International Advocacy Toolkit

This Advocacy Toolkit was created as a resource to support IADR members in raising awareness about dental, oral and craniofacial research issues, increasing research funding opportunities, and using research to encourage evidence-based policymaking. This toolkit contains tips and tools that can be incorporated into advocacy efforts.

This Toolkit covers the foundation for advocacy—what it is and why it matters—as well as provides an overview of elements that may be considered when building an advocacy strategy. The Toolkit also includes case studies, templates, guidance on advocacy tools and methods and an overview of the dental, oral and craniofacial conditions affecting people throughout the world.

There are a few key considerations that will benefit users of this Toolkit. First, this Toolkit is not intended to be “one size fits all.” Due to vast cultural, political and institutional differences across regions, everything from target audiences to campaign tactics will need to be tailored to the user’s respective country or region and adapted to fit within the context of that country or region’s priorities. Additionally, this Toolkit includes only some of the tools that can be incorporated into a campaign. There is not one right way to conduct a campaign; users will need to determine which tools best fit the local situation and circumstances.

There are many tools and resources available that can enhance a campaign, whether to serve as inspiration, provide helpful statistics and information on your issue area or troubleshoot methods and tactics. One global resource that may be particularly helpful for oral health researchers is the July 2019 Lancet Series on oral health, which discusses why oral health has been neglected and calls for public health action to address it.