Advocacy Training Fall 2011 – Echoing Green Offices.

Advocacy TrainingFall 2011 – Echoing Green Offices

Fall 2011 Advocacy Training11:20-12:30

SMART Approach for Advocacy

• Ineffective or superficial action plans in GC classesFocus

Issue

• Improve quality of Mentor strategic planningGoal

• Teach CCs and selected Mentors about SMART approach in a day-long training

• Provide CC’s and selected Mentors with the skills and knowledge to teach other Mentors at their chapters

Strategies/Objectives

• Present PowerPoint Presentation about SMART approach

• Guide group conversation and brainstorming

Tactics

Root Cause(s) Mentors are not adequately trained in advocacy

Contents

Can you name the SMART criteria? Why do you think having SMART approach is

important to successful advocacy?

Stop and Share

While creating or choosing goals, strategies/objectives and tactics, we must use the SMART criteria as an ongoing assessment

of our choices.

Example

Focus Issue

Goal


Tactics

Root Cause(s)

SMART Approach

Specific?

Measureable?

Actionable?

Realistic?

Timely?

SPECIFIC• Who: Who is involved?• What: What do we want to accomplish?• Where: Identify a location.• When: Establish a time frame.• Which: Identify requirements and constraints.• Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of

accomplishing the goal.

S.M.A.R.T. Review 1

MEASURABLE• How will we know when we have reached our

goal?• How will we know if we are failing or getting

off track?• How much...?• How many...?

S.M.A.R.T. Review 2

ATTAINABLE• Can we really make this happen?REALISTIC• Is this goal something we are both willing and

able to reach?TIMELY• When will we accomplish this by? How long

will it take us to carry out the project?

S.M.A.R.T. Review 3

• A GC class decides on a focus issue of unhealthy school lunches. • They decide that their goal will be to “get healthy, tasty food for

schools.” • Their objectives are to “meet with cafeteria staff to discuss” and to

“get healthy food companies to sell food at school.” • To accomplish this, they have a meeting with the head cafeteria staff

person and express that they “want healthy food in the cafeteria that still tastes good.”

Do you think their approach was SMART? Why or why not? What would you guess were the implications of their choices?

Example

How would you explain each SMART characteristic to a high school student?

What examples would you give that bridge familiar concepts with new ideas/concepts?

Stop and Share

Focus Issue

Goal


Tactics

Root Cause(s)

SMART approach

Specific?

Measureable?

Actionable?

Realistic?

Timely?

• Your goals are broad aims within your focus issue which are accomplished and measured in terms of your objectives.

• Sample goals include:– Convince school officials to include a voting student

representative on the curriculum revision committee that starts meeting in March

– Reduce (by X%) the incidence of bullying at your school– Boost teen employment through a program that increases

job readiness for students in your neighborhood– Increase the availability of healthy eating options at school

Creating Goals

• Your strategies/objectives are the means by which you accomplish a goal (objectives are the smaller, measureable aims that you have to reach in order to accomplish your main goal(s)).

• Sample objectives include:– Lobbying school board officials to create a permanent student

position– Convincing state legislators to support an important bill on

bullying– Hosting a teen jobs fair with employers throughout the city– Publishing articles in local media outlets to create parental

support for more nutritious school lunches

Choosing Strategies/Objectives

• Your tactics are the tools by which you will accomplish your objectives.

• Sample tactics include:– Lobbying your principal to share information and offer

solutions– Meeting with a local legislator to present a list of

recommendations to improve bullying legislation– Poster campaign to publicize teen jobs fair and ensure high

attendance– Op-Ed articles, inviting local reporter to a campus event on

healthy eating

Choosing Tactics

How are strategies/objectives and tactics linked with goals?

Stop and Share

• Absenteeism from school

Focus Issue

• Get bus transportation for everyone

• Convince MBTA board to alter bus routes to ensure sufficient service

Goal(s)

• Get school and MBTA to care about the issue

• Lobby MBTA board members to support new routes

• Generate and demonstrate public support for route changes


• Make a poster campaign

• Collect video and statements from 20 students/teachers about causes of absenteeism to show to MBTA board members

• Get principal and PTA head to co-author Op-Ed calling upon MBTA to support route changes

Tactics

Guided Practice

Root Cause(s) Insufficient bus routes that pass school in the AM

SMAR

T Ap

proa

ch

• Presence of homeless people on streets

Focus Issue

• ?

Goal(s)

• ?• ?• ?


• ?• ?• ?

Tactics

Root Cause(s) No shelters in the neighborhood

SMAR

T Ap

proa

chIndependent Practice

What is the most important part of the SMART approach that you would emphasize in

talking to other Mentors or your students?

Stop and Share

Civics 201Fall 2011 Advocacy Training

2:30-3:30

1. Introduction: Civics 201 and the SMART Approach

2. Who Do We Target?a) The Committee Processb) Departments & Agenciesc) Appointed & Elected Bodies

3. How Do We Target Them?a) Lobbyingb) Media

4. Workshopping Our Plans & Reflection

Contents Contents

Focus Issue

Goal


Tactics

Introduction: Civics 201 and the SMART Approach

Speaker

Majority Leader

Deputy Majority Leader

Majority Whip

Who Do We Target?: LeadershipWho Do We Target?: Leadership

Who Do We Target?: Committees

• Administration & Finance– Library Department– Auditing

• Personnel & Labor Relations• Economic Development• Education• Housing & Neighborhood Development• Public Health• Streets, Transportation & Sanitation

Bill Law Rules

Who Do We Target?: Departments and Agencies

• NYC Panel for Education Policy– Chancellor (appointed by mayor) (non-voting)– 13 appointed members (one by each borough president

and eight by mayor)• MTA Leadership

– 17-member board– Members are nominated by the Governor, with four

recommended by New York City's mayor and one each by the county executives of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Putnam counties (the members representing the latter four cast one collective vote).

Who Do We Target?: Appointed & Elected BodiesWho Do We Target?: Appointed & Elected Bodies

• Sample issue: Students want to increase transportation service during peak hours when they need to go to and from school.

• Think-Pair-Share: Which governmental bodies could you approach?

• Issue from this morning’s brainstorm?

Think-Pair-Share

• Three ways to influence:– Votes– Money– Media

How Do We Target Them?

Five Categories of Lobbying Targets• Will go all-out for you,

persuade colleagues, help you with strategy, talk to the public; need information and visible public support

Champions

• On your side, but can be pushed to do more (i.e., persuade colleagues, speak publicly)

Allies

• Your key targets whom you design your strategy around

Fence Sitters

• Against you, but not actively so; lobby enough to keep them on the sidelines but not enough to anger them

Mellow Opponents

• Leading opposition; isolate them, highlight the extremeness of their positions/alliances to make others hesitant to join them

Hard Core Opponents

How Do We Target Them?: Lobbying

• Two types of lobbying:– Inside

• Meeting with and providing information to public officials/staff

• Testifying at hearings/public meetings• Negotiating with public officials, other groups

– Outside• Media activity• Getting other to lobby their officials• Letter writing• Rallies

• COORDINATE!


Six Tips for Your Lobby Visit1. Establish your agenda & goals for the meeting2. Listen well3. Be prepared, but don’t feel that you need to be

an expert4. Don’t stay too long5. Remember you are there to build a relationship6. Follow-up is important


Four Tips for Communicating with Public Officials1. Quality is more persuasive than quantity2. The organization behind a grassroots campaign

matters3. Grassroots organizations should develop a better

understanding of the process4. There is a difference between being noticed and

having an impact


Media advocacy: Strategic use of news-making through print,

broadcast, online media to promote public debate, and generate community and official support for changes in community norms and policies

How Do We Target Them?: MediaHow Do We Target Them?: Media

Terms & Explanations• News/media events: Media-friendly event to obtain coverage and spread

advocacy message– Brief, simple, new information and/or action-focused, strategically timed, good visual

• News/media advisory: Information piece on your event to send to media to get them to come and cover event– Clear, concise, good headline, contain who/what/where/when/why/how info, contains

name & contact info• Journalistic news release: Written about your event as if it were from a reporter;

used by smaller outlets/those who can’t make event– Includes facts/figures, name & quotes, calls to action

• Interviews: Getting interviewed by member of media– Be VERY careful to fully prepare for these, be clear about ground rules

• Op-Eds & Letters to the Editor

How Do We Target Them?: Media

Building a Strong Foundation• Identify partners• Research issue

– Gather short, succinct facts & figures• Planning, planning, planning

– Timing– Which outlet and why?

• Monitor and learn from your results


Do Not• Debate the wrong fight (stay focused on your

issue, not someone else’s)• Be wordy/use jargon• Be underprepared• Rely on status (i.e., just because someone’s a

student, that doesn’t automatically get them anywhere)

• Bully/lecture


Media Planning Exercise1. Issue?2. Overall strategy? How can media advance it?3. What’s your message/story in terms of problem, impact,

solution, and who cares?4. Target audience? When and how will you reach them?5. Media opportunities/options: Which outlets would be

interested, which will you approach, how?6. What do you want your audience to understand/do after

they hear the message?7. Obstacles?8. Outcome?


Action PlanningFall 2011 Advocacy Training

3:40-4:40

• Teen Pregnancy

Focus Issue

• For condoms to be available for free at school

Goal

• Appealing to school board/principal to back plan and provide funding

• Mobilizing community support for the cause

• Determine feasibility/costs of program

• Identifying and engaging partner org(s) to help provide supplies and/or support


• Lobbying individuals and testifying at public meeting

• Engaging pastors, PTA, other relevant community groups in the cause

• Talk to ppl who have done smlar projects

• Talk to ppl who have done smlar projects

Tactics

ExampleRoot Cause: Students know what condoms are but don’t have easy access to them.

• Teen Pregnancy

Focus Issue

• Lower teen pregnancy rates

Goal

• Raise awareness of pregnancy rates

• Hold an assembly for students/teachers/staff in which community group comes to teach about correct condom use

• Create a documentary


• Run social media campaign to connect students with online info about contraceptive use

• Convince principal to allow school nurse to distribute free condoms

• Create a documentary available on website to direct students to on where to get contraceptives

Tactics

ExampleRoot Cause: Students know what condoms are but don’t have easy access to them.

Supporting our (fellow) MentorsFall 2011 Advocacy Training

4:40-5:30

What is/do you anticipate being the hardest part of the action planning process for students?

For Mentors?

Stop and Share

Action Planning Sequence• Focus Issue discussions (and Mentor planning)• Step 9: Grassroots Advocacy 101

– “Steps of Grassroots Advocacy”– “Action Plan Research”

• Action Plan Tracking Template• Step 10: Formulating our Action Plan

– “SMART/Action Plan Goals and Objectives”– “Dividing the Work”

• Activist Tools

Action Planning Sequence• Focus Issue discussions (and Mentor planning)

During this process… - Mentors are taking issues, focusing them around goals

and then brainstorming concrete objectives - Mentors/students are compiling research about the

chosen issue - This is dynamic, changing according to the discussions

in your class and research you/the students uncover

Action Planning Sequence• Step 9: Grassroots Advocacy 101

– “Steps of Grassroots Advocacy” (pg. 27 in SH)– “Action Plan Research” (pg. 28 in SH)

During this process… - Mentors are introducing the SMART approach to

action planning - Mentors are evaluating the research that they/the

students have done on the chosen issue in order to get a better sense of the scope of the problem

Action Planning Sequence• Step 10: Formulating our Action Plan

– “SMART/Action Plan Goals and Objectives” (pg. 34 in SH)– “Dividing the Work” (pg. 36 in SH)

During this process: - Mentors already have concrete goals and objectives in

mind - Mentors/teacher have already split groups and assigned

objectives (some potential for last-minute movement according to class discussion)

- Students can denote responsibilities, with guidance

Action Planning Sequence• Action Plan Tracking Template[Located on page 19 in the Mentor handbook]

COMPLETED

BEFORE

STEP 10


1-2 goals per class


2-5 groups per class, divided according to

group dynamic or to objective

preference


1-3 objectives per group, different

groups can work on same

objective if working on

different tactics


relevant topics to

objectives

relevant tools for

objectives

people, organizations

related to objectives


deliverable (letter, article, video, survey, presentation,

proposal, website)


For condoms to be available for free at school

- Appealing to school board/principal to back plan and provide funding

- Determine feasibility/costs of program- Identifying and engaging partner org(s) to help provide supplies and/or support

- Mobilizing community support for the cause

JasmineLeonardDevanteDelaysia

SamPatTimJoy

MarkeaRodney

Structure of school board and meeting policies, statistics about contraceptive accessibility and effects

Other orgs. (or schools) which provide this service, costs of bulk

History of issue in comm., demographic groups/concerns.

-Influencing Decision Makers

ATs for all:-Effective Public Speaking-Working in Project Teams-Learning from an Expert-Lobbying our Issue

-Social Media-Opinion Pieces

PTA leaders, political figures, teachers, important community leaders

Nonprofit leaders, health workers, school nurses

Pastors, elected officials

Presentation to school board

Formal proposal to school with costs, examples, partners

Press in local paper

Action Planning Sequence• Focus Issue discussions (and Mentor planning)• Step 9: Grassroots Advocacy 101

– “Steps of Grassroots Advocacy”– “Action Plan Research”

• Action Plan Tracking Template• Step 10: Formulating our Action Plan

– “SMART/Action Plan Goals and Objectives”– “Dividing the Work”

• Activist Tools

How can we convey what we’ve learned about each of these components to our

Mentors for them to teach their students (handouts? meetings?)

Stop and Share

Mentor Civic Leadership Curriculum

• Training 7: Forming an Action Plan (required)– SMART approach– Pre-action and action steps– Tracking progress (“AP Tracking Template”)

• Training 8: Facilitating Independent Projects (recommended)– Getting/keeping students engaged in their objectives– Tasks that require close supervision

• Training 9: Action Plan Troubleshooting (recommended)– Staying positive– Peer troubleshooting– Civics Day logistics

How can we follow up with Mentors to make sure that their Action Plans are on

target, correctly utilizing the components and materials that we’ve learned today?

Stop and Share

What happens if this doesn’t happen?

Reflection

Advocacy Training Fall 2011 – Echoing Green Offices.

Documents

Transcript of Advocacy Training Fall 2011 – Echoing Green Offices.