INTRODUCTION
TO ADVOCACY
Getting Started: So
you have an idea that you feel passionate about, and that’s great! But what do
you do with it? How will you turn those unique ideas into a system to bring
about some type of social change? How will the general public be able to
benefit from your proactive imagination?
The first step is to become
knowledgeable about your topic and to educate others about the topic you are
investigating.
What Is Advocacy?: There
are many different ways to view advocacy because it encompasses so many ideas
in and of itself. However, for our purposes we will identify advocacy as a
force that is directed at changing policies, positions, or programs at the
institutional level. Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes – including
public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and
social systems and institutions that directly affect people’s lives.
Advocacy assists in creating an
environment that enables and motivates the public to act. The movement itself
is created from an activist state of mind which mobilizes public support to
create influence.
*Remember,
advocacy is an active promotion of a cause or principle; it is not providing a
service or community program.
Keys To Success: -Strive
for broad based support (there’s strength in numbers) or enough influential
advocates to have power. Find allies within the system you are trying to
influence.
-Thoroughly
research the facts, the opposition, special interest concerns, and public
policy.
-Carefully plan your strategies and
tactics.
-Promote
the values and accomplishments of the AHA to the community to gain credibility.
Recognize positive results and publicly thank volunteers, partners, staff, and
others responsible.
-Use advocacy tools wisely, including
the media.
-Plan
for short term successes to help get people motivated. People want to see
results. Accomplish this by breaking down long term goals into smaller, more
manageable pieces.
-Look for the
good and others. Just because someone does not express support for your cause
may mean that they don’t have the same understanding of the issue. Make every
effort to be respectful of their concerns and beliefs while educating them
about your position.
-Work within
your area of expertise. If you don’t feel comfortable or confident fulfilling
the requirements of a certain task or goal, enlist the help of your superiors
and group members who feel competent.
-Be prepared to
compromise. An alternative solution, while not ideal, may get you closer to
your goals.
What is an
Advocacy Arena?: The advocacy arena is a
term used to describe the various places where policies are made including but
not limited to: County commissions, school boards, boards or directors,
nonprofit organizations, corporations, government agencies, and neighborhood
associations.
Advocacy Mix: Advocacy
is a broad term that includes all of the activities used to achieve the success
of our initiatives. The combination of those activities is called the advocacy
mix. These are the major components:
-coalitions and partnerships
-grassroots networks
-lobbying or influencing decision
makers
-media and communications
Governmental Arena: The
governmental arena includes the public policy making entities in the executive,
legislative, and judicial branches of government at the federal, state, and
local levels. The government, especially the legislative branch, exists to
develop enact, and enforce policies.
The federal executive branch is headed
by the president of the United States. It is responsible for carrying out laws
enacted by the president and Congress. At the state level, the executive branch
is headed by the governor.
The judicial branch settles disputes
between parties, clarifies and explains the intent of laws, and reviews the
fairness of laws. It is the duty of the courts to ensure that actions taken by
the legislative and executive branches are consistent with the Constitution
(judicial review). Most states pattern their system after thr tree tier federal
judiciary system which consists of the Supreme Court, the appellate courts, and
the lower district courts.
The federal legislative branch
(Congress) represents the people, makes laws, and oversees government
operations. It consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Committees are the key policy making bodies in Congress.
Local Government: Local
government includes such policy making entities as county boards of
supervisors, city councils, county commissions, townships and school boards, to
name just a few. Local government allows more people to be involved in the
democratic process.
-Local needs are best met by local
solutions. For this reason, attempts to solve local problems at the state and
federal level sometimes fail. In addition, legislation at the state and federal
level may be locked by powerful committee chairpersons. This is less likely to
happen at the local level.
-For advocates, one of the most
important characteristics of local government is that it’s more accessible.
Advocates usually find it easier to get appointments or meet informally with
local government representatives. Many advocates are volunteers with full time
jobs. Local governments often meet in the evening, which allows for greater
citizen participation.
How Local Governments
Pass Ordinances: a. Bills are drafted.
b. After the first reading, the bill is
referred to the appropriate committees for review or amendment.
c. A public hearing is held when
required by law or deemed necessary by council.
d. After the third reading, the bill is
sent to the mayor for approval.
e. The mayor reviews the bill. If the
mayor signs the bill it becomes an ordinance. If the mayor does not return the
bill as disapproved within that time, it takes effect as if the mayor had
signed it. Upon enactment, ordinances are published in the newspaper.
*If the bill is disapproved, the mayor
must specify the objections in writing and return the bill to city council
within ten days. The council has the right to override the veto.
Advocacy: Action in
Your Community: Community
advocacy is the term we use to refer to advocacy arenas within our local
communities. These may include neighborhoods, universities, businesses,
corporations, and school boards.
Why Be an Advocate?: Community
advocacy is a powerful tool for producing social change where we live and work.
Without individual advocates taking action in their communities, and advocacy
initiative will not be successful. Being an advocate means being willing to
speak up, speak out and challenge the status quo. It means being willing to
take action and be a voice for positive change.
1.
Coalitions
-Seek out individuals or other
organizations that may be able to support your cause. You may be surprised at
the positive outcome. There is some truth that there is power in numbers.
Having dedicated individuals work with you can only strengthen your mission
There
are three types of coalitions:
-Unstructured Informal-An informal
group of like-minded individuals who meet occasionally to discuss issues common
to their organizations. They may or may not have a name.
-Structured Informal-A named group that
meets on a regular basis, may have elected leadership positions, has common,
articulated objectives.
Why should you form coalitions?:
-A coalition combines and multiplies
the power of its members’ organizations to change policy. A coalition divides
the responsibility and the workloads.
-Many voices are represented by a
single person with a unified message. Coalitions pool resources, ideas, and
expertise to avoid duplication of efforts and activates.
2.
Objectives
-Objectives that are too broad
sometimes will cause disconnect among members. Set goals high, yet reachable
within your limitations.
3.
Data
-Good data alone has the ability to
carry an entire argument. Make sure that your data is credible and relay a
summary of the data to make it more easily comprehendible for your audience.
4.
Audiences
-Advocacy efforts should be directed
towards individuals who have the capabilities to make decisions and enforce
change. It may be easier to connect with individuals who have reasonable means
to influence those with decision making power, such as staff, advisors, elders,
the media and the public.
-Network. It is extremely important to
reach out to the community; they may be your greatest asset, when it comes time
to spread your message. Don’t hesitate to enlist the help of volunteers to
accomplish some of the tasks on your list.
5.
Messages
-Determine what exactly motivates the
person(s) whom you are attempting to gain support from. How can you frame your
message so it meets their needs yet, does not compromise the objectives or
framework of your organization?
6.
Presentation
-Make your presentation memorable. This
may be your only chance to get the message across to any particular audience.
Make sure that you are knowledgeable about the information that you are
presenting. Treat every opportunity to speak with perspective supporters like a
first and last impression. The message must be persuasive enough to gain the
support you need, without coming across as threatening or intimidating. Including
very personal stories may help to appeal to the emotional side of someone who
is in charge of making decisions. However, the most effective way is to
overwhelm them with numbers-statistics and findings of why exactly a certain
policy needs changing, and just how much the suggested solution will bring
about that change.
7.
Evaluation
-Be open to receiving feedback from
those in your network. They may have suggestions or concerns that the general
public might. Taking time to smooth out any inconsistencies before presenting
will eliminate any room for ambiguity. Feedback from those outside your network
will open you up to a realm of critics, be prepared for strikes made toward
your plan. Take this feedback as constructive criticism to acknowledge that
there may still be room for improvement in your policy, plan, or procedure.
Most importantly, evaluate yourself and your team, thank everyone for their
efforts and celebrate victories.
