DIFFERENT APPROACHES FOR ADVOCACY GROUPS BEFORE you think about which advocacy approach(es) to use, you should: Have a clear Mission statement. Determine your goals/objectives to accomplish your mission. Identify the organization government or private that s responsible Identify the decision-maker(s) you are trying to influence. Assess your group s strengths and limitations including your prior advocacy efforts. Complete your homework about the problem and solution as well as what groups may support you and what groups may oppose you. TIP: Identify both winnable, as well as, more difficult goals. Some may be short term and others more long term goals. Group Advocacy While many of the approaches discussed here work equally well for group or individual advocacy, we re discussing group advocacy in which you are speaking as and for a group or class of people, both those affected currently, as well as those who might be in the future. TIP: Sometimes you may have to diplomatically remind a member of the group that this is a group effort. Don t let individual concerns hijack the group. Advocacy Approaches are Events Remember that the advocacy approaches you choose are each advocacy events that need to be seen as part of an overall and ongoing process. Each will contribute to the relationship you will have with the policy maker on both the present issue and on future issues. Some policy makers are short term but others may be around for 10 or more years and their influence may grow. Remember that your most effective tools are PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE. Different Advocacy Approaches Page 1 of 11
What is going to be your overall style? Advocate or Adversary Advocating without being an Adversary Policy makers are used to working with all types of advocates for all kinds of causes, some which they may agree with, and some of which they may not. Advocates become adversaries when they are viewed as opposing the policy maker and making it personal. The policy makers see little or no benefit in working with them a lose-lose effort. Adversarial advocates are perceived as rigid and unable or unwilling to reach a compromise position that is necessary to move their agenda forward. It makes sense to start from a positive position. Yet even then, there are times when advocates may be forced into an adversarial position and action. Even then advocates shouldn t personalize the issue; instead they should stay focused on why the actions are harmful and suggest alternative courses of action. Remember that today s opponent can be tomorrow s supporter, so do what you can to leave the door open. Factors to be considered for each approach: Who are the policy makers your group is trying to influence? Is your message clear for the particular policy makers? Are there other groups with which to work in coalition? When is the best timing? Does your group have the capacity to carry out the approach within the desired time frame? What will be your follow-up plan? Is your group comfortable with the approach? Deciding the approaches/tactics your organization is going to use should be part of your action plan for each of your goals/objectives and your action plan should identify who is going to be responsible for each task and within what time frame. Different Advocacy Approaches Page 2 of 11
DIRECT APPROACHES/TACTICS FOR ADVOCACY GROUPS (Direct contact with the decision maker(s) that you are trying to influence) PERSONAL MEETING(S) Share your concerns and learn about the policy maker s interest/ability to address them. Develop/continue your relationship with the policy maker. Provides an opportunity for direct dialogue with the policy maker and to learn what concerns he/she may have about your problem and solution. Establishes or reinforces a personal relationship with the policy maker. Can be superficial. Harder to maintain control and focus. Can turn confrontational or adversarial. Can be difficult to arrange due to busy schedules. Know the policy maker. When dealing with elected officials, include constituents in the meeting. Meet with the policy maker s key staff prior to meeting with the policy maker. Sharpen your message. Don t use acronyms or words they won t understand. What are the current policy issues that fit your message? Be clear on the agenda. Share it ahead of time. Know what you want out of the meeting and what the limitations of the policy maker are. Be clear about what you want the policy maker to do. Know what support your group can give the policy maker. Use personal examples. Be aware of timing and choose the right time and place for the meeting. Speak with one voice. Are there others urging different action? Different Advocacy Approaches Page 3 of 11
Invite the policy maker to speak to your group/organization. Always follow-up with them. Different Advocacy Approaches Page 4 of 11
LETTERS, FAXES, PETITIONS, E-MAIL AND PHONE CALLS Let the policy maker know the issue is important and is being monitored by constituents. Provide support and/or opposition to a position. You have control over how you deliver your message. Lets the policy maker know what their constituents are thinking. Can be less time consuming for organization members. Efforts by opposing forces can cancel each other out. You often don t get a clear response that directly answers your concern. Timing is critical. Letters and calls need to be individualized as opposed to form letters or calls. Contact should be personalized; share what the issue and proposed solution means to you or your organization and the people in your community. Be clear about what you want the policy maker to do. Just a few letters can convey a strong voice, since policy makers actually receive very few on any given issue. Consider having letter writing parties on a monthly basis. E-mails can be effective, but it s worth asking the policy maker s staff about what kind of communication they prefer. Faxes are a quicker way to get to them, but it s worth following up with regular mail. Petitions are generally less effective in influencing policy makers, but can be a good way to build your group. Make sure you contact the policy maker that represents you/your group and spell their names right. Follow-up with the policy maker after whatever action has been taken on the issue. All techniques are valuable and it s worthwhile to use different types of communication. But personal letters from constituents are especially important. Different Advocacy Approaches Page 5 of 11
PUBLIC HEARINGS Provide input by interested parties on a particular issue. Gauge the level and type of interest on an issue and a particular solution. Some local governments require public hearings on all legislation being considered for adoption, while it is optional and usually not conducted by the state or federal government. State agencies sometimes conduct public hearings; however, county agencies are often required to conduct such hearings on their program plans and budgets. (The private sector rarely has public hearings) Provide an opportunity for public recognition and credibility for the organization, especially if there is strong media coverage. Provide an opportunity to network with other groups with similar concerns. Provide an opportunity to learn about those opposing your position and their basis for opposition. Can use up valuable time and resources. Can expose opposing views. Poor attendance and pre-conceived positions may limit the possibility for any significant influence. Can delay the process. Know why the hearing is being conducted; is it a requirement? Who called for the hearing? Is the timing close to an election? Use the answers to these questions to shape your testimony. If testifying, try to be one of the first. Stay and learn from other witnesses. Make connections with other groups. Sharpen your message. Don t read your full written testimony. Try to use short and concise comments. Have copies of your comments for the panel and the news media. Provide personal stories, as well as, factual statements. Questions by panelists are a good sign. Don t confuse comments from panelists as questions, when they are just statements. Different Advocacy Approaches Page 6 of 11
Even if you are not testifying, attend hearings to make a public showing. Participate in decision making processes, such as program planning meetings and filing comments on regulations. Different Advocacy Approaches Page 7 of 11
INDIRECT APPROACHES/TACTICS FOR ADVOCACY GROUPS (Using others to influence policy makers) MEDIA ADVOCACY Provide a vehicle to get your message to a larger segment of the population than otherwise possible, in order to build support and shape public opinion. Nearly every policy maker stays current on what is being said in the media, while they might not be as readily accessible for a meeting or to your literature or phone calls. Provide a chance to find new members/supporters and to educate the general public. Provide an opportunity to respond to misleading or false information about an issue or proposed solution. It is difficult to get the media to carry your story/message. Media operate on the principle that it must represent both sides of the story, regardless of the merits or size of support for a particular position. TIPS Develop a short but clear message. No acronyms or jargon. Be prepared to respond to opposing arguments. Pay attention to what stories get covered and use that information to figure out how to get your message heard/printed. Learn which reporters cover the news on your issue and develop relationships with them. Consider creating response teams in your organization in order to promptly respond to misinformation or false information carried by the media and to support good or helpful information. Use letters to the editor and opinion editorials (op eds) to get your views out there. Be sure to follow rules, like word limits. The shorter the better you d rather edit yourself than have them edit your message. Different Advocacy Approaches Page 8 of 11
SOCIAL MEDIA/INTERNET To use social media and social networking sites on the internet to bring all kinds of groups together and let them interact and communicate. See MORE ON SOCIAL NETWORKING/INTERNET for more background information. Fastest way to spread news and updates. Messages can go viral, meaning they can spread from person to person like an instant word of mouth campaign. Low cost way to reach diverse audience of similar likes and dislikes. Facilitates open communication which can lead to enhanced information sharing, discussions and questions. Used to spark interest or bring attention to an issue. Not everyone has the technology, particularly in the disability community. Not everyone knows how to use the technology. Can be time consuming. People may get overwhelmed with too much information. Can open doors to negative comments which can spread just as quickly as positive comments and can damage credibility. Write clearly and concisely: typos and run on sentences will not wow potential supporters. Provide both qualitative and quantitative supporting evidence: back your opinions with data, including an interpretation of the numbers to give more credibility to your opinion and places you as an expert. Always assume that everyone will read what you write and post. Know why you are posting and what your end goal is. In order to effectively use social media, you need to understand how it works, when and how to use it and which channels to focus on depending on your end goal of using social media. Different Advocacy Approaches Page 9 of 11
RALLIES and THEATER To provide clear public visibility on the issue and the group s position. Success is dependent in large part upon media coverage and participation level. Help build group bonding and motivate people. Can get media coverage that might otherwise not be possible. If done well, can increase the group s credibility. Can attract new members and supporters. Can diminish the group s credibility if done poorly, such as targeting an inappropriate policy maker, bad timing or confusing message. Message can be easily dismissed by the opposition if not carefully developed. Groups can be difficult to control. The wrong message can get out. Poor turnout can make your group appear weaker. Be creative. This is a chance to have fun and get attention. Plan in advance. Be prepared for unexpected events. Make sure you are targeting the appropriate policy makers. Make sure your timing enhances the possibility that the action you want the policy maker to take can actually occur. Make sure you have a clear message, taking into account what the opposition message will be. Know when enough is enough. Know when you have gotten your message heard so that you don t wear it out and diminish your point. Know when you should move to another advocacy approach. Follow-up is important. Use Branding to make your group identifiable (e.g. always wear t- shirts that carry your message). Different Advocacy Approaches Page 10 of 11
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE/DEMONSTRATIONS To demonstrate a certain level of seriousness and commitment about an issue and the level of sacrifice willing to be made for resolution of the issue. If the message can attract public attention and support, it can pressure a response. Usually able to obtain media attention at least for the short term. Can reinforce other advocacy approaches. If the message isn t clear about the problem or the proposed solution and public support is not achieved, it can damage the credibility of the group and the issue in general. Should be able to show how other efforts have been tried and were unsuccessful. Always a last resort. As with demonstrations, it needs to be well timed and targeted with a clear message. Must also be well planned and carefully controlled by the group. This publication is supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council. Copyright September 4, 2012 Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council. Permission to reprint, copy and distribute this work is granted provided that it is reproduced as a whole, distributed at no more than actual cost, and displays this copyright notice. Any other reproduction is strictly prohibited. Different Advocacy Approaches Page 11 of 11