Project management techniques for advocates

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the operational side of advocacy. The question we are pursuing is, ‘What is needed to get an advocacy project done?’. Physicians and nurses are used to working in environments that are marked by stable (infra)structures, well-known goals, and specific requirements and incentives. Most often, advocates will find the opposite when they work on projects. Since there are no or only weak functioning projects in place, advocates may face several challenges throughout a project. There could be no structure, no specified goals, and no incentives. Pursuing the goal to provide operational support to anyone who is doing advocacy, we summarize major challenges and provide concrete tools and strategies to master these challenges and get projects done successfully.