Strategy (category hub)
Summary
The strategy category covers the analysis and planning work that comes before tactics: diagnosing power, choosing a target, setting objectives, sequencing work, and adapting as the campaign learns [source: people-power-manual].
Body
Strategy is the discipline of deciding where to push before deciding how to push. The People Power Manual frames campaign strategy as a participatory sequence: broad context and power analysis, problem cutting, theory of change, allies and targets, campaign objectives, tactical timeline, and evaluation [source: people-power-manual]. The Commons Library serves as the wider craft library for campaign strategy, organising, communications, digital campaigning, and fundraising [source: commons-library].
In this wiki, strategy pages include tools such as power-mapping, stakeholder-analysis, spectrum-of-allies, theory-of-change, smart-goals, swot-analysis, force-field-analysis, and the-campaign-cycle. These tools do different jobs, but they share one purpose: they make a campaign’s assumptions visible enough that a team can debate them, test them, and revise them.
Strategy also connects to tactic choice. Beautiful Trouble provides principles and cases for creative action, while ICNC grounds civil-resistance strategy and tactic frameworks in research and educational resources [source: beautiful-trouble] [source: icnc]. A strong strategy hub therefore does not prescribe one path; it helps a team match its target, base, risk, timing, and theory of change.
Use it for
Choosing where to focus a campaign; aligning a coalition on goals; connecting analysis to tactics; evaluating whether an existing plan still fits the political landscape.
Related
- power-mapping
- theory-of-change
- spectrum-of-allies
- the-campaign-cycle
- smart-goals
- swot-analysis
- stakeholder-analysis
- campaign-planning
FAQ
What is the Strategy category?
The Strategy category is the wiki’s grouping for the analysis and planning work that comes before tactics: diagnosing power, choosing a target, setting objectives, sequencing work, and adapting as the campaign learns [source: people-power-manual]. Strategy is the discipline of deciding where to push before deciding how to push.
What does strategy include?
The People Power Manual frames campaign strategy as a participatory sequence: broad context and power analysis, problem cutting, theory of change, allies and targets, campaign objectives, tactical timeline, and evaluation [source: people-power-manual]. The Commons Library serves as the wider craft library for campaign strategy, organising, communications, digital campaigning, and fundraising [source: commons-library]. In this wiki, strategy pages include tools such as power-mapping, stakeholder-analysis, spectrum-of-allies, theory-of-change, smart-goals, swot-analysis, force-field-analysis, and the-campaign-cycle.
How does strategy connect to tactic choice?
Strategy also connects to tactic choice. Beautiful Trouble provides principles and cases for creative action, while ICNC grounds civil-resistance strategy and tactic frameworks in research and educational resources [source: beautiful-trouble] [source: icnc]. A strong strategy hub does not prescribe one path; it helps a team match its target, base, risk, timing, and theory of change. The strategy hub’s job is to make a campaign’s assumptions visible enough that a team can debate them, test them, and revise them.
When is the Strategy hub useful?
The hub is useful when a team needs to choose where to focus a campaign, align a coalition on goals, connect analysis to tactics, or evaluate whether an existing plan still fits the political landscape. The adjacent tools — power mapping, theory of change, spectrum of allies, the campaign cycle, smart goals, SWOT, stakeholder analysis, campaign planning — share one purpose: making a campaign’s assumptions visible enough to debate, test, and revise.
Sources & verification
- sources/people-power-manual — primary campaign-strategy sequence.
- sources/commons-library — campaign craft library.
- sources/beautiful-trouble — creative-action strategy and principles.
- sources/icnc — civil-resistance strategy resources.
