Advocacy power map
Place the people and institutions around your advocacy issue by how much they influence the decision and where they stand on your ask. The map tells you who to win over, who to mobilise and who to watch.
Planning advocacy with a network of partners? In Advancer.World each member's role and progress in the campaign is tracked on one shared path. Try it free in Advancer.World
Drag a dot to move it, or change its values in the list below.
Sending this to partners by e-mail? In Advancer.World each partner fills it in online, in their own language, and you see every answer in one place. Start free
How to make an advocacy power map
Start from a clear ask: the decision you want, from whom, and by when. Then list everyone who can make, block or shape that decision - ministers, committees, officials, unions, media, other organizations - and the people who influence them.
Place each one by answering two questions: how much influence do they have over this decision, and where do they stand on your ask today? Be honest about the uncertain ones: a guess you can revisit is better than leaving them out.
Then focus where the map points. Persuadable people with high influence are usually your main targets, champions need evidence and a role, allies can add their voice, and blockers need watching. Redraw the map as the campaign moves: positions change, and that change is your progress.
Run advocacy campaigns with your whole network
An advocacy network wins when its members act together. In Advancer.World every member sees its role in the campaign, the actions it takes are recorded, and the secretariat sees who is moving.
- An engagement path for every member of the network
- Campaign actions and evidence attached to each step
- The progress of the whole network on one screen
Free for up to 5 partners. No card needed.
What is a power map in advocacy?
A picture of who can influence the decision you are trying to change, placed by how much influence they have and whether they support or oppose your ask. It helps a campaign choose its targets and its allies.
Who should be on the map?
The decision-makers themselves, the people and institutions who influence them, and the groups affected by the decision, including your allies and your opponents. Ten to twenty names is a good start.
What do the groups mean?
Champions support you and have influence; persuadables have influence but are undecided; blockers have influence and oppose you; allies support you but have less influence; the rest are worth keeping informed.
Is my map stored online?
No. It stays in this browser, on this device. Download it as an image or as Excel to share it with your team.
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