CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION - WDN - WDN Campaign Training...CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION ... • A campaign strategy is simply a statement that describes how the ... STRUCTURE

WDN Candidate & Campaign Managers Training (31 Oct -‐ 2 Nov)

11/2/12

Presenter: John Tomaszewski, IRI Kenya 1

CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION

WHY IS A PLAN SO IMPORTANT? •  Planning ahead is key to the success of any campaign.

•  Sets the candidate’s path to victory.

•  Without a plan, the campaign will likely waste valuable resources and will be easily distracted.

•  Helps to establish benchmarks to measure the campaign’s progress.

•  Aids in identifying short-term goals, and quantify the costs to attain those goals.

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FOR A PLAN TO BE EFFECTIVE, IT MUST… •  Be flexible and well understood by all members of the campaign

team.

•  Have a central theme or vision, and specific objectives and messages.

•  Guide the candidate and his/her staff through the various decisions that need to be made.

•  Contain tactics that fit into the plan's objectives and overarching strategy.

3 STUDY THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT •  Research is the first step in campaign planning.

•  Research the geography, demographics, and the political landscape of your district.

•  Evaluate your candidacy, party and the opposition.

•  Gauge the effect of local and national events on the campaign and provide an analysis of the news media.

•  Identify party members, your base of support, undecided voters and public sentiment.

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DEFINE THE ISSUES •  Voters are motivated by issues affecting them and their families.

•  Voters want to know that the candidate they support will either address their issue, or have enough knowledge to make an informed decision if elected.

•  It is important for you to understand the key issues concerning voters in your constituency.

•  You must also know where your opponents stands.

5 FINDING THE ISSUES THAT MATTER •  Take time to make a judgment on the ‘winning issues’.

•  Polling is one of the most effective ways of identifying these issues, but it can be costly and time-consuming.

•  Focus groups are a powerful means to evaluate and test ideas, but they also take time to organize.

•  Probably the least costly and more efficient method is touring your constituency, and talking with voters about what they see as important issues.

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COMMON ISSUES CONCERNING VOTERS •  Better access to education.

•  Accessible and affordable health care.

•  Transparent and corruption-free government.

•  Improved roads and transportation.

•  Safety and security for all citizens.

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•  Availability of local government services.

•  Need to fight corruption in government.

•  Effective and efficient use of resources.

•  Inclusive government that addresses the needs of marginalized.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ISSUES THAT WORK •  Demonstrates a difference with the opponent.

•  Cannot be co-opted by your opponent.

•  Unifies supporters – no wedge can be driven between the candidate and his/her base of support.

•  Helps shield the candidate from criticism.

•  It is actually doable – it is not a complicated policy that is unlikely to be implemented once elected, but is a real solution to a problem that moves voters.

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CAMPAIGN STRATEGY •  The force driving the campaign to its objectives.

•  A campaign strategy is simply a statement that describes how the campaign will achieve it primary objective – Winning!

•  A good campaign strategy should be written down.

•  Your strategy should fit on a single sheet of paper.

9 WHAT SHOULD YOUR STRATEGY SAY? The strategy should describe:

•  Coalition of voters you will target to support you

•  Issues you will use to win your target voters

•  Contrasts you will draw with your opponent

•  Major activities the campaign will undertake

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FOUR GUIDING QUESTIONS •  Who might vote for you and why?

•  How do you prevent your opponent from reaching number of votes needed to win?

•  What do you want voters to know, think or feel about you on Election Day?

•  What do you want voters to know, think or feel about your opponent on Election Day?

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TARGET VOTERS •  A central aspect of any election strategy is identifying who is most

likely to vote for you.

•  Voter targeting is the concept of focusing campaign activities on those individuals who are most likely to support your party (your "base") and those who are undecided about their support.

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TYPES OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS •  Those who will never support your candidate or candidate no

matter what.

•  Those who might support your candidate or party but don't currently.

•  Those who will likely support your candidate or party.

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TAR

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WO

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SH

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Groups of Voters

Will Always Support Your Candidate/Party

Might Support Your Candidate/ Party

Will Never Support Your Candidate/Party


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VOTER TARGETING: THE ELECTORATE

•  Your Base: Voters who support your candidate or party and will definitely vote for your party or candidate.

•  Undecided Voters: Persuadable voters who either do not support any party or candidate or do not have strong support for either party or candidate.

•  Their Base: Voters who do not support your candidate or party and will definitely vote for the other candidate or party.

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Your Base

Undecided (or “Swing”) Voters

Their Base

WHAT IS YOUR TARGET FORMULA FOR VICTORY? •  Each base is much less than 50% of the electorate.

•  In order to win, you must convince a percentage of Undecided or “Swing” Voters to vote you.

•  You must define these voters, find out where they live and what will motivate them to vote for you.

•  Formula for Victory: In order to win, your base plus a percentage of swing voters must vote for you on Election Day.

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VOTER TARGETING: SWING VOTERS (UNDECIDED) •  Your Voters: Voters who you know will vote for your candidate or

party with little persuasion.

•  Prime Persuadables: Voters who are leaning in your direction or neutral, but need a strong reason to vote for your candidate or party.

•  Their Voters: Voters who you know will vote for the other candidate or party with little persuasion.

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COMMON CAMPAIGN FUNCTIONS •  Scheduling •  Fundraising •  Administrative Duties •  Media Relations

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•  Research •  Financial Management •  Volunteer Recruitment •  Voter Contact


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SA

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PAIG

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Candidate Organizing Steering Committee Campaign Manager

Communications Director

Spokesperson (Media Relations)

Researcher/Writer

Production (Video, Audio,

Graphics)

Online Communications

Field Director

Headquarters Volunteer

Coordinator Field Volunteer

Coordinator

District/Neighborhood

Representatives

Area Team Captains

Election Day/Voter Turnout Coordinator

Party Agent Coordinators

Finance Director

Fundraising Committee

Finance Committee

Campaign Scheduler

MATERIALS & LOGISTICS •  Printed campaign materials

•  Voter contact scripts

•  Task instructions for campaign workers

•  Campaign fact sheets for campaign workers

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•  Water and food for volunteers

•  Mobile phones and airtime

•  Voter lists and database

•  Transportation


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DETERMINE THE COST •  Prepare a campaign budget that includes projected cost for tactics,

resources, administration and mobilization.

•  Make the budget as realistic as possible.

•  Spread the cost along the timeline of planned activities so the campaign can make sure money and resources are available when they are needed.

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DEVELOP A BUDGET 22

SIMPLE BUDGET TEMPLATE

Items Es'mated Cost 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Total Cost:


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WHAT ARE YOUR RESOURCES?

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SIMPLE RESOURCE TRACKER

Items Source Es'mated Cost 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Total Cost:

DEVELOP A TIMELINE OF ACTIVITIES

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SIMPLE PLANNING WORKSHEET

Date Ac'vity Person Assigned Cost

Total Cost:


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GROUP ACTIVITY

Each candidate and her campaign manager will develop a campaign plan.

Afterward, each candidate will share her experience with the group.

Time Limit: 30 Minutes

VOLUNTEERS & RESOURCES


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IN A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT?

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Money?

People? OR

WHAT IS A VOLUNTEER?

Webster's Dictionary defines a volunteer as "one who enters into or offers oneself for any service of his own free will."

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VOLUNTEERS IN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS •  Someone who will help your campaign without being paid.

•  They are campaign treasures, jewels. You should treat them as such.

•  Without volunteers your campaign will be limited in size and scope.

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WHERE DO YOU FIND VOLUNTEERS? •  Personal friends

•  Business associates and contacts

•  Civic clubs

•  Party youth and women groups

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•  University students interested in internships and/or political campaigns

•  Professional and Veterans organizations

•  Relatives and family members


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SIGN THEM UP… •  Your campaign needs

people to help so ASK them for it.

•  Experienced volunteers will expect you to give them the honor of asking for their help.

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“Studies show that many people would be glad to help in a political campaign but they are never asked.”!

TWO PRIMARY TYPES OF VOLUNTEERS 1.  Field volunteers – Manage campaign activity for a geographical

area of voters within the electorate. Should be very responsible as they work outside the office, in their homes.

2.  Headquarters volunteers – Work in the campaign office on supervised activities such as mailings or phone banks, or on supervised literature distribution in the field.

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EXAMPLES OF VOLUNTEER JOBS •  Driving voters

•  Telephoning voters

•  Data entry

•  Staffing campaign headquarters

•  Organizing local campaign events

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•  Distributing campaign literature

•  Fundraising

•  Door-to-door canvassing

•  Recruiting more volunteers

VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

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Field Director

Field Volunteer Coordinator

District Team 1 Coordinator





Headquarter Volunteers Coordinator


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FIELD DIRECTOR •  Sets goals for campaigning in

the field

•  Sets calendar of activities and # of volunteers needed

•  Schedules volunteers with specific tasks

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•  Recruits volunteers

•  Keeps track of volunteers

•  Compiles data

•  Tracks progress towards goals

•  Thanks volunteers

CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING •  Fundraising is one of the most challenging and important parts of

your campaign.

•  Campaigns need money to operate and will need to get contributions to fund the campaign activities.

•  Fundraising is the process of systematically collecting names of potential contributors and then identifying why that person would give money, how much they can give and who should ask them for the money.

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KEY TO SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING: “JUST ASK!” •  It is rare that donors send money to a campaign when they are not

asked.

•  Candidates sometimes feel they “know” that someone will not give or cannot afford to give and therefore do not ask them – this is often an excuse to not ask.

•  Single most important reason why people do not give to campaigns is that they were never asked to give.

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GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING •  Ask

•  Plan

•  Be specific regarding amount

•  Make repeated appeals

•  Create a sense of urgency

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•  Diversify fundraising techniques

•  Research

•  Get advice

•  Know the law

•  Make your own contribution first


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PROVEN TIPS WHEN ASKING FOR MONEY… •  Promote the idea that they are making a personal investment in

bettering their future by contributing to your campaign.

•  Be optimistic and excited about your campaign.

•  Be convincing. As a candidate, if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.

•  Communicate with potential donors on their level.

•  All previous and potential contributors need attention.

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PROVEN TIPS WHEN ASKING FOR MONEY… •  Be flexible. Listen closely and be sure to get to the "ask" before the

prospective donor ends the meeting.

•  Approach it from the potential donor's point of view.

•  Call the constituency in which you are running "our community" and show the role that you play in it.

•  Don't leave without a firm commitment, and if possible, get the money before ending the meeting.

•  Always leave the door open to if they are not ready.

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HOW TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL DONORS

Target donors in the same way you target voters – by audience or identifying factors.

Two important factors to remember about people who may contribute to your campaign:

•  Unlike voters who can only vote once for you in this election, donors can give varying amounts of money.

•  While voters must live within the locality you are running, contributors just need to be Kenyan.

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CIRCLE OF BENEFIT 42

Candidate

Personal

Ideology

Bone-to-Pick

Power


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CIRCLE OF BENEFIT AUDIENCES •  Candidate: By giving to your campaign to demonstrate you have

confidence in your own candidacy.

•  Personal: Donors who are in the personal circle give because of their personal connection to you.

•  Ideology: This group identifies with you.

•  Bone-to-Pick: You opponent and his/her political party is what motivates this group to give to your campaign.

•  Power: They have economic or political interests.

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KEY MOTIVATORS FOR WHY PEOPLE GIVE •  Friendship – Personal relationships with the candidate

•  Habit – Regularly gives money to worthy causes

•  Reward – Sense of reward for participating

•  Access – Perception of access to the candidate

•  Change – Desire to take a role in making a difference

•  Fear – Negative motivator of feelings about opponent

•  Asked – YOU CAN NEVER ASK TOO MUCH

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SOME REASONS WHY PEOPLE DO NOT GIVE •  Not asked – Willing but are overlooked

•  Appeal not personalized – Solicitation is not specific

•  An unspecified amount – Don’t know how much

•  Inexperienced giver – Don’t know how

•  Offensive appeal – They feel used or unappreciated

•  Vague appeal – Unsure what money would be used for

•  Unconvincing appeal – Question viability

•  Wrong person asked – Solicitor is not a peer

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IMPORTANCE OF A WRITTEN FUNDRAISING PLAN A fundraising plan does not exist unless it is written down.

•  Provides a roadmap for success.

•  Serves as a benchmark for progress.

•  Defines responsibilities.

•  Establishes credibility.

•  Provides fundraising tools.

•  Protects you from the “what ifs?”

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COMPONENTS OF A FUNDRAISING PLAN •  The total amount of money that needs to be raised

•  Dates when the specific amounts are needed

•  A list of all materials needed to accomplish your fundraising efforts such as pledge cards, fact sheets, and sample invitations

•  A fundraising budget (which combines income, cash flow, and expenses)

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SAMPLE FUNDRAISING PLANNING FORM

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GROUP ACTIVITY

Each candidate and her campaign manager will develop a fundraising plan.

Afterward, each candidate will share her experience with the group.

Time Limit: 30 Minutes

Documents

CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION - WDN - WDN Campaign Training...CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION ... • A campaign strategy is simply a statement that describes how the ... STRUCTURE