Foundations for Change
How the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance is building ecosystems for advocacy Lessons from Year 4

This report — presenting lessons from Year 4 of Phase II of the Zurich Flood Resilience
Alliance — consists of a tip sheet and supporting case studies for conducting successful
advocacy. We find that strategic advocacy, combined with evidence of local risk, needs,
and ways forward, can support the uptake of new practices, approaches and policies that
support local resilience. The tip sheet, drawn from reporting on what Alliance teams are
doing and achieving, lays out the building blocks and tactics for advocacy for achieving
significant changes in flood resilience policy, spending, and practice - the Alliance’s three
objectives.

These case studies also illustrate how the teams delivering the work have evolved with
the work. Not all of the teams showcased in these case studies began with the intent
to conduct advocacy. For these teams, their stories show how development-focused
work can deepen in impact when organizations are provided with both long program
timeframes and the funding, flexibility, and collaborative environment needed to learn
and adapt programs.