Promoting your program up and down the communication ladder

Candance Gabel, MS, RD, LDFNEP State Coordinator

Education vs. LobbyingEducating - All employees and volunteers

should educate and inform decision makers about University of Missouri Extension.

We can communicate:What we doWhy we do itHow we do itWhat difference it makes

Education vs. LobbyingLobbying Involves communication and interaction to

influence a legislator or decision maker to make a particular decision on specific legislation.

Who is important in advocacyTo you – everyone –

Your staffYour bossYour councilYour commissioner/county board memberOther agencies with whom you workAll local and federal legislators

Manage Up and Manage DownPolitics is about relationships

It really is about who you knowAll politics are localAlways be thankfulBuild Social Capital

“Make friends when you don’t need them”

Lyndon Johnson

Stakeholder AdvocacyA stakeholder is someone who is involved with

an organization and therefore has responsibilities toward it and an interest in its success. Extension stakeholders are decision makers who have ownership for supporting extension programs and who – along with their constituents – benefit from those programs. They have the capacity to generate goodwill and obtain resources to support the University of Missouri Extension mission.

Stakeholder AdvocacyStakeholders include, but are not limited to,

state and federal legislators; county commissioners and other county office holders; city office holders; local, state and national program partners; and community leaders.

Two most important Questions in Politics

1. How many of you know your legislators, policy makers, and/or influencers?

2. How many of your legislators, policymakers, and/or influencers know you?

It is equally important for you to know them and them to know you.

Who are your stakeholders?

Who are your stakeholders

Stakeholders and ConcernsStakeholders Concerns

Stakeholder Advocacy Have clarity in your messageUse common languageBe conciseHave your stump speech – 3 points – 7-10

minutesHave your elevator speech – 30 secondsProtect those above you

Connect your priorities to their priorities Make your agenda their agenda

Know what is important to themKnow their interests

Do you homeworkThis is not about you – it is about themFind something or someone that you have in

commonUse volunteer advocates from the area that they

representTraining and preparation is the keyBe careful what names you drop –Figure out where real POWER is

Could be a staffer or a friend or a family member

Public Value ApproachThe work of Dr. Laura Kalambokidis, University

of Minnesota Extension, has been key in the development of public values statements in Missouri.

Public value is the value of a program to those who do not directly benefit from that program.

The public values approach is a tool to secure $upport for activities with strong public value.

Public Value Statements & MU ExtensionThreat of 50% budget cut for fy10Governor’s impression that MU Extension

wasn’t considered a part of the University of Missouri

Involved StakeholdersLearned how to share our successes focusing

on outcomes.

Public Value Statements and MU ExtensionIn-service training System in place to develop and share

statementsLegislative DayContinued work

Public Value Statements“ Financial Education program, participants spend and

borrow responsibly, save more and gain control over their financial health. These behaviors benefit other community members by reducing predatory lending, reliance on public assistance programs and crime.”

Public Value Statement“Stay Strong, Stay Healthy program, participants increase

their physical activity. This behavior leads to reduced risk of falls, heart disease and osteoporosis; decreased stress; and improved weight control and overall quality of life. These health benefits decrease the likelihood of a participant entering a nursing home, which costs on average $24,455 per year in Missouri.”

Public Value Statement“Relationship Education program, participants learn to

strengthen their relationship. Consequently, this decreases the likelihood of divorce by 50%. For every couple that remains married, Missouri saves $30,000.”

Building Extension's Public Value: U. of MN Extension

How does an Extension program create public value? Does it narrow an information gap? Does it address a crucial concern about

fairness? Does one person’s participation benefit

people who do not participate in the program?

Does one person’s participation reduce costs for others?

Does the program improve upon the market outcome?

Building Extension's Public Value: U. of MN Extension

Program participants…

have been shown to change their behavior in specific

ways…

that have been shown to lead to specific outcomes…

that directly benefit the

participants.

that generate public value.

Building Extension's Public Value: U. of MN Extension

Participants in a nutrition education program…

have been shown to increase their consumption of fruits and

vegetables,…

which has been shown to reduce the incidence of diabetes,…

which directly improves quality of life for participants.

which reduces public health costs for all community

members.

Building Extension's Public Value: U. of MN Extension

Participants

Changes

Outcome

Private benefits Public value

Building Extension's Public Value: U. of MN Extension

Participants

Changes

Outcome

Private benefits Public value

Learn

Building Extension's Public Value: U. of MN Extension

Demonstrating public valueChoose a program to work on.Choose a stakeholder.Worksheet:

Identify some changes program participants make.

Identify some outcomes that result from those changes.

How do those outcomes benefit the participants?

How do those outcomes benefit others (create public value)?

Which public value will be most important to this stakeholder?

Building Extension's Public Value: U. of MN Extension

A public value message:When you support ______________program, participants will ____________________,

(changes)which leads to ______________________,

(outcomes)which will benefit other community members

by __________________________________.

(public value)

Building Extension's Public Value: U. of MN Extension

Generally, a public value message:is directed to a specific stakeholderfocuses on the outcome that matters to the

stakeholderuses the stakeholder’s languageis free of jargon and empty wordsis believableis shortis about a specific programdoesn’t focus on the learning stepdoesn’t focus on the program’s private benefitdoes focus on the program’s public valuetells us how non-participants—the greater

community, state, world—benefit from the program

makes the case for public funding

Building Extension's Public Value: U. of MN Extension

The public value approach is not just about the message; it’s about doing the work that justifies the message.

Building Extension's Public Value: U. of MN Extension

Building Extension's Public Value: U. of MN Extension

Next Steps

Teach the public value approach to your colleagues.

Refine your public value message.Specific stakeholder?Matters to the stakeholder?Stakeholder’s language?Free of jargon and empty words?Believable?

Next Steps

Refine your public value message continued:Short?Specific program?earning step? No.Private benefits? No.Public value? Yes!How do non-participants benefit?Makes the case for public funding?

Apply your public value message.Communication strategyUse in marketing materials, grant proposals, legislative visits

Implement your research agenda.Contact people who can helpProgram evaluationCollect indicatorsCost-benefit analysisEconomic impact analysis

Use public value concepts to prioritize your organization’s work.

Next Steps

ReferencesMU Extension

http://extension.missouri.edu/staff/publicvalue

Dr. Laura Kalambokidis, University of Minnesota Extension

Dr. Robin Orr, University of IllinoisMarshall Stewart, NCSU