Developing Advocacy Skills for Public Policy

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Developing Advocacy Skills for Public Policy

• Dr. Deborah Sullivan
• Mikaela Bush
• Julianna Hritz

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Our Goals And Objectives Today

• Share a process to develop advocacy skills to
  influence public policy at local, state and
  national levels.
• Participants will be able to
• 1. examine their current level of political
  participation.
• 2. evaluate Public Policy issues in preparation
  to advocate on behalf of children and families.
• 3. design and implement a program to develop
  advocacy skills in others.

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The Process

• Select a Public Policy topic related to family
  well-being.
• Prepare a Public Policy Analysis Brief using
  AAFCSs Five Is Policy Analysis Organizing
  Tool.
• Following analysis, choose a course of action
  explaining how the choice improves the quality of
  life for individuals/families/communities.
• Contact the appropriate legislator expressing the
  course of action desired, based on the analysis
  completed.

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How a Bill Becomes a Law
http//youtu.be/tyeJ55o3El0
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Issue-to-Policy Evolution

• In order for a policy to become it must move
  from a concern to a new policy

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Stages of Policy Evolution

• Concern
• Involvement
• Issue
• Alternatives
• Consequences
• Choice
• Implementation
• Evaluation

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Stage 1 Concern

• Citizens begin by expressing concern
• Example Citizens realize that their community
  has no means of transportation of elderly persons
• Our Example
• Recent events Sandy Hook
• Class agreed on the controversy
• Recent legislation introduced

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Stage 2 Involvement

• Example Citizens may become involved in this
  issue as individuals or as members of a group
  working together to address the transportation
  problem.
• Our example the class felt this was a current
  concern that needed addressed with new
  legislation that was being debated in congress.

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Stage 3 Issue

• Citizens then clarify the issue by defining the
  scope of the problem.
• Example They may talk with community leaders
  and the elderly to further define and clarify the
  transportation issue.
• Our example we began researching the topic with
  the assistance of a reference librarian.

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Stage 4 Alternatives

• Important step in public policy is to identify
  alternatives
• Example Citizens can consider alternatives such
  as applying for government grants, inviting
  private businesses to bid on developing a
  transportation system, or organizing volunteers
  to donate transportation
• Recognize that doing nothing is an alternative

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Alternatives

• Our example We looked for different points of
  view, who agreed/disagreed and why
• We investigated groups for and against gun
  control
• Half of the class researched the pros of gun
  control and half of the class researched the cons

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Stage 5 Consequences

• Explore the consequences
• Example A government grant may help with a
  feasibility study or purchase of a van, but then
  additional funding sources will be needed. Or,
  volunteers may be willing to help in the
  beginning of the project, but tire as the project
  matures
• Our example We considered who was impacted by
  this issue and what the implications were

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Stage 6 Choice

• When all alternatives and their consequences have
  been considered, a choice must be made
• While the citizen may influence the choice,
  she/he does not typically make the choice at this
  step
• Instead, the citizen indirectly influences policy
  makers who make those decisions
• Our example For purposes of the paper, consensus
  was drawn by the class on the issue

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Stage 7 Implementation

• The citizens role in implementing the choice is
  to learn how to provide input to the policy maker
  as implementation procedures are developed
• Our example Students decided which side of the
  issue they supported and wrote an individual
  letter to their legislator with their research
  based opinion
• Visit from Congressman Bob Gibbs

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Stage 8 Evaluation

• Example If citizens are happy with the
  resolution to the elderly transportation issue,
  they move on to other activities
• If they are unhappy, they begin the process
  again, possibly campaigning to elect new
  policymakers as a result of the experience

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Conclusion of Our Project

• In the end, S. 150 Assault Weapons Ban of 2013
  was not passed in the Senate
• Since the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings,
  Congress has not passed any gun control
  legislation
• Learning this process provided us with the
  confidence and tools to contact our legislators
  regarding our concerns on current issues

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Our Goals And Objectives Today

• Share a process to develop advocacy skills to
  influence public policy at local, state and
  national levels.
• Participants will be able to
• 1. examine their current level of political
  participation.
• 2. evaluate Public Policy issues in preparation
  to advocate on behalf of children and families.
• 3. design and implement a program to develop
  advocacy skills in others.