Even if immediate action is required, you should answer the following questions – or determine which of them you have no answers for – before starting a campaign:
– What is the problem you want to address (identifying the campaign issue)?
– What is known about the problem, its causes and the context (research)?
– What needs to be changed and how (theory of change: goal, assumptions, strategy, desired outcomes among the target groups)?
– Who needs to be influenced, to do what – and why (target audiences, message)?
– What are your resources, such as people, skills, contacts, time and money (internal analysis)?
– What are your opportunities and threats/risks (external analysis)?
– What are your entry points and potential allies?
– What are the most effective activities to influence your target audiences – who will have to do what, where and when?
– How will you manage the campaign - How will you assign responsibility for implementing activities according to the strengths of participants?
– How will you test your messages, tactics and tools?
– How will you cover costs (fundraising, campaign finances)?
– How will you monitor and evaluate campaign activities, outcomes and context?
This list enables you to decide what to do depending on what you know and what you do not know, and what focus and scope your campaign can take with the knowledge and resources available.