Share4Rare toolkit for patient advocacy
Developing your strategy
Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash
Goal
To make an impact on the world, you want to know what exact problem you are solving, and for whom. This is your goal, and defines what themes or focus areas are most important for the success of your advocacy. It can be that you have multiple goals for multiple stakeholders. If so, make it clear in your strategy document by adding chapters and topics.
Objectives
In order to make progress tangible and to meet or reach your goal, you need objectives. These are definitions of your milestones that need to be achieved in order to accomplish your goal. Just as you can have multiple goals, the objectives can also vary per topic.
Strategy
Then, you can define your solutions for these objectives, while you keep your mission and vision statement in the back of your mind. What do you need to change or accomplish in order to meet those objectives? How do you measure success?
Tactics
Break down your strategies into tactics, by creating the stepping stones towards implementing the strategy. How are you going to do this? Assign certain employers or people to this task to create responsibilities and working groups.
Milestones
Milestones are small but steady victories that enable you to share your success and validate your tactics. They are tangible results of your long-term objectives.
Evaluation
Think of your strategy plan more of a process than a single solution or pathway. Your advocacy grows and changes, and goals and objectives may change throughout time. The same goes for society and technology: it keeps developing, and you want to steer your ship accordingly. Plan in regular meetings to evaluate the document, sharpen goals, redefine your tactics, and celebrate your milestones.