J R McKenzie Trust is a familiar name in the philanthropic sector. You may have even obtained funding from the Trust.

The See Here: A Policy Change Advocacy Project report is an evaluation of a five-year advocacy project that J R McKenzie Trust undertook to highlight the needs of children with moderate vision impairment. Through receiving an increase in the number of funding applications for spectacles, J R McKenzie Trust did some research and identified that these children were falling through the cracks in health and education policy, and that changes to policy were needed to ensure they are identified early to get the help they need. The Trust then embarked on the advocacy project.

The subject of this project may not be of much interest to you, but the report still makes an interesting read because of the strategic way J R McKenzie Trust approached the matter. For example they:

1. Identified a need.
2. Confirmed the need by conducting research and by testing their project idea with relevant stakeholders.
3. Ensured no one else was already advocating for the same group.
4. Established a project infrastructure and governance structure.
5. Gathered and analysed information to form their case.
6. Launched their case (via a report and summary brochure) in a professional manner, utilising the media and political lobbying.
7. Progressed implementation of recommendations presented in the case through a variety of means (e.g. developing parent communications in multiple languages to advise them of Ministry of Health spectacle subsidies).
8. Evaluating the project.

The report has a number of learnings that are especially relevant to advocacy projects designed at social change.