31. Broad participation: from pyramids to wheels and webs

Chapman & Fisher have conducted research on what makes a campaign effective. They identify three structures of collaboration used by campaigns: ‘pyramids’, which aims to access top-level policy but which does not link with the grassroots; ‘wheels’, which work more slowly but are good for information exchange and developing expertise; and ‘webs’, which are similar to wheels but without a central NGO to act as the hub. Pyramids rely on upward links and a narrow but important range of contacts. Wheels and webs, on the other hand, rely on downward links and broad participation. Chapman & Fisher suggest that the narrow focus of the pyramid can be effective in initially pushing an issue. However, they go on to argue that if the campaign is not widened out at a later stage it is unlikely to achieve effective change. The broad participation generated through wheels and webs ensures that several different people, at several levels, have a stake in the campaign. Wheels and webs are also better at incorporating multiple aspects of an issue, and therefore have the potential to come up with more sustainable policy recommendations.

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