In order to be able to advocate for a change in policy, it is firstly essential to know the current state of play.
A regulatory overview is an analysis of all the existing laws that are relevant to your cause. Depending on where you are from, there may be local, state, federal, national, and/or international laws to consider.
Some useful information to gather about existing laws include:
This task in itself can be monumental, and sometimes it may be prudent to ask for expert help. There are professional bodies, companies, institutes, and other charities in different disease areas of societal groups who have experience that may be transferable to your particular advocacy issue.
While societal groups and charities are often willing to help, you may be put off asking for help from a for-profit company due to cost. Do not let this put you off as it is possible to ask for pro bono assistance from experts, many corporations and institutions offer assistance and advice as part of their Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. Some have listed the areas of interest on their websites and so it is always worth checking this as a possibility.
In addition to existing policy, make sure that you are up to date on studies and findings that will support your argument. Sources of these may include:
It is also important to be aware of any data that might conflict with your policy proposal. Be prepared to defend your argument and address these issues.
In some cases, the evidence you need in order to best argue your case might not even exist. Here, conducting your own research, and generating the necessary data may be a viable and important option.
Here are some tips when setting about conducting your own research: