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Empowering Patients
To Be
Their Own
Health Care Advocates
Voice4Patients.Com
PO Box 273
Warren, ME. 04864
www.voice4patients.com
voice4patients@aol.com
National Support
Services
PULSEAmerica.Org
(719) 564-0280
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Enzo Pastore, MSS/MLSP
Senior Government Relations Associate
National Association of Social Workers
750 First Street, NE - Suite 700
Washington, DC. 20002
(202) 336-8336
E-mail: epastore@naswdc.org
www.voice4patients.com/advocacyworkshop
Any successful grassroots advocacy program or campaign requires three essential components: designing a dynamic structure, developing credible relationships and implementing an action plan. This 3 hour interactive workshop provides participants with a hands-on analysis of how to be more effective advocates
Effective Strategies for Grassroots Advocacy
Developing the
Campaign
Agenda for Group
Participation
Group 1: What does the
Member of Congress, Governor, state legislator or other decision-maker(s) need
to know to make an informed decision on this issue?
Your responsibility in this advocacy campaign
is to develop knowledge of the issue (history, background). Identify who can
give you what you want--your target(s) for grassroots advocacy. Identify what
the decision-makers need to know. Identify what your coalition needs to know.
Identify what your grassroots advocates need to know.
Some questions you will need to answer are:
What do we already know about this issue?
What more do we need to know?
What are the goals of the proposed change
(or issue)?
Which programs will the issue affect? How
will the issue change the nature of the programs?
Who is affected by this issue or the program
and how? What impact will any change have?
How will any changes affect other related
services?
What will it cost in real dollars, for the
program and for the recipient(s) of services?
How is the issue subject (or program)
currently funded? What is the amount of funding?
Group 2:
Who (or what group) should lead the
grassroots effort to affect public policy legislation? Should you form a
coalition or alliance with others? Who else should be involved? What role will
each partner play?
Your responsibility in this advocacy campaign is
to identify the leadership for this grassroots advocacy campaign and determine
other groups with whom you would like to initiate cooperative efforts.
Some questions you will need to answer are:
Who do you and your group represent? What
difference do you (or your coalition) make in the community? Do you have
"clout"?
Who else cares about this issue--individuals
and groups? Who else has "clout"? What do the other groups/people
stand to win or lose?
What power do the other groups have and how
are they organized? For example, do they have a membership list, how
extensive is their network?
How will you contact other groups and
individuals? Who will do it?
What will be the roles, responsibilities and
assignments of the various groups in this grassroots advocacy campaign?
Are there potential turf battles to
consider?
Group 3:
What are appropriate and effective strategies for this grassroots advocacy campaign? What actions fit the
issue?
Your responsibility in this advocacy campaign is
to determine who will do what and to whom -- these are the real grassroots
advocacy actions. Some things you do will be group efforts (e.g., petitions,
picketing and marches). Some things will be individual efforts (e.g., writing
letters). All will require a plan and coordination.
Traditional advocacy strategies might include,
but are not limited to, letter-writing campaigns, legislative committees, public
hearings, telephone campaigns, press conferences, visits by decision-makers to
your program centers/offices, appointments to talk to the decision-maker/staff,
media coverage. Expand your thinking. Use traditional actions, but also
try to come up with other ideas, or different ways of implementing traditional
actions.
Some questions you will need to answer are:
How will you reach the
decision-makers with your concerns?
How will you reach your members
or constituents with your concerns?
How can you make this a public
issue in order to widen support?
How can you use public meetings
to promote your views?
Which efforts will best enable
you to empower your constituents? How can you best use the strengths and
skills of your constituents?
What strategies will your
opponents be likely to use? How can you counteract your opponents' strategies?
Group 4: How will you educate, empower and
mobilize your members or constituents?
Your responsibility in this advocacy campaign
is to determine how you will get your supporters and constituents interested
in, and involved in, trying to affect this public policy issue.
Some questions you will need to answer are:
How will you get individual constituents
involved?
What power or influence do they already have
(e.g., time, money, contacts, connections with other groups, etc)?
What mechanisms (incentives) will you use to
mobilize their time, skills and willingness to help?
How will you communicate with advocates for
reinforcement of their actions, providing them with campaign updates,
feedback on action results, etc.?
How will you get your group of
advocates/activists together?
How will you reach members/constituents that
are less obvious (e.g., home bound seniors, or those who don't go to
churches or senior centers?
Can you identify other groups or individuals
that may have been left out?
Group 5: What are your alternatives if the final
public policy or legislative decision goes against your position?
Your responsibility in this advocacy campaign is to analyze what you will do
if your advocacy campaign does not work. What should you do to attract sources
of revenue to support your program (or service) if the decision goes against
what you want? Should you revisit the campaign in the future or pursue other
strategies? How can you use your existing network, group and organization to
take advantage of the changes that might occur?
Some questions you will need to answer are:
How will you protect the gains you have
already made?
How will you keep the support from your
constituents, other groups and the public that you have mobilized from this
advocacy campaign?
How will you garner more or different
support for your issue?
How will you communicate your decisions to
your constituents?
Are there alternative means (e.g., other
strategies, other groups to enlist, etc.) to support your issue?
Can you offer a viable alternative
(amendments) to the pending legislation?
What, if any, leverage, do you still have
with the decision-maker(s)?
How will you maintain the legislative allies
you have made in your campaign?
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