Take Action Now!

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Take Action Now!

• Public Health Advocacy Strategies
• Public Health Student Caucus
• Session 5069.1
• Wednesday, November 13, 2002

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Session Overview

• Introductions
• Definitions
• Strategies and options
• Group think

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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.

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Public Policy

• Passed by elected officials or by the citizenry
• Applicable to entire populations
• Traditional levels
• Federal, state and local (city council, county
  commissioners)
• Non-traditional levels
• School board, regional housing and transportation
  councils, park and recreation boards

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Im Just a Bill!
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Organizational Policy

• Passed by selected groups or leaders within
  organizations
• Applicable to certain segments of the population
• Traditional types
• Non-profit organizations, for-profit businesses,
  universities, other large institutions
• Non-traditional types
• Faith-based organizations, unions, families,
  residence halls

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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

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What is Advocacy?

• The act of pleading or arguing in favor of
  something, such as a cause, idea, or policy
  active support.

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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.

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Whos an Advocate?

• Everyone can be.
• Usual suspects
• Formal and informal community leaders, non-profit
  advocacy organizations, lobbyists, policymakers,
  business community
• Unusual suspects
• Students, parents, low-income families, targeted
  individuals

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9 Steps to Better Advocacy

• From Now Hear This The Nine Laws of Successful
  Advocacy Communications from Fenton
  Communications
• www.fenton.com
• Three criteria
• Clear goals, measurable progress
• Audience identification and segmentation
• Clear, simple, concise messages

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The Rest of the Steps

• Ensuring these three steps are part of the entire
  campaign
• 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!)

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Top Ten Advocacy OptionsWhen You Want to Do It
Yourself

• Indirect Methods
• Letter to the editor
• Guest opinions
• Press releases
• PSAs
• Petitions

• Direct Methods
• Letters
• Calls
• Protests
• Visits
• Testifying

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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

• 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

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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

• 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

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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)

• Steps
• Keep it conciselimit yourself to 3-4 major
  points about the issue
• Use more qualitative (quotes) than quantitative
  (numbers) data
• Provide visuals for numbers
• Timely submission

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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

• 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

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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

• 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

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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)

• 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

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4. Call to Policymaker

• Definition
• Telephone call directly to the office of the
  policymaker you wish to influence
• As a constituent, youll get immediate
  attention-your message will be delivered directly
• As an organizational expert, you may be sidelined

• 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

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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

• 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 cross-session
  appeal
• Use your affiliation

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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

• 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

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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

• 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

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Stand Up and Stretch!

• Lets 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

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Group Groove

• Each team will be responsible for developing an
  advocacy plan to tackle a particular policy issue
• Consider what your message should be.
• Come up with at least 4 specific advocacy ideas
• How would you communicate these with other
  students?

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Team A

• Your universitys 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.

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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 months city council
  meeting.

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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.

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Brainstorming

• Take 10 minutes to discuss this among your group.
  Remember to address the following components
• Consider what your message should be.
• Come up with at least 4 specific advocacy ideas
• How would you communicate these with other
  students?

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Group Discussion

• Well take 10-15 minutes to discuss each teams
  advocacy proposal.
• As you listen to other teams present, consider
• What are some other advocacy options you might
  suggest?
• What are some pitfalls the team may face along
  the way?

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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 youd like to
  see.
• Your team is now responsible for coming up with
  two to three ways to deal with the troubles you
  run into.

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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
• What your new message might be.
• How you would communicate this with other
  students
• How you would move rapidly to respond

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Group Discussion

• Well take 10-15 minutes to discuss each teams
  approach to their troubles.
• As you listen to other teams present, consider
• What are some other ways you might deal with
  these challenges?

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Now That Youre Energized!

• Become an advocate!
• Pick an issue thats 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.

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Wrap Up!

• This was a brief overview to advocacy!
• Be sure to check out
• www.phsc.org
• for more information on
• action and advocacy.