Advocacy in Action - International AIDS Society

Example: Preparing briefing note and position paper
Headings for a position paper on compulsory HIV testing of sex workers (SWs)
1 Statement of main recommendation: Compulsory testing does not promote public
health and violates human rights and civil liberties.
2 Background: Explanation of why the position paper has been written. List of laws,
international treaties, policies, etc., that support the recommendation.
3 Evidence supporting the recommendation:
a) Quantitative evidence: Facts and figures showing that compulsory testing:
• does not reduce HIV transmission
• can increase transmission through negative impact on health care and education
of sex workers.
b) Qualitative evidence: Case studies, personal testimonies, anecdotes or examples
describing the negative impact of compulsory testing on individual SWs and clients.
4 Our position: Logical explanation of how the evidence leads to the recommendations.
Answers to possible questions or objections.
5 Recommendations: Specific, realistic actions that the decision-maker can take, i.e.,
stop compulsory testing, increase education and access to health care.
6 Organisations and individuals supporting this position paper.
Reference: Adapted from an advocacy workshop, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Philippines, November 1998.
Example: Using position papers to influence government policy, Kenya
In Kenya, recommendations from position papers prepared by the Kenya AIDS NGO Consortium
(KANCO) were incorporated into the government's 1997 Sessional Paper on AIDS, the country's first
comprehensive national policy on HIV/AIDS.
KANCO’s position papers made eight policy recommendations, based on issues, opinions and
experiences developed in a national consultation exercise. NGO personnel, religious leaders, civil
servants and policy-makers were all consulted.
The position papers were given to members of the government-appointed subcommittees who drafted
the Sessional Paper. As a result of this collaboration between KANCO and the Ministry of Health, all
eight priority issues were addressed in the final document.
Advocacy in Action Card 2 Preparing a briefing note/position paper
Reference: Making Prevention Work, Global Lessons Learned from the AIDS Control and Prevention (AIDSCAP)
Project 1991-1997.
Advice
✔ Try to use appropriate language for
your target audiences.
✔ Try to tailor your position paper/briefing
note to a particular audience for a
particular reason.
✔ Try to give full references of any
research or information quoted.
✔ Try to be brief and to the point.
✔ Try to ask others for ideas before writing.
✔ Try to make sure the appropriate
people have been consulted.
✔ Try to ensure that everyone in the
organisation understands the position
the organisation is taking.
✔ Try to read it carefully for mistakes
before sending or using it.
✘ Try not to distribute a position paper
that contradicts what you have said.
✘ Try not to include the words
‘advocating’ or ‘advocacy’.
✘ Try not to include irrelevant information.
✘ Try not to waffle – make clear points
and highlight them with bullet points.
✘ Try not to quote people without their
permission or break confidentiality in
case studies.
✘ Try not to use abbreviations unless
necessary.