Public Policy Advocacy for Social Change

© Statewide Parent Advocacy Network35 Halsey StreetNewark, NJ 07042973-642-8100www.spannj.org

Empowered Parents:Educated, Engaged,

Effective!

Public Policy Advocacy for Social Change

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

What is Advocacy?

• Speaking, writing, or acting in support of a cause

• Using a variety of organized tactics to achieve a public policy goal

• Demanding a change to benefit the lives of many

Advocacy:• Asks something of

others• Puts the demands of

people into systems• Deals with issues and

conflicts• Involves people• Creates a space for

public discussion• Finds solutions to

problems

Focus for Advocacy

• The Legislature

• The Executive

• Regulatory Agencies

• The Judiciary

Social Justice Advocacy• Challenging power• Assuming risks• Telling stories• Involving those

affected• Offering alternatives• Principles vs.

compromise• Balancing the scales of

justice and equity• Holding ourselves

accountable

Vision, Mission, and Goals• Vision - Your picture

of the ideal situation• Mission – What your

organization will do to get there

• Goals – Significant steps toward the vision

• Objectives – The means to accomplish the goals

• Action Steps – Concrete steps to achieve the objectives

How Change Happens

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and it never will.”

-Frederick Douglas

Stages of Change• Denial of the need for

change• Resistance to change• Exploration of the

change• Managing the change• Collaboration• Compromise• Maintaining

momentum

Change Agents• Understand context,

barriers to change, and stages of change

• Listen• Respond• Advocate• Pursue change• Intervene at the

systems level• Team with others• Facilitate

Strategic Planning Process• Set ground rules• Ask all questions• Share experiences and

opinions• Leave space for others• Be informal and relax• All opinions count• Keep it simple• Brainstorm• Small group• Accept all ideas without

debate• Facilitate if necessary

Strategic Planning Questions• What do you want?

– Process goals

– Content goals

• Who can deliver it?– Formal authority

– Influence

• What message(s) do they need to hear?– Public interest

– Self-interest

Strategic Planning Questions

• Who do they need to hear it from?– Expert voices

– Authentic voices

• How do we get them to hear it?– Persuasion

– Pressure

Strategic Planning Questions• What do we have to

build on?– Leadership

– Supporters

– Information

– Resources

– Tools

– Access

– Messages

• What do we need to develop?

Strategic Planning Questions

• How do we begin?– Big enough to matter

– Small enough to win

• How do we know it’s working?– Implemented plan?

– Increased engagement?

– Improvements?

• Where do we go from here?

Information and Research• Knowledge will forever

govern ignorance• Know the most about your

issue• Find as many sources of

information as possible• Research arguments for and

against• Know who supports and

who opposes• Conduct surveys and

opinion polls• Use a survey to inform and

educate

Why do people get involved?

• They believe the issue is important to them and their family

• They believe they have something to contribute

• They believe that they will be listened to and their contributions respected

• They believe that their participation will make a difference

How do people stay involved?

• Multiple opportunities for participation, from a small contribution of time to progressively larger contributions of time and effort

• The level of participation varies depending on life circumstances.

Staying Involved

• Constituent receive sufficient advance notice.

• Constituent participation is facilitated:– Child care

– Transportation

– Dinner

– Education & information

Staying Involved

• Constituents are listened to; their ideas are supported and respected.

• Constituents do not experience retribution as a result of their participation.

Staying Involved

• Their participation has an impact – it makes an appreciable difference.

• Their participation is appreciated; that appreciation is acknowledged.

Opportunities to Participate in Advocacy

• Tell their stories verbally to an advocate & give permission to share

• Tell their stories verbally within a small group (focus group)

• Tell their stories verbally to policymakers (at public hearing, meeting with monitors, at their school or district forum, etc.)

Participation Opportunities

• Share their stories in writing through:– Letter to the state

– Letter to the editor

– Letter to the monitors

– Letter to an advocate with permission to disclose

Participation Opportunities

• Reach out to encourage other constituent participation

• Assist in collection of documentation

• Assist in analysis of information

• Assist in information dissemination

Participation Opportunities

• Serve as co-trainers• Serve as members of

task forces and committees

• Facilitate public forums

• Serve as members of monitoring teams

Preparation for Participation

• Offer trainings, developed jointly with constituents & advocates

• Develop & disseminate informative, useful materials

• Meet and talk with constituents, sharing information, listening carefully to their strengths, needs & concerns

Demonstrate constituent independence &

contribution.• Develop a plan to identify

a diverse, representative group of constituents

• During & after meetings, specifically recognize the value of the constituent’s participation

• Recognize individual constituent strengths while respecting differing methods of coping & adjustment

Provide constituent-identified supports to assist participation.

• Provide convenient meeting times & locations.

• Compensate constituents for time, expertise & expenses.

• Clearly identify someone to be the primary contact for reimbursement & other issues; timely reimbursement & contacts are essential

Provide constituent-identified supports

• Provide direct staff support, stipends, travel expenses, & childcare

• Identify these supports in RFPs, grants, & policies

• Provide complete, appropriate information prior to meetings in a timely manner

• Match veteran members with inexperienced ones to support new members & share ideas

Provide constituent-identified supports

• Recognize that some constituents may require more and different kinds of support than others

• Encourage and facilitate constituent-to-constituent support and networking

Provide formal orientation & information

• Provide orientations about the issues, participants & process.

• Provide informational support for constituents to participate as equal partners on a “level playing field”

• Provide technical assistance, leadership mentoring, training, & other leadership training

Ensure diversity among constituents

• Honor the racial, ethnic, cultural, & socioeconomic diversity of families.

• Provide all materials in the constituent’s preferred language.

• Recruit broadly from the community and the target population.

• Bring in new constituents.

Ensure diversity• Adapt collaborative

models to diverse cultures. Manage changing distribution of power & responsibility.

• Incorporate principles of collaboration into professional education.

Ensure diversity• Ensure broad

representation among groups based on the communities in question.

• Be particularly careful to include members of traditionally underserved groups.

• Avoid any appearance of tokenism.

Be ready to hear what constituents say.

• Encourage and support constituents to find their voice.

• Ensure that member perspectives are not considered a separate component of the policy-making process, but are infused throughout.

• Always consider an individual constituent’s story as valid.

Respect the passion constituents have for change.

• Support staff in developing an understanding of the value of constituent participation.

• Provide clear information about your goals and how constituent input and participation fits in.

• Balance membership between constituents and advocates.

• Consider shared leadership – co-chairs

Remember:• Empowering families to

participate in advocacy for their children, their community, the larger society, is its own victory, regardless of the specific outcome of any particular effort.

• Democracy is not a spectator sport!

Outreach Strategies

• Door-knocking• Welfare office, food

pantry, school• Organizational media• Community media• Mass media• “Mediating

institutions”• Public forums

Mobilization• Moving from

spectators to participants

• Turning opinions into actions– Making a phone call

– Sending a fax or e-mail

– Writing a letter

– Visiting a policymaker

– Demonstration, march, sit-in

Mobilization Steps

• Present information:– Your cause

– The activity or event

– Why it’s important

• Outreach to constituents & allies– Phone, fax, e-mail, mail

– One-on-one

– Other organizations

• Orientation

• Needed supports for participation

Action Alert Network• Develop & maintain

Action Alert list• Monitor key policy

developments• Summarize key points,

pros and cons, actions• Mail, e-mail, fax, call

to alert network• Maintain copies of

action responses

Organizing vs. Mobilizing

• Mobilizing – Shorter-term

– For particular action

– Less time commitment

• Organizing– Longer-term, for the

long haul

– More involved in decision-making

– Greater time commitment

Leadership

• Inspire and help people work toward a goal

• Can be shared

• Differing roles:– Visionaries

– Strategists

– Historians

– Resource mobilizers

– Statespersons

– Communicators

– Outside sparkplugs

– Inside negotiators

– Generalists

Key Leadership Qualities• Effective communicators• Good listeners• Develop team spirit &

cohesiveness• Understanding & aware• Recognize accomplishments• Constructive criticism• Encourage & motivate• Facilitate resolution of disputes• Delegate & build others• Accept responsibility, take

initiative• Offer help, information• Ask for help• Make things happen, but don’t

have to be the center of attention

Leaders Problem-Solve

• State problem simply & clearly

• Gather & organize relevant info & resources

• List potential solutions• Evaluate each one• Select the best one• Design a plan to use• Evaluate outcomes &

readjust when needed

Leaders Know Themselves

• Who am I?• What am I doing here• What are my:

– Goals, purposes– Expectations– Motivations?

• What strengths & challenges do I bring?

• How can I best use my leadership skills?

• How can I make space for others?

Leadership Development

• Individual advocacy

• Peer advocacy

• Public policy advocacy

Advocacy Leadership Knowledge

• Laws & regulations• How institutions work• Key decision-makers• Formal & informal

decision-making• Facts; current status• Barriers & solutions• Qualities of effective

systems• Existing resources

Advocacy Leadership Skills• Empathy

• Listening

• Written & oral communication

• Critical reading & thinking

• Collaboration

• Consensus-building

• Problem-solving

• Conflict resolution

• Strategic planning

• Growing leadership

How Policies are Made• Legislature/laws:

– Introduced– Referred to committee– Considered by

committee– Hearing/public

comment– Reported out with

amendments/changes– Passed by one house– Referred to next house– Passed by 2nd house– Goes to Governor

How Policies Are Made

• Executive/Governor:

– Signs into law as is

– Conditionally veto (return for specific changes)

– Veto (overridden by supermajority of both houses)

– Pocket veto within last 45 days of session

How Policies Are Made• Regulations:

– Draft regulations based on law

– Publish in Federal or State Register

– Public comment/public hearing

– Respond to comments– Make revisions– Publish in Register– Go into effect– Implemented by

agency

Reaching Policymakers• Call * Write * Visit

– Brief and to the point

– Stick to one subject

– Identify yourself

– How will you and others be affected?

– Be clear about what you want

– Be accurate & specific

– Be polite & positive

– Offer your help

– Follow up!

Reaching the Grassroots

• Call * Write * Visit– Letter sent to a

legislator can be a letter to the editor

– Message on a legislator’s message machine can be called in to radio talk show

– Testimony at hearing can be presented at church, PTA, community group meeting

Phone Calls, E-Mail, Faxes

• Ask to speak to the legislator or aide

• Note your legislative district• Give bill # & name• Explain why the issue is

important to you• Jot down speaking points in

advance• Write notes on your

conversation• Follow up!

Letters and Postcards

• Handwritten neatly or typed

• Use own words• Personalize• Be brief• Stick to key point(s)• Avoid form letters• Develop sample letters

with messages• Identify yourself• Use bill # & title• Be timely• Follow up!

Effective Advocacy Writing

• Be clear about what you want to say and how it will be heard

• Be careful about your tone

• Understand that communication is filtered and may be blocked

• Communication is never value-free

Purpose of Advocacy Writing

• Share facts• Guide reader to a clear

understanding of issue• Persuade/convince

reader to think the way you do

• Persuade/convince reader to act the way you want them to

Types of Advocacy Writing

• Op-Ed piece• Letter to editor• Press advisory/release• Letter to policymaker• Letter of complaint• Public testimony• Investigative report• Letters to inform &

mobilize others• Activity notices

Questions of Advocacy Writing

• Who is the audience?• What is the issue &

message?• When can you convey

the message?• Where can you convey

the message?• Why are you writing?• How can you most

effectively convey your message?

Advocacy Writing “Tricks”• Challenge with a

thought-provoking question

• Open with quotation• Offer a sip of your

conclusion• List all main points• Dramatic or eye-

opening statement• Use an angle your

readers haven’t seen

Advocacy Writing Tips

• Keep it short & simple

• Watch punctuation, spelling & organization Know intended recipients

• Have a clear goal

• Understand the context

• Catch them in the beginning

• Summarize/introduce, explain, summarize/conclude

• Communication is a process

• Have someone review your work

Testifying – In advance• Monitor Federal and

State Register• Mobilize authentic &

expert voices• Mobilize diverse

constituencies• Call to request time• Find out how much

time and how many copies to bring

Writing Testimony• Be brief & concise• Written is longer than oral• Have a purpose• Identify yourself• State position, reasoning, and

request• Personalize• Use your own words• Be substantive & give

examples• Single space for them, double

space for you• Make extra copies• Practice presentation &

rehearse questions!

Presenting Testimony• Dress properly• Arrive early• Be prepared to shorten

testimony• Relax• Speak slowly & clearly• Avoid monotone• Look up, make eye

contact• No disparaging remarks• Thank them for the

opportunity

Speaking in Public• Prepare content and

delivery• Know your audience

and tailor to them• Emphasize key points• Establish eye contact• Use visual aids• Be brief• Leave your opponent

with dignity intact

Meeting with Elected Officials

• Speak up• Be part of a group• Go with someone who has

experience• Don’t be afraid• Don’t lie if you don’t

know• Practice helps; role play

beforehand!• Be yourself

Preparing for Legislative Visits

• Decide who you will visit.

• Establish agenda & goals.

• Plan your visit.• Determine group

composition.• Listen well.

Preparing for Legislative Visits

• Be prepared, but don’t feel everyone has to be an expert.

• Don’t get intimidated or frustrated.

• Be on time, and don’t stay too long.

• Build a relationship.• Follow up!

IRS Rules for Non-Profits• No supporting or opposing

candidates– Can do candidate surveys &

disseminate results

• Limits on lobbying– No appreciable amount

– IRS election: 20%

– Funder restrictions

• Lobbying involves specific legislation

• Regulatory advocacy is not lobbying

Regulatory Advocacy

• Determine agency with jurisdiction

• Identify responsible party within agency

• Develop relationships• Know relevant law

governing regulations (Administrative Procedures Act)

• Monitor media, State & Federal Registers

Regulatory Advocacy

• Develop a plan– Comments on draft– Responsibilities– Potential opposition– Compromises

• Develop coalitions• Get broad

endorsement• Use legislative

oversight• Mobilize grassroots

Grassroots & Media Advocacy• Communicate

– Own constituency– Own supporters– Potential Allies– General public

• Use media– Your media– Grassroots media– Community papers,

radio, & public access TV

– Mass media

Coalition Advocacy

• Builds support• Combines power &

resources• Reduces competition for

funding & support• More efficient• Provides support &

expertise to smaller groups

• Strength in numbers• Strength in diversity• Broadened skills &

expertise

Coalition Advocacy

• Need clarity of goals and how they fit with each organization

• Clear decision-making processes

• Strong communications plans

• Ensure all contribute, have a say, and get credit

• Conflict resolution mechanisms

Questions for Coalitions• Temporary or

permanent?• Agreed on issues?• Differences among

groups?• Gifts of each?• Stuff to give up?• Stuff to gain?• Anticipated conflicts

& compromises?• Strategies to address?

Leadership/Maintaining a Strong Organization

• Intense dedication to improving outcomes for substantial numbers

• High commitment to maintenance activities:– Define responsibilities

– Good communication

– Clear decision-making

– Sufficient funding

Effective Strategies Shape Action

• Ongoing:– Planning

– Implementation

– Evaluation

– Revision of plan

• Persistent focus on key systems & central issues

• Understand specific changes needed

• Bring about changes

• Monitor implementation to make sure improvements take place

Information• Document problems

and solutions• Develop accurate

“map” of systems – how they work, who’s important, relationships– Formal– Informal

• Know how other groups have solved problems

Building Support

• Use media to communicate views and mobilize others

• Develop support networks

• Build well-organized, committed constituency capable of mobilizing substantial political power

Intervention• Multiple levels• Multiple tactics

– Negotiations– Demonstrations– Filing complaints– Testifying– Writing, calling,

visiting

• Continue direct pressure

• Persistence!