Background:
Advocacy roadmaps translate policy priorities into coordinated action and are developed through synthesising evidence and community and sector insights. Cancer Council Victoria developed the Costs of Cancer Roadmap to address financial impacts of cancer. An identified priority was reforming the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS) which offers financial support for regional Victorians travelling to access medical treatment. The scheme is not meeting patient needs and offers the lowest reimbursement rates nationally.
This abstract describes the implementation of a roadmap-driven approach to influence state policy.
Method:
Implementation centred on coordinated advocacy. An alliance of cancer, chronic disease and carer organisations was re-established to develop a shared policy position and collective strategy. Implementation activities included direct engagement with government and political stakeholders; community survey; development and promotion of lived experience case studies; and VPTAS reform as a priority in election platforms. Activities were informed by evidence, consumer perspectives and sector alignment. Enablers, barriers, lessons were identified through review of activities and outputs generated during implementation.
Results: Enablers included a clearly defined policy priority, a coordinated alliance approach (18 members), and integration of quantitative and qualitative evidence (community survey n = 400). Challenges included limited resourcing, long timeframes for policy change, competing organisational priorities, and the influence of changing political contexts. Lessons: a roadmap is critical to maintaining focus and alignment; alliances strengthen advocacy efforts but require coordination and consensus building; lived experience insights are fundamental.
Conclusion: Advocacy roadmaps provide a practical framework for translating priorities into coordinated action. This case study highlights opportunities, challenges and lessons associated with implementing an advocacy agenda and demonstrates importance of stakeholder alignment, partnership-based approaches and integration of lived experience. The evaluation of roadmap implementation may be used to inform future cancer control advocacy approaches.