Advocacy
Navigating the political process
Finding the right moment and the right place to raise your concern
You’re working on an issue, you know it better than most, and you know what needs to change. It’s rarely a lack of good arguments that’s the problem. What’s missing is the knowledge of when decisions are actually made in the political process and who is the right person to approach at that stage.
mappp traces the path of a bill from the initial idea right through to its passing, including the informal steps that aren’t covered in any textbook. This makes it clear where an issue can have an impact and where the window of opportunity has already closed.
Recognising when a decision is actually taken in a legislative process
See who is available at which stage
Understanding how formal and informal channels coexist
Aligning one’s own planning with the political calendar
Understand why a claim was submitted too late
Free of charge, non-profit and available without registration
What stage is your cause at right now?
No one is talking about it yet
Your issue is known, but it is not on the political agenda. The key question now is how an issue gets onto that agenda in the first place: through political parties and their manifestos, through the media, through petitions, through court rulings, or through crises that create a window of opportunity. mappp displays these avenues side by side and helps you identify which one is best suited to your situation.
Agenda-setting phase (Opens in new tab)
A bill is currently being drafted
A proposal has been announced or is included in the coalition agreement, and the text is currently being drafted by the ministry. This is the stage at which the wording is finalised, and at the same time the one that is most difficult for outsiders to follow. mappp shows who is involved at this stage, at which points comments are invited, and when feedback can still bring about changes.
Implementation phase (Opens in new tab)
The decision is imminent
The draft is ready and is moving through the legislative process. There is less room for manoeuvre, but it is not closed off: committee deliberations, public hearings, the Bundesrat, amendments. mappp shows which stages are still to come and who has influence at each stage.
Decision-making phase (Opens in new tab)Learning from others
Workshops and support
mappp is a tool. It is most effective when applied to a specific issue.
imagineers lab (Opens in new tab) develops and facilitates programmes in which organisations use mappp to work on their own issues: using real-life case studies, following the stages of the legislative process, both online and in person. The programmes are aimed at organisations that wish to engage in political work without having a dedicated department for this purpose. The programme is entitled ‘From Issue to Political Impact’.
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