Campaigning Cool Tool Pool

The Campaigning Tool Pool is an email list for discussing, coordinating and sharing campaigning tools.

Background

Most organisations invest individually in the development of campaigning tools. This allows each to prioritise their needs and develop tools that specifically suite them. However for most campaigning tools, 80-90% of the needs are the same for any campaigning use.

This current situation results in:

• Only a few simple tools are developed by each organisation
• Complex tools are beyond reach of most organisations
• Precious budget spent on developing similar tools

This approach is higher risk, more expensive and less effective than an alternative: sharing and/or co-investing in shared tools.

Stronger Together

What if we were to work in a different way?:

1. Tools are shared with others
2. Tools can be changed by others
3. Tools follow best-practice guidelines
4. Identify the need for new tools together and invest in them

This would result in:

• A wide range of tools to choose from
• Tools that are ready quickly with minimal changes
• Tools that regularly improve
• Tools that are re-usable for different campaigns
• Tools that start from best-practice
• Simple tools that cost less to develop
• Complex tools that are affordable
• Reduced risk on the the return of any individual tool
• Ability to focus on using the most effective tools

How Would It Work?

However we want. One suggestion is:

• Tool contributors are a group within which they can use each other's tools
• Ready-made tools can be contributed or investment provided for new ones
• A group project manager vets the quality of and demand for ready-made tools and project manages the development of new tools
  
• Once tools have existed for 12-24 months, they are released publicly

What Type of Tools?

Tools can be whatever campaigning tools are envisioned as useful to acheiving campaigning objectives. This could include:

• Internet tools
• Mobile phone/device tools
• Printed tools like guides
  
• Video / audio tools