Family Planning
Advocacy rough
Religious Leaders
A Guide for Faith Communities
Christian Connections
for International Health
Photos on the cover show religious leaders and faith-based health workers in Zambia, Nigeria and Kenya who
have been involved in family planning training and promotion through work with CCIH and partners.
January 2017
is guide was inspired by family planning advocacy with religious leaders carried
out by Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH), the Christian
Health Association of Kenya (CHAK), the Churches Health Association of Zambia
(CHAZ), and the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN). It was funded in
partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Contents
Key Phrases & Acronyms: What Buzz Words Should I Know? ...................................2
Introduction: Why Create is Guide? ........................................................3
Activities Timeline: How Long Will is Take? ................................................5
Landscape Assessment: What Do You Need to Know? ..........................................6
Advocacy Plan: What Do You Want to Change? ...............................................15
Trainings & Advocacy: How Do Religious Leaders Become FP Advocates? .......................20
Tapping into the Global Community: Who Else Is Doing FP Advocacy? .........................37
Monitoring & Evaluation: Is is Working? ..................................................39
Common Challenges: How Do You Address Potential Problems? ................................41
2 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Key Phrases & Acronyms: What
Buzz Words Should I Know?
Key Words
Advocacy: Merriam Webster denes advocacy as “the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal.” According to K4Health’s
Family Planning Advocacy toolkit, “eective advocacy proposes specic, actionable solutions and is strategic, targeted, well
designed and rmly supported by reliable, relevant, recent data.”
1
Contraception: encompasses all methods used to prevent pregnancy, including: condoms, emergency contraception, fertility
awareness methods (e.g. Standard Days Method®), implants, injectables, intrauterine devices (IUDs), the lactational amenorrhea
method (LAM), oral contraceptives, tubal ligations, and vasectomies.
2
Family Planning (FP): enables couples to determine the number and timing of pregnancies, including the voluntary use of
methods for preventing pregnancy — not including abortion — that are harmonious with their values and beliefs.
Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancies (HTSP): Another term for family planning. HTSP helps women and families
delay, space, or limit their pregnancies to achieve the healthiest outcomes for women, newborns, infants, and children. HTSP
works within the context of free and informed choice and takes into account fertility intentions and desired family size.
3
FP2020: FP2020 is a global partnership of the private and public sector, which “aims to expand access to family planning
information, services, and supplies to an additional 120 million women and girls in 69 of the world’s poorest countries by 2020.”
4
FP2020 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM): An arm of FP2020 that provides funding to “emerging, unanticipated and/or time-
bound opportunities.”
5
Information, Education, & Communication (materials, activities, etc.) (IEC): Per the World Health Organization, “IEC refers
to a public health approach aiming at changing or reinforcing health-related behaviors in a target audience, concerning a specic
problem and within a pre-dened period of time, through communication methods and principles.”
Unmet Need for Family Planning: refers to women “who are fecund and sexually active but are not using any…contraception,
and report not wanting any more children or wanting to delay the next child.”
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Other Acronyms
ACHAP: Africa Christian Health Associations Platform
CCIH: Christian Connections for International Health
CHA: Christian Health Association [ACHAP member organizations]
CHAK: Christian Health Association of Kenya
CHAZ: Churches Health Association of Zambia
DHS: Demographic Health Survey
EPN: Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network
F2A: Faith to Action Network
FBO: Faith-Based Organization
ICFP: International Conference on Family Planning
mCPR: Rate of modern contraceptive use
RMNCH: Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health
USAID: United States Agency for International Development
1
https://www.k4health.org/toolkits/family-planning-advocacy
2
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs351/en
3
http://www.who.int/pmnch/topics/maternal/htsp101.pdf
4
http://www.familyplanning2020.org/microsite/about-us
5
http://www.familyplanning2020.org/microsite/rrm
6
http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/family_planning/unmet_need_fp/en
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e Faith & Family Planning pre-conference was jointly hosted by Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH), Muhammadiyah, and Faith to Action Network (F2A).
Introduction: Why Create is Guide?
By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established. — Proverbs 24:3
T
he need for a holistic health approach to family planning advocacy — including the spiritual, social,
and physical health of mothers and children — is crucial to promoting healthy families. Faith-based
organizations (FBOs) are in a unique position to promote family planning (FP) — also called healthy
timing and spacing of pregnancies (HTSP) — for the purpose of creating and maintaining healthy families.
Recognizing the role FBOs play, the 2016 International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) held the rst-
ever inter-faith ICFP Faith and Family Planning pre-conference.
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Additionally, the global partnership FP2020
includes FBOs as recipients of their Rapid Response
Mechanism (RRM), a fund that quickly responds to local-
level family planning needs. On the country level, FBOs
are integral partners of national FP Technical Working
Groups. On the local level, family planning education and
services are provided through faith-based health centers
and hospitals.
e percentage of health care provided by faith entities in developing nations is signicant, but varies widely
from country to country. Faith entities are a critically important component of the overall health system in
many countries, without which millions of people — particularly in hard-to-reach rural areas and underserved
urban slums — would be deprived of health services.
In addition to FBOs, religious leaders continue to be highly trusted gures who reach large, rural catchments
away from well-stocked urban hospitals. eir political, social and cultural inuence make them strong
potential partners to address unmet FP needs.
Given these realities, secular and faith-based organizations alike are turning to religious leaders as eective
family planning advocates. Likewise, as demand for family planning increases, religious leaders are expressing
increased interest in family planning and how they can support their communities through trained points
of contact and referrals in their communities. If you are reading this, you are likely already aware of this
trend! us, this guide seeks to provide a step-by-step process on how to set up and conduct religious leader
advocacy trainings, establish monitoring and evaluation systems, and realize your family planning advocacy
goals.
Christian Connections for International Health denes
Family Planning as “enabling couples to determine
the number and timing of pregnancies, including the
voluntary use of methods for preventing pregnancy —
not including abortion — that are harmonious with
their values and beliefs.”
Note: It is not our objective to provide you with exhaustive technical information on family planning. For overviews of the modern method
mix of contraception – which includes fertility-based methods — we recommend USAID’s Facts for Family Planning and Family Planning:
A Global Handbook for Providers. For current information on international maternal and child health statistics (such as maternal mortality
rates, rate of contraceptive use, and unmet need for family planning), peruse FP2020’s online country database or the Demographic Health
Survey. Finally, for more information on family planning advocacy please visit K4Health’s Toolkit on Family Planning Advocacy and
Advance Family Planning’s AFP Portfolio. See Step 5 under Trainings & Advocacy for more details.
4 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Before you begin using this guide, we encourage you to take a moment to
reect on why you are interested in this topic. Below are some questions to
help you and your team focus your thoughts before beginning the project:
Why do you/your organization care about FP? Do you know anyone who
has been adversely aected by lack of family planning services?
How did you become aware of religious leaders as family planning
advocates? Why are you interested (or not interested) in working with
religious leaders? Do you have any personal connections to a faith group?
Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute.
Defend the rights of the poor and needy. — Proverbs 31:8-9
Advocacy Success:
Increasing FP Users in
Kenya
rough creatively engaging
religious leaders to dispel
myths and change attitudes
about family planning, the
Christian Health Association
of Kenya (CHAK) was
responsible for dramatic
increases in family planning
use in two communities in
Kenya. Aer 60 community
health workers and 60 religious
leaders who had been trained
by CHAK on family planning
shared this new knowledge in
their communities, a health
facility in Dophil saw an
increase of almost three
times as many women using
family planning. Another
facility, located in Namasoli,
experienced an increase in
family planning users of 125%
in the rst year aer religious
leaders were trained and over
200% in the second year.
is increase in new users
demonstrates that many
women in the community
desired to space their
pregnancies and as a result
now have access to the services
to do so.
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Activities Timeline: How Long Will is Take?
Advocacy Success: Change on the National Level
e Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ) participated in a multi-year, multi-partner advocacy
eort that resulted in the Zambian government’s approval of a task-shiing measure to allow Community
Based Distributors to provide injectable contraceptives. is is a signicant Ministry of Health policy change
because it signicantly expands access to injectable contraceptives in Zambia. Aer the measure passed, CHAZ
continued to advocate for faith-based health facilities by securing a spot as one of the organizations to spearhead
this eort nationwide. CHAZ representatives met with the Director of Mother and Child Health Services to
take the agenda forward and remind the Director that CHAZ facilities continue to play a crucial role in health
delivery. e task-shiing policy is currently being implemented in CHAZ facilities throughout the country.
Landscape Assessment
(2-3 months)
Advocacy Plan (1+ month)
Religious Leader
Trainings: Planning &
Execution
(2-3 months)
Advocacy Activities:
Connecting with
Government Ocials &
the Media (1-2 months
for rst meeting,
ongoing aer)
Review results and change
advocacy plan as needed
(1+ month)
Next Round of Trainings:
Planning & Execution
(1 month, to be held 6
months post 1st training)
Continued Advocacy
Activities: Reconnecting
with government ocials
& bringing on new
religious leaders (ongoing,
to be held 1+ month aer
2nd training)
6 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Landscape Assessment: What Do You Need to Know?
e heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. — Proverbs 18:15
Time Needed: 2 to 3 months
O
nce you and your organization have a general sense of why you want to pursue family planning
advocacy training, it is then time to launch a Landscape Assessment. is exercise will gather all
the information you need to identify advocacy objectives. A good resource for how to conduct
a Landscape Assessment is the Advance Family Planning Advocacy Portfolio (see Part 1 of Developing a
Strategy): advancefamilyplanning.org/portfolio
Note that this guide is written for those who have already identied a specic country for their advocacy
program. If you do not have a specic location in mind, we suggest using the sample survey found on
ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide to identify a site that has the most potential for a successful FP advocacy program
within your country of interest. is survey has been used in FBO-run health facilities in over 10 dierent
African countries, and helped the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN) determine where to launch
their religious leader advocacy eorts. Finally, assess your organization’s overall mission, technical expertise,
funding mechanisms, and any other drivers that may inuence the success of your program. Once you have
narrowed your geographic focus, continue with the steps below.
In the following pages we explain the components in greater detail, along with real examples from a project in
Nigeria.
e three components of a thorough Landscape Assessment are (per AFP, above):
1. Review and compile current information on family planning in your area of interest. is includes:
national-level FP2020 commitments; district or county-level commitments (if applicable); and family planning
indicators (e.g. unmet need for contraceptive use; rate of modern contraceptive use (mCPR); maternal
mortality rates; etc.)
2. Research laws, regulations, policies and guidelines that inuence the nancing and supply of services/
supplies to your health facilities from government resources. Follow up directly with any health facilities if
needed.
3. Interview or research information on key informants — policymakers, health professionals, civil society
representatives, and religious leaders.
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Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
COMPONENT 1: Gathering Family
Planning Indicators & Commitments
Review the family planning goals of the country or countries in
which you will work. e best place to nd this information is on
the FP2020 website: www.familyplanning2020.org. e FP2020
website also displays the “17 Core Indicator” estimates for every
focus country where available. ese include information on,
among others: modern methods of contraception users; unintended
pregnancies; unmet need for modern methods of contraception;
maternal deaths; couple-years of protection; and the annual
expenditure on family planning from a government’s domestic
budget. Additional statistical information can be found from the
country’s Demographic Health Survey (dhsprogram.com).
Possible research questions for this section:
1. What are your country’s FP2020 commitments?
e Nigerian Government
submitted the following FP2020
Commitments in 2012, the year
it joined FP2020 (commitments
have been abbreviated):
1. Objective: Increase mCPR by
2% every year to achieve 36% by
2018.
2. Policy & Political: Nigeria will
take action to improve equity and
access to FP for women with the
lowest socio-economic status,
which includes promoting policy
formulation and actions that
support maternal and child health
at all levels, and partnering with
the private sector, civil society,
traditional and religious institutions
and development partners.
3. Financial: Nigeria commits
to provide an additional US $8.35
million annually over the next four
years (starting in 2012) for the
procurement of reproductive health
commodities. It plans to realize
the health nancing goals laid out
under the National Strategic Health
Development Plan.
4. Program Service & Delivery:
Nigeria commits to train at least
3,700 community health workers
(CHWs) and support task shiing
so CHWs in rural areas can provide
multiple methods. It will improve
the supply of contraceptives in the
country through stimulating the
private sector, and will increase
awareness and demand for FP
services.
8 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
2. What is the position of the current government administration (both national and local) on family
planning funding and the provision of commodities and services? For example, have they enacted any
policies to increase funding for FP commodities and services? On the opposite end of the spectrum, have
they expressed opposition to the goals of FP2020?
3. Are you able to nd any data on your community specically?
Remember: You can nd local FP/HTSP information at dhsprogram.com.
Oen data is broken down to the district/county level!
If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing nger and malicious talk, and if
you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your
light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. — Isaiah 58: 9b-10
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COMPONENT 2: Regulations &
Government Resources
Every country’s governmental structure varies, but in general there are two institutions that will likely house
the decisionmakers on family planning: Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance. e latter is particularly
relevant if your program will focus on increasing funding for health facility commodities, service delivery,
sta trainings, etc. e Ministry of Health is also a good source for nding information on government-run,
faith-based, and secular private facilities providing family planning services and commodities. As mentioned
previously, surveys such as the Demographic Health Survey can provide excellent information on these
questions as well (dhsprogram.com). is information is crucial
to focus your advocacy activities throughout the process.
If you have the time and resources to conduct your own survey,
see ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide for the aforementioned
sample survey to FBO-run health facilities in over 10 dierent
African countries. is survey includes questions about family
planning services and commodity support they receive from the
government.
Possible research questions for this section:
1. Who is responsible for the national family planning budget in your country?
According to EPN, Nigerian FBO-
run health facilities do not receive any
government aid to support stang or
administrative needs. However, about
half of these facilities receive commodity
supply assistance, and about 29% receive
help for sta training and information,
education and communication materials.
10 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
2. What are the commodities and services promised and provided by the government to health facilities,
especially private (and FBO-run) facilities?
3. Does the government seem to be focusing on a particular FP2020 commitment at this time? If so, what?
Refer to the previous section for your country’s FP2020 commitments.
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4. Are there any political events occurring now or in the near future that may change the political climate,
such as elections?
5. Who are the main funders and suppliers of FP services and commodities in your target communities?
12 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
COMPONENT 3: Key Informants & Religious Leaders
is section should detail the religious groups in your
geographic area of focus, their views on family planning, and
a list of religious leaders you believe should be invited to your
rst round of religious leader advocacy trainings (more details
later). As a faith-based organization you likely have some
religious leader contacts, but do not hesitate to reach outside
your circle. Faith network organizations such as the Africa
Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP), Christian
Connections for International Health (CCIH), and the Faith to
Action Network are great resources.
While potentially time consuming, it is well worth the eort
to meet with faith leaders face to face and either individually
or in groups. Ask them about their personal beliefs and their
congregations’ beliefs on family planning. e purpose of these
informal interviews is to gather current beliefs, not necessarily
to correct or dispel myths. By meeting with leaders in advance,
you are also able to establish a connection that may encourage
them to attend religious leader advocacy trainings.
As with the previous section, if you have the time and resources
you may also consider surveying FBO-run health facilities
regarding their practices on family planning. See ccih.org/
fp-advocacy-guide for sample questions on family planning
attitudes and beliefs. is survey also asks health facility
workers how they perceive government ocials’ and religious
leaders’ attitudes toward family planning, which can be helpful
in craing appropriate advocacy messaging.
Finally, do not limit yourself in who you or the community considers a “religious leader.” ese individuals can
be male or female, and may include lay leaders in the church, e.g. the head of an inuential men’s or women’s
group. A diverse set of religious leader advocates can also spread your advocacy messages to a larger audience.
Lessons from Nigeria and
Zambia
While not all the religious leaders you
meet with may have the time or interest
in attending advocacy trainings, reaching
out to as many parties as possible will help
ensure high attendance and engagement at
your upcoming religious leader trainings.
In Nigeria, EPN partnered with Evangelical
Church Winning All (ECWA Nigeria) to
bring together 11 religious leaders from over
ve Christian denominations: Evangelical
Church Winning All (ECWA), Ekklesiyar
Yan’uwa a Nigeria Church (EYN), Seventh
Day Adventist (SDA), Baptist churches, and
Assemblies of God churches.
Depending on where you work, you may
bring together more or fewer religious
leaders. CHAZ brought together 18
religious leaders from 14 denominations,
and CHAK brought together 14 religious
leaders from eight denominations for
similar religious leader advocacy trainings
in their respective countries.
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Possible research questions for this section:
1. Are you familiar with the faith communities in your target area? Do you know how to reach their religious
leaders?
2. Do you know the above communities’ or denominations’ views on family planning i.e. How do they dene
FP? What FP methods do they support? What materials do they use to educate others about FP? Additionally,
do they operate health facilities or provide services in other ways?
14 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
3. Can you identify any current religious leaders who may be good advocates for family planning in the
future? Note: a religious leader does not have to support all types of family planning methods to be an eective
advocate.
Quick Reference Tools:
FP2020 commitments: http://www.familyplanning2020.org
DHS statistics: http://dhsprogram.com
ACHAP members: http://africachap.org/en/network-locations
CCIH members: http://ccih.org/organizational-members.html
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Advocacy Plan: What Do You Want to Change?
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if
anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father.
He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. — 1 John 2:1
Time Needed: 1 month
O
nce you have completed your Landscape Assessment, it is time to create an Advocacy Plan. is
document will serve as the blueprint for the rest of your activities. An excellent resource for how to
begin is the Advance Family Planning (AFP) Advocacy Portfolio (see Part 2 of Developing a Strategy):
www.advancefamilyplanning.org/portfolio. ere are four basic steps to the process adapted based on what
has worked best with our experiences. Please feel free to modify this process to best t your organization!
Step 1: Assembling an Advocacy Team
e rst step is assembling a strong strategy development team who can give
you their personal and professional opinions about the family planning needs
of the community. With an unlimited budget, this team might include:
government ocials; health care providers; non-medical professionals in
community health; men and women who access family planning services;
religious leaders from every major sect; and a paid facilitator to guide discussion.
However, a more modest strategy development team might include: the
advocacy team of your organization; at least one medical professional working
in family planning in-country; and at least one FBO representative or
religious leader. Additionally, as part of this process you should strongly
consider consulting with leading civil society organizations (both local and
international) working in family planning in your area. Taking this step at the
beginning of your advocacy process may result in more coordinated and
eective advocacy activities, and may even lead to multiple organizations
sharing expenses of your events (sometimes referred to as “cost-sharing”).
Who are individuals or organizations you would want to be on your
strategy development team? Why? Do they have connections to the MOH or other policy makers?
CHAZ assembled representatives
from the following entities as part
of their core strategy development
team: the CHAZ secretariat,
CHAZ mission facilities, and
key religious leaders. ey also
secured the support of partner
organizations and cooperating
agencies in the Family Planning
community (e.g. United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) and
Scaling Up Family Planning
(SUFP). ese partners participate
in information sharing and are
consulted regarding various policy
activities and interactions with the
government.
16 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Step 2: Identify Your Objectives
Next is to establish SMART objectives with your team. SMART stands for: Specic, Measurable, Attainable,
Relevant, and Time-bound. If you look back at the landscape assessment, you may have written down some
ideas on why you are interested in family planning advocacy. ose ideas can be transformed to overall goals.
If one response was, “because I know families who cannot provide food for all the children,” that may translate
to the following goal: increase funding for family planning services for couples. In order to achieve that goal,
you might have the following objectives:
1. Increase capacity of 10 local religious leaders to advocate for
improved family planning funding in your target community by
[insert appropriate date here].
2. Increase use of family planning methods among couples in
your target community from x% to x% (based on data you’ve
collected from health centers in your community) by [insert
appropriate date here].
3. Strengthen ties between Ministry of Health and local faith-
based organizations on providing family planning services,
commodities, and additional stang to address sta shortages at
strategic FBO health facilities by [insert appropriate date here].
Brainstorm at least 2 SMART objectives below and rene them
with your team:
Remember: SMART
objectives should have
community support
and be connected to government
priorities. us, use your
Landscape Assessment to
identify possible objectives.
Consult with your Advocacy
Team throughout this process.
CHAK had the following SMART
objectives. Note that each objective
is measurable, has a time frame, and
reects attainable goals based on
CHAK’s survey of its health facilities
and the religious leaders with whom
they work.
1. Increase and improve family
planning support by religious leaders
— in and around selected CHAK
facilities by October 2017.
2. Ensure the CHAK project-
aliated health facilities and churches
have FP policies implemented in their
health facilities by October 2017.
3. Increase the visibility of CHAK
and other religious organizations in
FP global initiatives by December 2017.
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Step 3: Identify & Research Decisionmaker(s)
Ideally, this step will be fairly quick thanks to the
research done as part of your landscape assessment. e
decisionmaker is the person (or people) whom you, your
team, and the religious leaders will meet with, who has the
authority to make your objective a reality. Below are some
questions from AFP that may help you identify a strong
decisionmaker (see Step 5 in AFP for more tips):
• Who is in the best position to help you achieve your
objective? Remember, it may be an assistant or lower-level
point of contact, and not the Minister of Finance or Health!
• Do you need more than one decisionmaker to achieve
your objective?
• Who does the decisionmaker listen to? Start a short list
of allies who can help you persuade the decisionmaker to
take action.
Refer to your Landscape Assessment. Who are two to four individuals who you believe are
decisionmakers?
Remember: Decisionmakers are
people who have the authority
to fulll your objectives. Do not
confuse decisionmakers with their
messengers or the inuencers. For
example, your decisionmaker might
be a bishop of a large denomination,
but the people you rst meet with may
be his sta (his messengers). When
examining your advocacy activities,
ask yourself whether all your activities
are ultimately helping you inuence
your target decisionmakers.
CHAZ identied ve decisionmakers among the religious leaders they surveyed. Here is a prole of
one of them to give you an idea of what traits to look for:
is individual is a Bishop from a Christian church in Lusaka, Zambia. In addition to overseeing over 4,000
congregations, he has been involved on the highest national level in the ght against HIV/AIDS for over 20 years.
He regularly sits on committees with the Minister of Health and was on several national delegations to the United
Nations’ General Assembly Special Sessions. In addition, he serves on multiple Boards of private universities and civil
society organizations. Politically, he is known for reconciling national leaders and helping avert government crises.
His knowledge of public health — including family planning and contraception use — as well as his roles within the
national government make him a strong ally for increasing national funding and services of family planning.
18 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Step 4: Determine Your Ask
e nal step is to articulate your “ask” — this is the action that you want your decisionmakers to take in order
to fulll your SMART objectives. You may have dierent asks for dierent decisionmakers, depending on
their political leanings and personal background. When craing your ask, it is important to refer back to your
Landscape Assessment for accurate information.
Once you have an ask ready, pick the most eective messengers to deliver the message. Because you will
be working closely with religious leaders, it is most likely that you will work with them to select the best
leaders to approach each decisionmaker. While some religious leaders may be chosen solely because they are
articulate and well versed, others may also be a good choice because they belong to the same church as the
decisionmaker or have other social ties. Remember to consult closely with your religious leaders and strategic
team.
Here is a brief overview on how to form an eective ask — refer to step 6 in the AFP Advocacy Portfolio
for more information (see “Five-Point Message Box”):
Step 1: Know the dierence between rational, emotional, and ethical arguments and what will appeal
most to your decisionmaker(s). Rational arguments use data and evidence to appeal to decisionmakers.
Emotional arguments use personal stories to convince others of your point. Finally, ethical arguments
appeal to existing social and cultural norms on what is “right” to evoke sympathy for your cause. When
working with religious leaders, ethical arguments oen include use of theological and dogmatic-based
arguments.
Step 2: Write down the main concern that you want the decisionmaker to address, e.g. lack of FP services
in your local clinic. Anticipate why they might disagree with you and how you would respond.
Step 3: Based on the steps above, write down what you want the decisionmaker to do (or inuence) in
order to achieve your SMART objectives. Example: increase district or county-level funding for family
planning services and commodities.
Step 4: Be prepared to explain how their actions will positively aect the community. Example: families
who can space their children can better nurture them and are able to give more time and nancial support
to their churches and community.
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What kinds of arguments (rational, emotional, ethical) should you prepare? What is your ask, and do you
need more than one to achieve your SMART Objectives?
In order to ensure their health facilities and member churches had FP policies in place, CHAK trained religious
leaders to approach county senators in three counties. One of their asks was for county governments to
increase support of FBO-run health facilities that provide FP services, specically through the provision of FP
commodities, ambulances, computers for administrative work, and assisting with funding the renovations of
facilities.
Note: Kenya’s family planning funding is decided on a county level, which may not be the case in your
focus area.
20 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Trainings & Advocacy: How Do
Religious Leaders Become FP Advocates?
He has shown you, O you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. — Micah 6:8
Time Needed: Religious Leader Trainings: 2-3 months
Advocacy Activities: 1-2 months to set up rst meetings, ongoing aer Second
Round of Trainings, if desired (6 months post rst training)
Continued Advocacy Activities: 1-2 months to set up rst meetings, ongoing aer
C
ongratulations! You have completed your Landscape Assessment, formed your advocacy program
team, identied SMART goals, identied decisionmakers, and craed your “ask”. It is now time to
reach out to more local religious leaders and equip them with the knowledge and training to become
family planning advocates. e most common way to accomplish this goal is through ecumenical religious
leader advocacy trainings.
So what, exactly, is a “religious leader advocacy training?” It is typically a two to
three-day event that includes the following components: a technical review of family
planning policies on an international, national, and local (if needed) level; a review of
family planning from a faith perspective (e.g. the Biblical basis for family planning); a review
of each family planning method including some common misconceptions about the methods,
with time for discussion; time for attendees to talk in small groups and synthesize information;
and decide how to engage government ocials and the media on family planning issues.
Remember that the trainings in and of themselves are
not your entire advocacy program. Rather, they are the
critical rst step in encouraging religious leaders to
become family planning advocates. at said, this is
oen one of the most time- and resource-intensive parts
of an advocacy program, which is why we have devoted
a substantial portion of this guide to them. roughout
this guide, we give examples of successful advocacy
activities carried out by actual religious leaders.
e following pages explain each step in more detail
and provide templates for your use. Remember to adapt
all these templates to best t your needs — advocacy
programs are not a “one size ts all” solution.
ere are many moving parts to a successful
religious leader advocacy training, but the process
can be broken down into the following steps:
1. Assemble a list of religious leaders who you
want to invite to your advocacy training.
2. Determine your anticipated expenses.
3. Create your agenda.
4. Finalize the invitation list and send out
invitations.
5. Finalize the agenda and logistics.
6. Conduct the trainings.
7. Launch advocacy activities with religious leaders.
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Step 1: List Potential Attendees
As part of your Landscape Assessment and Advocacy Plan, you should already have a list of religious leaders
who you believe inuence family planning policy or attitudes in your target area. Your list should represent a
wide variety of denominations and/or faith practices, as well as a range of attitudes on family planning.
In addition to heads of large denominations and other politically inuential priests, ministers, imams, etc.,
consider inviting trusted advisors of those religious leaders who may not have time to attend an entire training.
ese advisors should be able to accurately convey the information they learn at the training, but also have the
potential to be FP advocates in their own right.
Potential Attendee List — include names, titles, and denominations
Remember: this is the invitation list you would want with an unlimited budget and sta capacity. You will
rene the list in Step 3, so do not limit yourself in who you include.
1. _________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________________________________________
7. _________________________________________________________________________________
8. _________________________________________________________________________________
9. _________________________________________________________________________________
10. _________________________________________________________________________________
11. _________________________________________________________________________________
12. _________________________________________________________________________________
Continued on next page.
22 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
13. _________________________________________________________________________________
14. _________________________________________________________________________________
15. _________________________________________________________________________________
16. _________________________________________________________________________________
17. _________________________________________________________________________________
18. _________________________________________________________________________________
19. _________________________________________________________________________________
20. _________________________________________________________________________________
21. _________________________________________________________________________________
22. _________________________________________________________________________________
23. _________________________________________________________________________________
24. _________________________________________________________________________________
25. _________________________________________________________________________________
26. _________________________________________________________________________________
27. _________________________________________________________________________________
28. _________________________________________________________________________________
29. _________________________________________________________________________________
30. _________________________________________________________________________________
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Step 2: Determine Your Expenses
In most cases, you have likely been assigned a budget for how much you will be able to spend for these
trainings. Refer to this budget now as you consider the expenses below. We have provided four checklists to
help you dra your upcoming expenses and consider what is needed for a well-run training. Use the space
provided beside each item to note how much it would cost:
General Costs
❏ Space rental: _________
❏ Additional lighting, sound, and other audio/visual needs (e.g. projectors): _________
❏ Catering for lunch and other refreshment breaks: _________
❏ Communication (e.g. phone and internet credit): _________
Transportation & Other Stipend Expenses
❏ Transportation stipends or fuel reimbursements for out-of-town attendees (round trip):
_____ (# of leaders) x _____ (cost of transportation per person) = _________ (total cost)
❏ Daily transportation stipends or fuel reimbursements for local attendees (round trip):
_____ (# of leaders) x _____ (cost of transportation per person) = _________ (total cost)
❏ Stipends for meals not covered at the training:
_____ (# of leaders) x _____ (stipend per person) = _________ (total cost)
❏ Sta transportation costs: ___________
Supply Expenses (purchase enough to cover religious leaders, sta, and speakers)
❏ Stationery: ____________
❏ Pens: ____________
❏ Notebooks: ____________
❏ Flip charts: ____________
❏ Flip chart easel: ____________
❏ Folders: ____________
❏ ID badge supplies: ID tag holders, ID pre-perforated paper, lanyards or clips: ____________
Continued on next page.
24 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
❏ Markers of various colors: ____________
❏ Printer paper / Reams of bond paper: ____________
❏ Staplers and staples: ____________
❏ Toners and inks for printers: ____________
❏ Other supplies not listed above: ____________
Labor and Other Expenses
❏ Payments for facilitators and consultants: ____________
❏ Sta time: ____________
❏ Other indirect costs: ____________
A Note About Venues
When considering a venue,
look for locations that have
the following qualities:
❏ Seating capacity. Your desired
number might be determined at the
end of the budget process, but begin
by looking for spaces that can seat
30 or more people. Additionally,
seats should be arranged in a large
semi-circle or C-shape to facilitate
communication.
❏ Ample lighting
❏ Good audio and visual system
(including sound system, screen, or
large wall for PowerPoints)
❏ Catering or dining hall availability
for meals and breaks
❏ Clean bathrooms
❏ Safe and ample parking
❏ Accessible but slightly removed
from central business districts. is
prevents attendees from leaving
the training early to attend to other
business, but also makes the meeting
accessible to those who live far away.
Additionally, try to secure a venue,
accommodations, transportation,
and other vendors as far in advance
as possible. ere are few things
more stressful than trying to nd
last minute drivers, hotel rooms, or
conference space!
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Step 3: Create the Agenda
In tandem with creating your list of expenses, begin thinking about the agenda for your training. As stated
previously, the training agenda should contain the following components: a technical review of family
planning policies on an international, national, and local (if needed) level; a review of family planning from a
faith perspective (e.g. the Biblical basis for family planning); an overview of each family planning method with
time for discussion, time for attendees to talk in small groups and synthesize information; and how to engage
government ocials and the media on family planning issues.
e following pages have sample agendas for your reference. Note that the rst one is for religious leaders who
have no or limited exposure to family planning advocacy. e second is for a follow up training — budget
permitting — wherein leaders who have already been sensitized can come together and discuss their advocacy
successes from the previous months.
Do not worry about having a “nal” agenda ready at this point — that will come together as you conrm
which speakers are able to attend and how many attendees will be at the event. However, you should try to
have each section of the agenda lled with a potential speaker so that you can include them in your invitation
list (see Step 4).
As always, remember to adapt the templates to the needs of your specic community.
A Note on the AFP Sessions in the Agenda:
A full AFP SMART training — which includes a full walk through of preliminary landscape assessment and
creation of an advocacy plan — can last three to ve days. Presented with limited time and resources, CHAK,
CHAZ, and EPN condensed their AFP overview to a two-day session that covered Steps 1-7. A comprehensive
overview of their communications pieces (e.g. interacting with media) was covered in a second training not
shown here.
Remember that selecting a strong facilitator will aid the success of your training outcomes. With limited
resources, we condensed the training to two days for Steps 1-7, and went back and did the Communications
Advocacy pieces in a second training. Working with a local civil society representative familiar with the AFP
framework is key. Consider having this individual meet with your sta to review your advocacy plan before the
training, and have them serve as the lead facilitator for your AFP sessions.
26 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Sample Template for an Initial Religious Leader Advocacy Training
e Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Advocating for Family Planning
Date: [Insert date in preferred format; include day, month and year]
Venue: [Insert name of location, city, state, and country (if internationally attended)]
Hosted by [Organization Name]
With support from [Donor if you have one]
Meeting Goals:
• Update the religious leaders with an overview of family planning services, trends, and challenges across
counties/districts.
• Build alliances among faith-based groups to work together to strengthen FP services.
• Educate religious leaders on advocacy strategies and create an action plan with “quick wins” to address FP
challenges through closer coordination with the MOH.
AGENDA
Day 1: Date
8:00am – 5:00pm
Time Session Facilitator
8:00 – 8:30am Registration / Meet and Greet (breakfast provided)
8:30 – 8:45am Devotion Ask a religious leader
ahead of time to prepare
8:45 – 9:05am Welcoming remarks, Meeting Objectives – Why are we
gathered here together?
• Objectives should include why FP is important to community
9:05 – 9:20am Introductions, expectations, norms, logistics
9:10 – 10:00am
is section is
conducted if
participants are
aliated with health
facilities. If
this doesn’t apply
to your participants,
adapt this section to
your needs.
Short Description of the facilities:
• Where is your organization located?
• How many total patients do you serve? How many FP
clients do you serve?
• How many years have you been providing FP services?
• Which FP commodities do you provide?
• Where do you obtain FP products? How do you get them?
• Do you charge clients for FP commodities or for FP
services?
• Do your facilities experience stock outs of FP products?
• How do you forecast your supply needs?
Ask religious
leaders to bring this
information to the
meeting with them
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10:00 – 10:20am What is Family Planning?
• Dene family planning
• Overview of family planning statistics in your country
10:20 – 11:20am
• Overview of family planning methods (See CHAK
slideshow in Step 5)
• Overview of myths and misconceptions
Nurse or Doctor
11:20 – 11:35am Tea Break and Group Photo
11:35am –12:15pm Discussion (in small groups – # of small groups depends on
size of total group – need facilitators for each group)
1. What does your faith tradition teach about family planning
(FP)?
2. Do religious leaders in your community preach about these
topics? Are they discussed in women’s groups? Youth groups?
Men’s groups?
3. What are the challenges of keeping FP supplies available in
your clinics?
4. What actions can faith leaders take together at the national
level to increase the availability of FP supplies in your clinics?
12:15 – 1:00pm Small Group Reports
1:00 – 2:00pm Lunch and Networking
2:00 – 3:30pm Advance Family Planning (AFP) Smart Guide – Advocacy
Training: Phase I – Build Consensus:
Step 1 – Decide who to involve
Step 2 – Set SMART Objective
3:30 – 3:45pm Tea Break
4:00 – 4:45pm AFP Smart Guide – Advocacy Training Phase 2:
Focus Eorts
Step 3 – Identify the Decisionmaker
4:45 – 5:00pm Summary of Day 1
Set-up for Day 2
28 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Day 2: Date
8:00am – 4:00pm
Time Session Facilitator
8:00 – 8:45am Breakfast and Check-In
8:45 – 9:00am Overview of Day 2
9:00 – 10:00am AFP Smart Guide – Advocacy Training Phase 2: Focus Eorts
Step 4 – Review the Context
Step 5 – Know the Decisionmaker
10:00 –11:00am AFP Smart Guide – Advocacy Training Phase 2: Focus Eorts
Step 6 – Determine the Ask
11:00 –11:15am Tea Break
11:15 –12:30am AFP Smart Guide – Advocacy Training Phase 3 Achieve Change:
Step 7 – Develop an Advocacy Plan
12:30 – 1:30pm Lunch
1:30 – 3:00pm Discussion:
• What next steps are needed to continue the engagement, or to
ensure those in the room can continue to devote time to this group?
• What other questions do we need to discuss?
3:00 – 3:30pm Develop work plans
3:30 – 4:00pm Closing
1. Wrap Up/Next steps
2. ank You
3. Complete evaluation (and then receive per diem)
4. Closing Prayer
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Sample Template for Second or Follow-Up Trainings
Religious Leaders Family Planning Training
Hosted at location: Date
Arrival Date
Day 1: Date
Time Activity Facilitator
8:30 – 9:30am Registration
Ground Setting, Introductions, Objectives, Expectations & Ground
Rules, Welcoming Remark & Ocial Opening
9:30 – 10:00am Group Activity: Bible verses supporting Family Planning
10:00 – 10:30am Break
10:30 – 11:30am Status of Family Planning in your country with regard to the FP2020
commitments
MOH Ocial
11:30am – Noon Any other updates on FP in your country by your partners or your
organization’s work
Noon – 1:00pm Report from churches on their FP engagements
1:00 – 2:00pm Lunch
2:00 – 3:15pm Working with the media in advancing FP
3:15 – 3:40pm Break
3:40 – 4:30pm Working with the media in advancing FP
Day 2: Date
Time Activity Facilitator
8:30 – 8:45am Recap of day 1
8:45 – 10:00am Media Interviews for Religious Leaders
10:00 – 10:30am Break
10:30 – 11:00am Group work: Charting next steps for FP Champions
11:00am – 12:30pm Plenary & Resolutions
12:30pm Lunch
1:30 – 6:00pm Mock Interview: Practice Mock Interviews & Conduct Real Media
Interviews (prescheduled) Includes travel time to media site
30 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Step 4: Inviting Religious Leaders
Once you determine how many attendees your budget will allow for, go back to your original list of desired
invitees and narrow it down. Try to maintain diversity of beliefs and geographic regions as much as possible,
as well as including a balance of male and female leaders. Plan on inviting a few more people than you can
accommodate, since it is likely that not everyone will be able to attend. Ultimately, the training should consist
of as many religious leaders as your organization is able to accommodate without making sacrices on the
quality of the training content. If this will be your rst advocacy activity, we recommend starting with at most
25 participants. is number allows you to accommodate a diverse group with high participation.
Invitations should also be sent out to other family planning policy stakeholders, especially those you would like
to speak at the event. ese may include:
• Representatives of partner civil society organizations
• Senior sta from the Ministry of Health
• Sta from media outlets for follow up or secondary trainings with media engagement sessions
• Community members who are existing allies and champions of family planning practices
Send out invitations as soon as possible, preferably at least
one month before the training. On the next page is a
sample invitation letter; remember to adapt it to your needs
and print it on your organization’s letterhead.
Additional logistic information to include in the letters
might be:
• Stipend amounts provided for transportation
and meals, and/or a reminder to bring receipts for
transportation reimbursement
• Stipend amounts provided for accommodations or
details on any accommodations that have been provided
for them.
• If you wish for the recipient to speak at the meeting,
provide a topic and how long you would like them to
speak, then follow up with a phone call three to ve days
aer the invitation is sent.
e following denominations were
invited to and attended a religious leader
training with CHAZ in the Spring of 2016.
Representatives from these churches went
on to advocate for family planning in their
churches and local communities, and on
radio programs.
Brethren In Christ (BIC)
Christian Mission in Many Lands (CMML)
Church of Christ
Church of God
Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ)
Evangelical Church in Zambia
Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ)
Lutheran Church
Northern Baptist
Pilgrim Wesleyan Church
Reformed Church of Zambia
Salvation Army
Seventh Day Adventist (SDA)
Union Baptist
United Church in Zambia (UCZ)
Zambia Anglican Council
Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC)
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[Insert Date Here]
Bishop Johnson [sample name]
Organization Name
Address
Dear Bishop Johnson, [sample name]
Re: Religious Leaders Family Planning Meeting [or insert name of event here]
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. e Secretariat is running a program for Advocacy
on Family Planning; this program among other things is focusing on increasing the involvement of Religious
Leaders in Family Planning as an intervention to improve Maternal and Child Health in [insert country
name]. is eort is also in support of [insert country name]’s 2020 Family Planning scale up plan.
It is in this light that the Secretariat together with its partners in [any partnering organizations] is
holding a workshop for Religious leaders in Advocacy on Family Planning. e meeting will explore how
faith communities can play a more cohesive and eective role in family planning. e meeting will bring
together Church Mother Bodies, Religious groups and institutions, Government and Non-Governmental
Organizations.
e meeting will be held at the [venue name] on the [dates of meeting], the last day will end at midday. [your
organization’s name] will provide all the necessary logistics for all participants. You are invited to be part of
this meeting.
Find attached the agenda, for further information, contact [insert name, title, and contact information for
person in charge of agenda and/or logistics],
Yours Sincerely,
[Sign all letters by hand here]
[Event Manager or Executive Director’s Name]
[Title of Person Signing]
32 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Step 5: Finalize Agenda & Logistics
Rening Your Agenda
As you receive responses from the people on your invitation list, refer back to your dra agenda to see whether
you need to contact dierent speakers, plan for more or fewer small group discussions, or if — in an extreme
case — you need to consider changing to a larger or smaller venue. Also, consider inviting more speakers,
religious leaders, or other representatives from civil society if you see a lack of diversity in your attending
guests. A variety of opinions and points of view will greatly enrich your discussions around family planning.
In any event, you should have a nal agenda in place about 10 days before the event begins, if not sooner.
Additionally, below are resources to help you with each part of the agenda.
• General Guides: K4Health: bit.ly/k4healthgen is is very technical and comprehensive
• Advocacy Training:
• Advance Family Planning (AFP): advancefamilyplanning.org/portfolio
• available in English & French
• K4Health: bit.ly/K4HealthRLs
• EPN’s Contact Magazine #200: bit.ly/EPNAdvocacyMag
• Religous Leader Advocacy in Malawi (country-specic perspective): bit.ly/RLAdvocacy_Malawi
• Pathnder International: bit.ly/PathnderIntlAdvocacy
• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): bit.ly/AdvocacyTool
• World Health Organization (WHO): bit.ly/WHOAdvocacy
• Basic Description of Major Religions’ views on FP: bit.ly/religionsFP
• Biblical Basis of Family Planning (all CCIH-aliated):
• Faith Matters: International Family Planning from a Christian Perspective: ccih.org/Faith-Matters-
FPChristian-Perspective.pdf
• “Talking about Family Planning: Inviting the Bible to the Table” | Presentation by Reverend Jackson
Day, United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society: ccih.org/Faith-Matters-UMC-
Family-Planning-Bible-to-Table.pdf
• FP2020 Resources: familyplanning2020.org/commitments
• Family Planning Methods:
• K4Health, Johns Hopkins University, USAID, and WHO: fphandbook.org/downloads
• WHO: Decision-making tool for family planning clients and providers: http://www.who.int/
reproductivehealth/publications/family_planning/9241593229index/en/
• Adapted for CHAK, with assistance from the Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH):
ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide, see slideshow titled “Kenya — A guide to family planning
for health workers and their clients”
• Adapted for Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau (UPMB), with assistance from the Institute
for Reproductive Health (IRH): ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide, see slideshow titled
“Uganda — A guide to family planning for health workers and their clients”
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• UPMB: ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide, see slideshow titled “WHAT IS HEALTHY
TIMING AND SPACING OF PREGNANCIES AND WHY SHOULD I NEED TO KNOW?”
• Media Engagement:
• K4Health: bit.ly/K4HealthMedia
• CCIH: ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide
Finalizing Logistics
Logistical complications can sometimes overshadow events that otherwise had excellent speakers and
presentation content. To ensure your attendees have a positive experience, reference the following
action items two weeks before your training begins.
❏ Collect presentations (e.g. PowerPoints) from all presenters (consultants, sta, etc.)
❏ Contact all vendors (venue, hotel, transportation company, etc.) to conrm they have all the details
needed for the event.
❏ Complete any payment vouchers needed and withdraw cash disbursements two days prior to the
training. Ensure you have a sta person identied who will handle the monetary portion of the event
so the sta facilitating the training can focus on their tasks.
❏ Assemble training packets for each attendee that contain the following (modify as needed):
❏ Printout of the training agenda
❏ Printouts of all presentations
❏ Copies of all information, education, and communication materials (IECs) needed for the
meeting
❏ ID badges / name tags
❏ Fact sheets on FP, HTSP, and any relevant government policies
❏ Any registration papers you need
❏ Pens
❏ Paper/note pads for notes
34 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Step 6: Conduct the Trainings
e actual execution of the trainings is fairly straightforward. Rather than give a checklist or step-by-step
instructions, we have included some advice below for how to ensure your sessions run smoothly, have an
inclusive atmosphere, and positively promote FP and HTSP.
Before You Begin
★ Create lists of everything you need to bring to the venue, including attendance or sign-in lists.
★ Remember that out-of-town religious leaders may arrive the day before and leave the day
aer the training ends. Set out a registration table for people to check in and out as needed.
★ Have all cash disbursements counted out and ready for distribution beforehand. Assign
someone to distribute funds at registration.
During the Training
★ At the opening session, state the objective(s) of the training and what you hope people
will take away from it.
★ Lay out clear expectations and a code of conduct. Emphasize that anyone should feel
comfortable asking questions or expressing an opinion, and that everyone should respect others’
beliefs.
★ Try to ensure diversity among small discussion group members, and/or encourage those on
opposite ends of the FP spectrum to have a dialogue at least once during the training.
★ Make sure sessions stay on topic, and remember to link all activities back to your original
project goals.
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Step 7: Launch Advocacy Activities
e last day of your training should include a session on possible advocacy activities for religious leaders.
Have religious leaders commit to one or more of the suggested activities below, keeping in mind who
would be the messengers to a given audience. For example, the religious leaders who would have great
success in leading Bible study groups might be dierent from the one who should meet with district and
national government ocials. We also recommend having a health practitioner accompany religious
leaders to government meetings, in case government ocials ask the religious leaders questions requiring
technical expertise.
Remember: Identifying who the best people are to deliver your message to decision
makers is as important as identifying your decisionmakers.
ose impacted by FP advocacy eorts are generally divided into two target groups: those who will
be directly aected by the policy change you desire (community members), and the decisionmakers
discussed in the Advocacy Plan section. Below are some activities faith-based organizations and religious
leaders have carried out with success. In the boxes on this page and the next are some activities and feel
free to think of more with your strategic planning team.
Encourage religious leaders and any other advocates (FBO representatives, community members, etc.)
to conduct these activities in pairs or small groups. Remember that policy change does not happen
overnight, and involves action from all stakeholders on an ongoing basis.
Advocacy Activities Targeting Government Ocials & Other Decisionmakers
★ Schedule meetings with government ocials to voice your “ask”. is activity is the most
common example.
★ Schedule health facility tours for government ocials, e.g. Ministry of Health, to show the
programs and people their policy changes would aect.
★ Join government-sponsored national working groups as an FBO representative.
★ Invite at least one government ocial to each religious leader training, in order to foster
communication and understanding.
36 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Where to go from here?
As alluded to throughout this section, we have found that one religious leader training is oen insucient
for eective FP advocacy. Existing FP champions and religious leader FP advocates benet from follow up
training sessions, which can also be catered to additional leaders identied in the community that were not
on your rst invitation list. In some instances, for example, advocates may need a refresher course on FP and
HTSP methods or why it is important from a health or biblical perspective. Others may request additional
training on how to eectively communicate their “asks” to the media and government ocials. Furthermore,
they allow religious leaders to share experiences, including lessons learned, challenges, and work together to
adapt their advocacy plan and how to move forward. Advocacy activities and follow up trainings or meetings
should continue (time and budget permitting) until your SMART objectives are achieved. e Monitoring and
Evaluation section will suggest tools and methods for tracking the outcomes of your activities.
Advocacy Activities Targeting Community Members
★ Incorporate messages on HTSP into Sunday sermons — see a short video from Fr. John
Waihiga of the Orthodox Church Kimende in Kiambu County, Kenya at bit.ly/FrWaihiga
★ Bible Study Groups on Family Planning — see the Love, Children, and Family Planning
Bible Study Guide at ccih.org/Love-Children-Family-Planning.pdf
★ Encourage churches (or other faith-based groups) to write down their beliefs on family
planning — See ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide for Church Denomination Statements on FP and
how they were formed (approximately 2-month process).
★ Reach out to church/other faith-based youth groups with family planning and HTSP
messages. See ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide for some sample messages.
★ Secure guest speaker spots on national radio or television shows to talk about religious leader
support of family planning and answer common misconceptions and myths. See
ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide for a sample video clip of CHAK television advocacy (in Kikuyu).
★ Write a letter to the editor or opinion piece for a local publication on why religious leaders
support family planning. See here for a sample op-ed written by faith leaders: theguardian.
com/global-development/2015/oct/15/family-planning-religious-leaders-leap-of-faith
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Tapping into the Global Community:
Who Else Is Doing FP Advocacy?
T
hroughout the entire process, never hesitate to reach out to other faith-based organizations and
networks that are also working to promote the healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies. e few
multinational networks below (list is not exhaustive) should serve as resources on nding partners in or
near your target community:
Faith-Based Networks & Organizations
Africa Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP): africachap.org
ACHAP works with 34 Christian Health organizations across Africa to promote access to quality health care.
Christian Connections for International Health: ccih.org
“CCIH’s goal is to share information and provide a forum for dialogue, networking, advocacy, and fellowship
to the ever-increasing spectrum of organizations and individuals interested in how transformational Christian
faith has a positive impact on international health.” Many FP resources available on their website. See Step 5 of
Trainings & Advocacy section for more.
Advocacy Resources: see Family Planning & Reproductive Health under Resources section.
Faith to Action Network: faithtoactionetwork.org
is inter-faith network is based in Nairobi, Kenya and works with religious leaders all over the world.
Resources and case studies on their website of advocacy for FP in many dierent countries.
IMA World Health: imaworldhealth.org
“IMA’s vision of health, healing and well-being for all is based on the Christian call to serve one another. e
founding members of IMA, Protestant Churches and church-based organizations, chose to be intentionally
ecumenical to provide health services and to build healthy communities around the world.” As of 2016 their
global oces are in Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Indonesia, South Sudan, Tanzania and the United
States.
World Vision International: wvi.org
Read World Vision’s HTSP resources here: www.wvi.org/maternal-newborn-and-child-health/healthy-timing-
and-spacing-pregnancies
Read World Vision’s resources on religious leader engagement here: www.worldvision.org/sites/default/les/
pdf/Engaging-Faith-Leaders-Family-Planning.pdf
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Secular Networks & Organizations
Secular networks and organizations have also proven themselves to be strong allies to faith-based family planning
advocacy. Here are a few examples of networks you may want to contact, especially those with a presence in your
country of interest:
Advance Family Planning (AFP): advancefamilyplanning.org
AFP is comprised of 20 organizations working to advance the goals of FP2020 (below and mentioned above).
ey focus their advocacy eorts “on the discrete policy and funding decisions critical to advancing family
planning in a given setting.”
Advancing Partners and Communities (APC): advancingpartners.org/community-health-matters/faith-
community-matters
Advancing Partners & Communities (APC) collaborates with FBOs to strengthen their community health and
family planning capacity.
FP2020: familyplanning2020.org
FP2020 is a global partnership of the private and public sector, which “aims to expand access to family planning
information, services, and supplies to an additional 120 million women and girls in 69 of the world’s poorest
countries by 2020.”
FHI360: i360.org/expertise/family-planning
FHI360 addresses family planning needs from 5 dierent angles: contraceptive technology innovation; research
and research utilization; country-level programs; product quality and compliance; and providing expertise in key
technical areas.
Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH): irh.org/focus-areas/family_planning
IRH is an expert at integrating fertility awareness methods into faith-based and public sector family planning
programs as well as working with FBOs and religious leaders to strengthen their family planning capacity. Many
resources and tools available on their website.
JSI: bit.ly/JSI_FP
JSI has developed women- and youth-centered programs throughout the world aimed at addressing unmet needs
for family planning information, services, and supplies.
PAI’s Faith + Family Planning Initiative: bit.ly/PAI_FPInititative
Faith Plus Family Planning is a new initiative of PAI. e $1 million fund provides faith-based organizations in
the developing world with small grants and technical support to hold governments accountable for providing
quality family planning and reproductive health services. French-speaking candidates welcome.
PATH: path.org/our-work/reproductive-health.php
PATH is currently developing women-centered contraceptives, spreading youth-friendly FP education and
resources, and working to prevent contraceptive stock outs.
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Monitoring & Evaluation: Is is Working?
My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the
full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely,
Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. — Colossians 2:2-3
Time Needed: Ongoing throughout project
A
dvocacy activities can be dicult to monitor and evaluate, because it oen takes months or years for
your nal goal — policy change — to be achieved. at is why it is crucial to pick a SMART goal from
the beginning of your program, e.g. increase funding by 5% in three years for family planning services
for couples. You will then measure how well you are achieving this goal through tracking your measurable and
attainable objectives.
e key to eective monitoring and evaluation
(oen referred to as M&E), is picking clear
indicators that will measure how well you are
progressing toward your objectives. Indicators
are things that are tangible, e.g. attendance
at a training of religious leaders; surveys
showing increased support for family planning
methods within a community; and written
agreements between FBOs and Ministries
of Health supporting FP services and
commodities. Ultimately, the indicators you
choose should align with the types of advocacy
activities you decide to carry out. Samples of
tracking sheets, surveys, and other M&E tools
can be found at ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide.
Here are SMART Goal and Objectives: Goal: Increase
funding by 5% in three years for family planning
services for couples.
Objectives:
• Increase capacity of 10 local religious leaders to advocate
for improved family planning funding in your target
community by [insert appropriate date here].
• Increase use of family planning methods among couples
in your target community from x% to x% (based on data
you’ve collected from health centers in your community) by
[insert appropriate date here].
• Strengthen ties between Ministry of Health and local
faith-based organizations on providing family planning
services, commodities, and additional stang to address
sta shortages at strategic FBO health facilities by [insert
appropriate date here].
Here are sample indicators for the objective “increase capacity of 10 local religious leaders to advocate
for improved family planning funding in your target community by x date”:
1. Measured increase in knowledge of FP/HTSP among religious leaders, based on pre-test and post-test
surveys taken at trainings (see resources at ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide).
2. Number of radio interviews with religious leaders discussing why FP/HTSP are important.
3. Number of sermons or bible studies held discussing the importance of FP/HTSP.
4. Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) signed between government ocials and faith-based health facilities.
5. Attitude change regarding FP/HTSP among any of the following groups: religious leader advocates;
community members; health facility personnel; and/or government ocials.
40 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
At ccih.org/fp-advocacy-guide, you can nd M&E tools that CCIH, CHAK, CHAZ and
EPN have created to measure two of the aforementioned indicators:
1. Pre-test and post-test surveys to measure change in knowledge and attitude of
religious leaders attending trainings
2. M&E tool to measure attitude change correlated with family planning bible study
groups
Once you have chosen what types of indicators you will monitor, you must then establish targets for each
indicator. Your targets should be achievable, but at the same time reect true progress toward your objectives
and SMART Goal. At this time, you may have to look back at your Landscape Assessment to see what
targets are best suited for your community. If you are working in a small town, for example, perhaps 10
sermons promoting FP is a realistic but still impactful goal. If you are operating in multiple sites, with many
congregations, or throughout an entire country, perhaps 50 sermons or 100 bible study sessions should be your
target. In the end, your progress will then be measured by how close you come to achieving these targets.
Measuring Success
CHAZ has done signicant advocacy work on the national level. us, they chose indicators for success that
reect the high-level policy nature of their activities. ese include:
• A Policy Brief on the need for increased investments in Family Planning.
• A position paper showing delays in implementing the decision to task shi injectable contraceptives to
Community Based Distributors, including evidence of its benets and the cost of delaying the decision.
• Approved National Guidelines on task shiing of injectable contraceptives to Community Based
Distributors.
In contrast, CHAK focuses on county-level advocacy and lobbies for specic service delivery-centered “asks”
to County Senators. For example, their indicators for success in one County included:
• Provision of “seconded sta” from the Ministry of Health, who would work in short-staed CHAK-run
facilities.
• Provision of supplies used for family planning services, including: an ambulance, family planning
commodities, and oce equipment to support health facility administration.
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Common Challenges: How Do
You Address Potential Problems?
W
hile you may have done your best to select a goal and objectives with existing momentum (see
Step 2 of Advocacy Plan), you may encounter resistance or skepticism during your religious leader
trainings and ensuing advocacy activities. Here are some common issues that may arise and
possible solutions:
Lack of Support for Family Planning Among Religious Leaders
Advocacy is a continual learning process. Do not be discouraged if religious leaders do not immediately grasp
the benets of family planning. Encourage those who seem skeptical to explain their concerns so you can address
them from both a spiritual and medical perspective (with assistance from a medical professional, especially when
reviewing each family planning method). If possible, arrange for peer-to-peer discussions with other religious
leaders who have overcome their own misunderstandings and skepticism regarding family planning. Listening to
a peer they can relate to may be the most eective strategy in turning skeptics into advocates.
Remember that the core denition of family planning from a faith-based perspective is
to safely time and space pregnancies. As stated in the introductory section, this guide’s
denition of family planning does not include abortion as an FP method.
Lack of Support for Family Planning Funding Among Government Ocials
is is why it is key to have government ocials meet with advocates they respect, who will discuss with them why
family planning is important to their communities. Advocates may use statistics, moral arguments, or whatever is
needed to inuence that particular government ocial (see Step 3 and 4 of Advocacy Plan section). Additionally,
government ocials are inuenced by people in the community. If you nd that government ocials are hesitant to
support family planning, spend time generating more interest and demand within the community the ocials serve.
Inability to Contact Government Ocials or Other Decisionmakers
Each government system is dierent; therefore, when you are determining your list of decisionmakers,
remember to identify who might also enable you to schedule a meeting with your target decisionmakers
(see Steps 3 and 4 of Advocacy Plan section). If a government ocial is being unresponsive, you may have to
change your approach. If a phone call is not working, perhaps show up at the oce of the government entity
and see if you can leave a message with someone in-person. Perhaps there is someone else on sta who might
be willing and able to meet with you, and may have more time and energy to address your advocacy “asks.”
It is always benecial to build relationships with people who work with the key
decisionmakers, since many decisionmakers do not work alone.
Little or No Funding for Advocacy Activities
Funding for advocacy activities can be dicult to secure. We encourage you to set measurable goals and
42 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
objectives, and to keep track of your indicators. Having data helps inuence donors to fund future advocacy
activities. Additionally, here are some suggestions on minimizing costs for your current program: keep travel
costs low by going to where people are instead of having them come to you; try to train people in their own
communities or health facilities (instead of requesting they travel somewhere else); and talk to your local
churches to see if they can help provide meals or supplies for trainings.
No Technical Expertise Available
If you do not have access to medical professionals, stick to using trusted sources, such as the manuals provided
in Step 5 of the Trainings & Advocacy section. It is crucial that you do not invent or make up information,
even if it convinces people that FP/HTSP is benecial. If a religious leader asks a question you do not know
the answer to — whether spiritual or medical — write it down, then nd the answer from the appropriate
professional and respond to the religious leader in a timely fashion. In order to minimize this from occurring,
we highly encourage you to ask a doctor or nurse from a faith-based health center, clinic or hospital who
provides FP services to present on family planning methods at all your religious leader trainings. e doctor/
nurse does not need to stay for the entire training, but request that they share their experiences and answer as
many questions as possible. Ultimately, it is important for religious leaders to understand the family planning
methods before they can eectively advocate for stronger FP commodity supply chains and the provision of FP
services.
What are challenges that you are worried may occur? How can you anticipate and plan for them in your
advocacy plan, budget line items, and/or religious leader trainings?
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Final Note
Congratulations, you have made it to the end of this guide! We hope that launching your
FP advocacy program, whether it be your rst or your hundredth, was a fruitful journey.
We would love to hear from you with any questions, comments, success stories or
challenges. Please feel free to email [email protected] and we will respond to you shortly.
Please include the phrase “Religious Leader Advocacy Guide” in the subject of your email.
44 Family Planning Advocacy rough Religious Leaders: A Guide for Faith Communities
Additional Notes
