for Subcutaneous DMPA
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Subcutaneous DMPA (DMPA-SC) is an innovative and easy-to-use injectable that is transforming contraceptive access, use, and choice for women and adolescent girls. Advocates have an important role to play in making sure their country’s policies and funding support access to a broad method mix, including new options like DMPA-SC.
The Advocacy Pack for Subcutaneous DMPA, developed by PATH as part of the Access Collaborative, is designed to accelerate advocacy efforts. It consists of evidence-based materials, in English and French, for advocates to use both for their own strategy development and for direct advocacy with decision-makers.
- Advocacy Learning Labs
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Even the most experienced advocates and policymakers need the opportunities to talk about the tools and approaches that are most successful in lasting policy change, implementation, and impact. That’s why PATH developed an innovative “learning lab” model to convene stakeholders from multiple countries on emerging topics of high importance to the field of advocacy. These interactive sessions bring together thought leaders from different disciplines to share learning and experience that give rise to “aha moments” and creative approaches or partnerships to solve challenges.
Past Learning Lab events:
Data resources for advocates
Data can be a powerful tool for informing advocacy efforts to overcome barriers to health equity, but accessibility of data and knowledge of how to use it are key to ensuring that advocacy is rooted in evidence and leads to passage of sound policies and well-informed budgets. These resources aim to collate and make data on key issues more accessible for advocates.
- PHC Policy Tracker
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Policies for strong primary health care (PHC) systems are essential to advancing health equity, but they are complex and difficult to design. PATH created the PHC policy tracker as a consolidated source of information to equip policymakers and advocates with information about existing policies that shape PHC systems. The dashboard is designed to provide policymakers, advocates, and donors with data to shape policy dialogues—helping not only to identify strengths and weaknesses of PHC policies in your own country and around the world, but also to learn from others grappling with similar complex policy challenges.
- MNCHN Asset Tracker
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PATH’s MNCHN Asset Tracker project provides information on the status of scale-up of key tools and interventions that improve maternal and child health and nutrition outcomes and save lives. The Asset Tracker dashboards allow users to quickly and efficiently compare different indicators across or within countries.
- COVID-19 Essential Health Services Policy Tracker
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The COVID-19 EHS Policy Tracker project, which PATH undertook at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, aimed to collect, catalogue, visualize, and disseminate government policy responses and other relevant information related to maintaining and adapting essential health services during COVID-19. Even as the acute stage of the pandemic has passed, this tracker remains useful for understanding how countries adapted during the pandemic.
With support from PATH, Kenya's Kakamega County and the MNCH Alliance developed a sustainable model for holding local decision-makers accountable and significantly improved health outcomes and quality of care for women and children.
PATH was pleased to support the Kenyan government in developing and launching policy documents to accelerate rollout of PHC.
Countries have faced difficult choices as they rollout COVID-19 vaccines while catching up on childhood immunizations, but many have found creative solutions along the way.
In 2015, when PATH began advocating for R&D in Kenya, it became clear that there was no real constituency for these efforts. One strong, unified coalition of advocates was needed if the country was to successfully advance R&D advocacy.
With the aim of galvanizing efforts to improve vaccination and stop preventable deaths, PATH partnered with the Gates Foundation, other partners, and the newly elected government to convene a major event focused on driving action on this issue.
When it comes to assessing progress on commitments to improve immunization, Uganda is trailblazing new efforts, including through development of a scorecard to enable accountability.
One year ago, Malawi launched its first National Medical Oxygen Ecosystem Roadmap. It is already helping to close the oxygen access gap.
Read additional case studies here.
We want to hear from you
Do you have feedback on any of these resources? Are there other tools you would find useful?