Policy Development and Education
Top Tips
- Choose your target audience; know who has an impact on decision making and who has responsibility for the issue.
- Learn about your target audience including: their agenda, language and jargon, allies and adversaries and where their money goes.
- Meet your target audience.
- Maintain contact after your first visit by sending follow-up and thank you letters, your own newsletter, or invitations to your events.
- Match your issue to your target audience.
- Characterize your work broadly within the context of their priority areas.
- Carefully choose who should deliver your message.
- Find the windows of opportunity to get on your audience’s agenda (For example: through new initiatives, political currents, elections, or budget processes).
- Utilize your collaborative members in a variety of ways for policy education, including research and relationship building.
- Meet with policymakers, aides and others who shape policy.
Online Tools and Resources
Agency for Health Care Policy
http://www.ahcpr.gov
Clinical information on outcomes, technology assestement and preventive services. The Agency for Health Care Policy answers questions for consumers and parents. Includes data, survey's, research findings and funding sources.
Center for Health Improvement
http://www.policymatters.org
Provides technical assistance for proposition 10. Includes health links and information clearinghouse.
California Assembly
http://www.assembly.ca.gov
Legislation, member directory and annoucements.
California Home Page
http://www.ca.gov
Includes links to healthcare in California and government.
California Judicial Council
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/judicialcouncil
Judicial council homepage contains information about future council member meetings, agendas, activities and programs.
California Legislative Analyst
http://www.lao.ca.gov
Provides links, contact information and descriptions of the most recent bugets and programs.
California Legislative Council
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov
Contains daily updates on both Assembly and Senate bills. Information on various California laws and Legislative publications.
California Senate
http://www.sen.ca.gov
Provides a listing of scheduals and caucuses.
California State Auditor
http://www.bsa.ca.gov
Contains reports from the Department of Health Services and the Department of Social Services. A link to the Hoover Commission with a listing of current projects and reports.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
http://www.cbpp.org
Gives reports on governmental policy's and programs. Evaluates their effectiveness and cost efficancy.
Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest
http://www.indepsec.org/clpi/charity_lobby.html
This project educates charities about the appropriateness and legality of lobbying and voter education. Also includes tips for policymaker education.
Civic Practices Network
http://www.cpn.org
Contains models on the community, health, youth, work, case studies, civic renewal, manuals and guides on community building.
Council of State Governments
http://www.csg.org
Community Toolbox
http://ctb.lsi.ukans.edu
Provides a number of policy-related resources, including a section on organizing for effective advocacy (conducting research, media advocacy, responding to counterattacks), and links to other websites.
The Electronic Advocate
http://www.berkshire.net/~ifas/activist/how-to/index.html
How to’s on a variety of topics such as getting started, mass media, radio and tips for activists.
Guide to California Legislature
http://www.calvoter.org
Legislative terms, links to California news organizations and to other U.S. legislative sites.
HandsNet
http://www.handsnet.org
Programs and policies for children, families and people in need.
Impact Online
http://www.impactonline.org/
Helps people use Web to promote cause.
Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation
http://www.mdrc.org
Books and guidlines on reducing poverty.
Moving Ideas Network
http://www.movingideas.org/
Draws from the research of a network of more than 100 member organizations and provides timely information and leading ideas about the policies and politics that drive the nation's agenda.
National Conference of State Legislatures
http://www.ncsl.org
Legislative calendar, agenda and past and current bills.
Policy.com
http://www.policy.com
News and information onthe lastest policy issues
Smart Voter
http://www.smartvoter.org
20/20 Vision Tools for Citizens
http://www.2020vision.org/resources/r_activists.htm
This website contains a variety of tip sheets: e.g., tips on making letters and phone calls effective, a guide for conducting and influencing the United States Government, writing op-ed pieces, writing Letters to the editor and having a voice in talk radio.
Suggested Reading
Altman, DG, Balcazar, FE, Fawcett, SB, Seekins, T, and Young, JQ, Public Health Advocacy: Creating Community Change to Improve Health (1994), Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention. Available for $24 (plus tax and shipping) from Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Tel: 415-723-0003, fax: 415-725-6906. Stories, tips, worksheets, etc.
American Public Health Association, APHA Advocates’ Handbook: A Guide for Effective Public Health Advocacy. Available from the American Public Health Association, 1015 Fifteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005, tel: 202-789-5600, fax: 202-789-5661, web: http://www.apha.org
Bobo, K, Kendall, J, Max, S, Organizing for Social Change : A Manual for Activists in the 1990's (1996), Seven Locks Press, ISBN: 0929765419. Comprehensive manual for grassroots organizers working for social, political, environmental, and economic change at the local, state, and national level.
Center for Community Change, How and Why to Influence Public Policy: An Action Guide for Community Organizations (1996), 39 pages. Available for $5 (plus shipping) from Center for Community Change, 1000 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20007, tel: (202) 342-0567, fax: (202) 333-5462, e-mail: JuergensC@CommChange.org. How to select good issues, guidelines regarding lobbying, lessons learned, building a constituency, etc.
Center for Community Change, How to Tell and Sell Your Story (1997), 62 pages. Available for $7 (plus shipping) from Center for Community Change, 1000 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20007, tel: (202) 342-0567, fax: (202) 333-5462, e-mail: JuergensC@CommChange.org. How to plan a media campaign, hold a press conference, write press releases, op-eds, etc.
Duncan, C, Rivlin, D, and Williams, M, An Advocate’s Guide to the Media (1990), 24 pages. Available for $5 from the Children’s Defense Fund, tel: 202-628-8787. A good introductory guide.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Youth Advocacy Action Guide, 87 pages. Available from MADD, tel: 214-744-6233 x 216 (Brent). Great manual from their youth training.
Simons, J and Jablonski, DM, An Advocate’s Guide to Using Data (1990), 20 pages. Available for $5 from the Children’s Defense Fund, tel: 202-628-8787. Short and very basic.
Wallack, L, Dorfman, L, Jernigan, D, and Themba, M, Media Advocacy and Public Health: Power for Prevention (1993), Sage Publications, ISBN: 0803942893.
Organizations and Consultants
The Center for Civic Partnership does not endorse any of the organizations or consultants listed below. These names are provided for informational purpose.
Berkeley Media Studies Group
Lori Dorfman, Director
Center for Health Improvement
Karen Bodenhorn, Director
1330 21st Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel: (916) 930-9200
Fax: (916) 930-9010
E-mail: info@centerforhealthimprovement.org
Website:http://www.centerforhealthimprovement.org
California Council on Alcohol Policy
26 Berkeley Avenue
Ventura, CA 93004
Tel: (805) 558-6802
Fax: (805 477-0384
Center for Civic Partnerships
Joan M. Twiss, Director
1851 Heritage Lane, Suite 250
Sacramento, CA 95815
Tel: (916) 646-8680
Fax: (916) 646-8660
E-mail: ccp@civicpartnerships.org
Website: http://www.civicpartnerships.org
Community Coalition for Substance Abuse
Karen Bass, Executive Director
Sylvia Castillo, Associate Director
8500 South Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90003
Tel: (213) 750-9087
Fax: (213) 750-9640
Institute for Health Advocacy
James Baker, Executive Director
148 East 30th Street, Suite B
National City, CA 91950
Tel: (619) 474-8844
Fax: (619) 474-8838
The Marin Institute
"Preventing Alcohol Problems"
Diana Comti, Director
Dave Gernigan, Associate Director
James Mosher, Associate Director
Robin Wechsler, Associate Director
24 Belvedere Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
Tel: (415) 456-5692
Fax: (415) 456-0491
website: http://www.MarinInstitute.org
Pacific Center for Violence Prevention
Andrew McGuire, Executive Director
Elizabeth McLoughlin, Program Director
San Francisco General Hospital
Building 1, Room 300
San Francisco, CA 94110
Tel: (415) 285-1793
Fax: (415) 282-2563
Website: http://www.pcvp.org
© Public Health Institute, Center for Civic Partnerships 1999
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