The Change Toolkit

The Change Toolkit is a guide for people in community legal centres – and elsewhere – who are interested in improving the lives of people in their community through law reform, policy and advocacy.

1: Why do law reform?

1: Why do law reform?

Sometimes, the most effective way to resolve or avoid a legal problem is to work to change the unfair laws, policies or practices that are at the root of the problem. This chapter briefly describes why CLCs should do systemic advocacy work and some ways in which they can do it.
2: Getting started

2: Getting started

This chapter discusses some of the ways in which CLCs can prioritise their policy and law reform work. It also provides tips about simple steps that you can take to get started, and advice about collaborating with other organisations.
3: Planning Your Work

3: Planning Your Work

Before you embark on a broad or long-term endeavour to improve the law and prevent future injustice, it is a good idea to have a plan for how you will achieve the change you are seeking. This chapter introduces the notion of a ‘theory of change’ and explains how to prepare one.
4: Working with community

4: Working with community

Systemic work is most likely to succeed where it has a strong connection with the community. This chapter focuses on ways you can work with communities to promote changes to unfair or ineffective laws and practices.
5: Engaging decision makers

5: Engaging decision makers

Politicians and other key decision makers, such as local councilors and CEOs, have influence over whether or not change will occur in a particular area. Identifying and engaging with decision makers is a vital element of advocacy.
6: Participating in inquiries

6: Participating in inquiries

Participating in government inquiries is a key way that CLCs can have an impact. This chapter outlines the ways in which CLCs can contribute to legislative processes and participate in inquiries.
7: Writing submissions

7: Writing submissions

This chapter offers advice about how to write a submission to government.
8: Strategic litigation

8: Strategic litigation

This chapter discusses strategic litigation. While most litigation seeks to reach an outcome for a particular individual, strategic litigation uses an individual case to create broader change. It uses litigation to change the law, challenge the way a law is interpreted or applied and clarify or test its scope.
9: Effective storytelling

9: Effective storytelling

This chapter discusses the use of storytelling in systemic advocacy work. It presents a summary of Rachel Ball’s recent report, ‘When I Tell My Story, I’m in Charge: ethical and effective storytelling in advocacy’.
10: Designing a campaign

10: Designing a campaign

Developing a campaign is a key way for CLCs to direct attention toward an important legal issue and persuade people to shift their views. This chapter considers how you can bring various advocacy strategies together in a ‘campaign’ for change.
11: Working with media

11: Working with media

Media is often an integral part of any campaign to achieve change and it can complement and enhance your law reform work. This chapter suggests how you can take incremental steps to build your media capacity and effectiveness.
12: Media tips

12: Media tips

This chapter provides tips from a number of CLC media experts.
13: Evaluation

13: Evaluation

Evaluation enables CLCs to keep track of, and represent the value of, their systemic work. This chapter explains how and why CLCs should evaluate their law reform work.
14: Seeking funding

14: Seeking funding

Many CLCs will be reliant on additional funding if they are to undertake significant law reform and advocacy work. This chapter is an introduction to applying for grants.
15: About The Toolkit

15: About The Toolkit

The Change Toolkit is a guide for people in community legal centres – and elsewhere – who are interested in improving the lives of people in their community through law reform, policy and advocacy. The Toolkit was prepared by the Federation of Community Legal Centres.

1: Why do law reform?

2: Getting started

3: Planning Your Work

4: Working with community

5: Engaging decision makers

6: Participating in inquiries

7: Writing submissions

8: Strategic litigation

9: Effective storytelling

10: Designing a campaign

11: Working with media

12: Media tips

13: Evaluation

14: Seeking funding

15: About The Toolkit