Transcript Take Action Now!

Take Action Now!
Public Health Advocacy Strategies
Public Health Student Caucus
Session 5069.1
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
Session Overview
 Introductions
 Definitions
 Strategies and options
 Group think
What is Policy?
 A plan or course of action, as of a
government, political party, or business,
intended to influence and determine
decisions, actions, and other matters:
American foreign policy; the company's
personnel policy.
Public Policy
 Passed by elected officials or by the citizenry
 Applicable to entire populations
 Traditional levels
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Federal, state and local (city council, county
commissioners)
 Non-traditional levels
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School board, regional housing and transportation
councils, park and recreation boards
I’m Just a Bill!
Organizational Policy
 Passed by selected groups or leaders within
organizations
 Applicable to certain segments of the
population
 Traditional types
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Non-profit organizations, for-profit businesses,
universities, other large institutions
 Non-traditional types
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Faith-based organizations, unions, families,
residence halls
No Smoking Within 30 Feet.
 University ATOD* task force investigates and
suggests policy change
 Proposal is circulated to faculty, staff and
students for comment
 Final statement submitted to Board of Regents
for review
 Policy passes and is enforced by university
community
*Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs
What is Advocacy?
 The act of pleading or arguing in favor of
something, such as a cause, idea, or
policy; active support.
Why be an Advocate?
 To change your world.
 To change your state, your city, your
community, your school, your classroom,
your family.
 To make it easier for people to be
healthy.
Who’s an Advocate?
 Everyone can be.
 Usual suspects
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Formal and informal community leaders,
non-profit advocacy organizations, lobbyists,
policymakers, business community
 Unusual suspects
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Students, parents, low-income families,
targeted individuals
9 Steps to Better Advocacy
 From: “Now Hear This: The Nine Laws of
Successful Advocacy Communications”
from Fenton Communications
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www.fenton.com
 Three criteria
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Clear goals, measurable progress
Audience identification and segmentation
Clear, simple, concise messages
The Rest of the Steps
 Ensuring these three steps are part of the
entire campaign
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Planning, planning, planning
Specify what people should do
Make the case: action needed now!
Match strategy and tactics to your target audience
Budget for success
Bring in the experts (firepower!)
Top Ten Advocacy Options
When You Want to Do It Yourself
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Indirect Methods
Letter to the editor
Guest opinions
Press releases
PSAs
Petitions
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Direct Methods
Letters
Calls
Protests
Visits
Testifying
10. Letter to the Editor
Definition
 Short letter to the local
paper regarding a
current issue covered by
the press or up for
debate
 Submitted by you as a
private citizen or by you
as a member of an
organization/group
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Steps
Pick a simple message
Find data to support
your statements
Use your affiliation to
your advantage
Submit quickly to
capture the audience
Keep the letter short and
smart
9. Guest Opinion
Definition
 Longer column
submitted to the local
paper in response to a
request or need for
further information
 Again, submitted by you
as a private citizen
(possibly), but more
likely by you (and
others) as experts
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Steps
Three to five major
points about an issue
Use background
research (quantitative
and qualitative) to fill in
the blanks
Again, submit quickly to
capture policymaker
interest
Use your affiliation
8. Press Release
Definition
 Statement about an
issue or a current policy
released by an
organization for or
against that policy
 Submitted by an
organization (a student
group, a non-profit, a
business) and issued to
the press (print, TV,
radio)
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Steps
Keep it concise—limit
yourself to 3-4 major
points about the issue
Use more qualitative
(quotes) than
quantitative (numbers)
data
Provide visuals for
numbers
Timely submission
7. PSAs
Definition
 Usually free
announcement carried
by local media in support
of an issue or to address
a problem
 Generally a unified effort
by several concerned
groups and supportive
press
 Less policy-focused,
more general health
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Steps
One major point (usually
positive) about an issue
Use local (or national)
personality to share
message
Not necessarily needed
in a speedy fashion
Include local supporters
and local contact
information
6. Petitions
Definition
 Pro or con policy
statement supported by
a large number of
constituents
 Sometimes used to get
issues to the ballot
 Can be submitted by
private citizens or on
behalf of an organization
or business
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Steps
One to two major points
about an issue
Keep background
information concise
Timely submission will
help influence
policymakers
Depending on size of
area/company, 300-500
signatures for impact
5. Letter to Policymaker
Definition
 One-two page letter
addressed directly to a
policymaker
 Submitted by you as a
private citizen or by you
as an informed expert
(or as both)
 Supports or opposes a
specific policy option
(e.g., bill, ordinance)
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Steps
Three to five major
points about an issue
Use quantitative and
qualitative data
Timely submission
(before vote) is critical
Use your affiliation if you
so choose
Ask for explicit support
or opposition
4. Call to Policymaker
Definition
 Telephone call directly to
the office of the
policymaker you wish to
influence
 As a constituent, you’ll
get immediate attentionyour message will be
delivered directly
 As an organizational
expert, you may be
sidelined
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Steps
One, at most two points
about an issue
Use qualitative stories
for support (especially
ones close to home)
Call immediately to
express and ask for
support or opposition
Remind if you voted for
this policymaker
3. Protests
Definition
 Physical demonstration
in opposition of a policy
option (rarely rallies in
support as well)
 Coalition of private
citizens, experts,
organizational staff
gathering to sit-in,
march, demonstrate,
visit those in power
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Steps
Two to three major
points about an issue
Qualitative stories are
the best support in a
demonstration, along
with those affected
Oriented toward broad
issues with crosssession appeal
Use your affiliation
2. Visit to Policymaker
Definition
 Face-to-face session
with a policymaker to
address a specific policy
issue or option
 Private citizen
constituents have first
priority, followed by
constituent
organizations, then other
groups/lobbyists
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Steps
Three to five major
points about an issue
Use qualitative data first,
followed by quantitative
information packet
Make sure meetings are
timely, close to votes
Ask for express support
or opposition
Use your affiliation if you
so choose
1. Testifying
Definition
 Presenting data and/or
other information to a
committee or set of
policymakers
 May be advising several
policy options or one
specific idea
 You act as an expert or
an affected citizen
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Steps
Five to seven major
points about an issue
Both qualitative and
quantitative research is
useful
You may be invited to
speak or you may offer
to join a coalition of
people willing to
testifying
Use your affiliation
Stand Up and Stretch!
 Let’s take a little break! Stand up and
move around.
 “Letter off” into groups A, B and C
 Locate yourself near the others in your
team
Group Groove
 Each team will be responsible for
developing an advocacy plan to tackle a
particular policy issue
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Consider what your message should be.
Come up with at least 4 specific advocacy
ideas
How would you communicate these with
other students?
Team A
 Your university’s graduate assistant health
insurance does not cover mental health
services. Your team is part of a coalition of
student organizations trying to make sure all
health care, especially mental health and
preventive care, is covered. The Board of
Regents will consider a health insurance policy
change at its next meeting, in three weeks.
Team B
 Your city council members are facing some
hard financial decisions this year. They have
proposed to cut all funding for domestic
violence shelters in the city, hoping that
someone else will support this cause. As
students interested in violence prevention, you
are outraged and want to make a statement
before next month’s city council meeting.
Team C
 The United States Senate is considering a bill
to increase funding for anti-bioterrorism efforts.
You and several fellow students are concerned
that this bill does not allow for support of the
rest of the public health infrastructure in this
country. Your Senator is supportive of the bill
and does not understand why it may not be
comprehensive enough. The vote is in 9 days.
Brainstorming
 Take 10 minutes to discuss this among
your group. Remember to address the
following components:
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Consider what your message should be.
Come up with at least 4 specific advocacy
ideas
How would you communicate these with
other students?
Group Discussion
 We’ll take 10-15 minutes to discuss each
team’s advocacy proposal.
 As you listen to other teams present,
consider:
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What are some other advocacy options you
might suggest?
What are some pitfalls the team may face
along the way?
Fly in the Ointment
 Advocacy is never easy. Policies rarely
pass without changes, most of them
major and often in the opposite direction
from what you’d like to see.
 Your team is now responsible for coming
up with two to three ways to deal with the
troubles you run into….
Team A
 Several members of the Board of Regents
have agreed to meet with the members of your
coalition one-on-one. These Board members
have expressed that although they are in
support of adding mental health services to the
health insurance package, they are opposed to
adding dental or eye care to this package. Your
coalition feels that the health insurance for
graduate assistants should be top quality.
What are your options and next steps?
Team B
 Tobacco control advocates have approached
you and have suggested that if the city raises
tobacco tax by $.50/pack, some of the funds
could be used to support domestic violence
shelters. You are concerned about the lack of
consistency of these funds and about the
possible regressivity of tobacco tax. What are
your options and next steps?
Team C
 Your Senator has agreed to try and add
an amendment to the proposed bill that
would increase funding for general public
health infrastructure. However, she
believes these funds should only go to
local public health agencies and not to
state agencies. What are your options
and next steps?
Brainstorming
 Take 10 minutes to discuss this among
your group. Remember to come up with
two to three ways to address the
problem. Be sure to discuss:
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What your new message might be.
How you would communicate this with other
students
How you would move rapidly to respond
Group Discussion
 We’ll take 10-15 minutes to discuss each
team’s approach to their troubles.
 As you listen to other teams present,
consider:
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What are some other ways you might deal
with these challenges?
Now That You’re Energized!
 Become an advocate!
 Pick an issue that’s important to you and think
about ways you can tackle that issue. Are you
a part of a student (or any other) organization
that might be willing to take on a new policy
challenge?
 Do you have friends and colleagues interested
in making some real social change? Make sure
to ask for their involvement as well.
Wrap Up!
This was a brief overview to advocacy!
Be sure to check out:
www.phsc.org
for more information on
action and advocacy.