Search for success What to look for in an initiative

1
Search for success--What to look for in an
initiative

• Terry Nipp
• AESOP Enterprises, Ltd.

2
Search for success

• Goal
• To organize and focus interest in an issue in a
  way that results in increased federal support and
  funding
• Issue identification
• Figuring out who is interested in what
• Building support
• Action based on types of support

3
Search for success

• Key elements for success
• What to look for
• Charge to AESOP
• Major categories
• Targeted activities
• Connecting to the SAES process

4
Issue identification

• Who do you ask
• Breadth v. depth issue
• Inclusion v. skewing issue
• Market surveys
• Ask a lot of people
• Method of the the private sector and politicians
• Relation to media campaign

5
Issue identification

• Survey of interest groups
• Ask a smaller slice of the public with
  demonstrated interest
• Activities of the Board on Agriculture
• Preliminary results
• Work with targeted groups
• Building ownership in process
• Who gets left out in the process?

6
Issue identification

• Ask ourselves
• Committee consensus process
• Representation of our functional groups
• Aggregate results of state input process
• Addressed in AREERA
• How do you do it?
• Is the aggregate of state interests the same as
  national interests?

7
Issue identification

• Heuristic decision rules
• Make your best guess!
• Hammering out the process
• Process may be more important than content
• What is the best, practical mix of issue
  identification tools?

8
Building support

• Types of support
• 1. Overwhelming public support
• 2. Broad general public interest
• 3. Broad but diffused support from an
  array of interest groups
• 4. Focused support from a small array of
  interest groups
• 5. Internal interest

9
Building support

• Success requires
• Overwhelming public support and/or
• Focused support from a small array of
  interest groups
• Need to get there from here

10
Key elements for success

• 1. Broad public support and/or targeted
  interest group support
• 3. Clear and organized support within our own
  community
• 4. Champions in the Administration
• 5. Champions on the Hill
• 6. Dedicated time and focus

11
Clear and organized support within our own
community

• Support at what level?
• Presidents, VPs, Deans, Directors, Department
  Heads
• Support across functions?
• Research, extension, education
• Support across disciplines?
• Clear, non-contradictory messages?

12
Dedicated time and focus

• Role of NASULGC
• Role of AESOP
• Charge to AESOP in major categories
• CSREES Budget
• Other federal agencies
• Science
• Emerging issues

13
CSREES Budget

• Goal More in CSREES
• BOA Budget Committee
• Identify priorities of the system
• Challenges
• Clear message?
• 2 - 3 lead items
• Focus v. inclusiveness
• Special grants

14
Other federal agencies

• How to pick?
• By issue or agency / appropriations SC
• Matrix approach?
• By issue when we develop initiative
• By agency / appropriations SC when we go to the
  Hill

15
Other federal agencies

• Broad issue approach
• Agricultural and the environment
• EPA / Interior / NASA
• Link to SUNEI
• Families
• NIH, HHS, Education, Justice...
• Communities
• USDA/RD, Commerce, Labor...
• Genome
• NSF, NIH...

16
Science

• House Science Committee
• Science and tech issues
• IPR
• GMO and biotech
• Genome policy
• ?

17
Emerging issues

• Farm crisis continues
• Farm Bill 2000?
• Crop insurance
• Risk management
• Impact of the election
• Science policyanyone?
• Ag policyanyone?

18
Connecting to the SAES process

• AESOP
• Works for ESCOP and ECOP
• Collaborates with NASULGC Committees
• Board on Agriculture, CFERR
• Coordinates with unofficial power network within
  the system
• How does SAES decide on directions to AESOP?

19
Linking to SAES process...
Planning and Budget Legislative Committees -
Identify Research Priorities
Input from - SAES System - Stakeholders
Executive Committee
BOA, USDA other agencies develop budgets
Budget Legislative Committee - Budget
development
Partnership Committee - Establish Partnerships -
Lobbying Assistance - Other Agencies Budgets
House and Senate hearings markups
Advocacy Marketing Committee - Coordinate
Advocacy
Science Technology Committee - Establish
Subcommittee - Identifies System Needs - Briefing
Materials
Conference Committee and President signs
20
The End