4. Mobilisation and strategies for change
Mobilisation is more than reach. An initiative needs to understand why people participate, what story it tells about change and what assumptions underpin its strategy.
Mobilisation is not just a question of how many people see something, but of why they are willing to act together.
Your own narrative
A narrative of engagement answers four questions:
- What are we working towards?
- Why is now a good window of opportunity?
- Who can build power with us?
- What change should our pressure bring about?
Wir machen Wien uses the Platz für Wien campaign as an example: many signatures, strong media coverage and Vienna’s 2020 election were meant to create political pressure for a different transport policy. A local initiative can start smaller, but needs the same clarity.
Theories of change
Theories of change are assumptions about how social and political change happens. They help you choose tactics deliberately instead of simply trying everything at once.
Three perspectives particularly useful for local urban initiatives are:
- Major leaps: Change happens when a problem is redefined, new actors emerge and media attention opens a window.
- Grassroots: People build power through collective action, even without an institutional position.
- Group formation: Shared values, identity and norms keep a group able to act and give it a distinct character.
Elements of action
These theories suggest practical options:
- Set the agenda
- Gain prominent supporters
- Generate media interest
- Use a window of opportunity
- Influence decision-makers
- Forge alliances
- Reframe issues
- Make social norms visible
- Build capacity
- Communicate familiar values
Not everything suits every initiative. A small group should consistently use two or three suitable levers rather than ten half-heartedly.
| If you mainly need ... | Then ... fits better | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Attention | Agenda setting | Media image, petition, visible action |
| To build local power | Grassroots work | Door-to-door conversations, meetings, sharing roles |
| To stabilise a group | Group formation | Clarify values, rituals, shared language |
Campaign structure
A simple campaign structure is enough to start:
- Goal: What should change, and by when?
- Decision point: Who can approve or prevent it?
- Target groups: Who do we need to activate, persuade or put under pressure?
- Milestones: Which visible intermediate goals demonstrate progress?
- Tasks: Who handles research, outreach, actions, documentation, media and political discussions?
- Rhythm: When does the group meet, when does it communicate publicly, and when does it evaluate?
Video
Materials
- Wir machen Wien: How to work on strategies for change
- Wir machen Wien: Guide to theories of change
- Evaluation Innovation: Pathways for Change