Once you decide on an advocacy strategy or set
of strategies, you will need information about the process: the structure
and timeline of your legislative process (see Lobbying
and Legislation section), the rules and
targets for filing an administrative petition (see Administrative
Petitioning section), the requirements
for running a ballot initiative (see Ballot
Initiatives section),
and so on. If you’re
planning to file a lawsuit, there’s legal research to be done, which
your lawyers will take care of (see Litigation section).
But before you even get to that
point—settling on a strategy—you need to know as much as you
can about your issue and its context. This includes knowing about:
Find out about your target agency, organization, or company. It will help
you identify the source of the problem, know who has the authority to do
something about it, consider possible solutions, and understand how the
target may perceive the situation and respond.
Understanding
the nature and extent of the problem back to top
You cannot fix the problem until you know what it is. That means more than
just identifying the specific issue. You should learn as much as you can
about it, including its history, its pervasiveness, and why it continues.
- What is the problem? How many
people does it affect? Who? Where? In what way? How often? Who isn’t harmed by the problem? Are there related problems you should pay attention
to? Does anyone benefit from the current situation?
- What’s the history of the
problem? How long has it been a problem? What have people said or tried
to do about it in the past? Why hasn’t it been addressed before?
- Why is it happening? Bad or nonexistent
policy? Lack of attention or resources? Multiple causes?
Coming
up with potential solutions back to top
In brainstorming potential solutions, be creative, keep your mind
open, reach out to others, and prioritize the possibilities in order of
their strength of addressing the problem and also the likelihood that they
can be achieved.
- What do you think are potential
solutions? What changes are likely to solve the problem? What do other people
think? People affected by the problem? Experts on the issue? Other stakeholders?
- How have other localities (for
example, states, cities, local communities) addressed similar problems?
What was effective? What wasn’t? How are those localities similar
to or different from yours?
- What would it take to implement
various solutions? How much will it cost? Where will the money to pay
for it come from? How easy will it be to implement given current rules,
structures,
and leaders? How will you monitor implementation? What are the arguments
for and against various proposals?
Sizing
up public opinion and the political context back to top
Having a sense of the public and political climate will help you anticipate
how much support—and opposition—you will get and help you choose
the most effective strategies and solutions.
- What does the public at large
think about the problem? Does it know the problem exists? Who cares?
Who doesn’t? What will the public think about various solutions?
- What are the politics of the
situation? Who’s interested in the issue? Why? What’s their
perspective? How powerful are they? Who stands to gain or lose—politically
or financially—from ignoring the problem? Who are the winners or
losers from specific solutions?
- What does all this mean for your
advocacy effort? Will there be public support for what you are trying
to accomplish? Will you be fighting a steep uphill battle? Will you be
facing
formidable opponents? Is the timing right?
Identifying
allies and the opposition back to top
You want to go into your advocacy efforts with a clear sense of who the
players are, especially who is likely to be on your side—the more
the better and preferably a crosssection of the community—and who
is likely to mount opposition. Knowing how key players will line up around
the issue will help you assess what you can realistically accomplish and
the best way of going about it.
- Who are potential partners and
allies? Who else is working on the issue now or has in the past? Who
works with the constituencies affected by the issue? In the neighborhoods
most
affected? Are they effective? Well-organized? Do they have the capacity
to be involved in this effort? Resources?
- Who are your likely opponents?
Are they effective? Aggressive? How well are they organized? Funded?
Who are their allies and supporters? Are they well-connected?
- What will you need to explain
to convince people to join your effort? What will your opponents say?
How will you respond?
Taking
note of resources that can bolster your position back to top
Make note of any facts or sources that will help you make your case.
- Did you come across any persuasive
facts that illustrate the problem? Figures that help to quantify the
problem or demonstrate the effectiveness of particular solutions?
- Did you hear any compelling anecdotes
about the effects of the problem? Firsthand accounts and personal experience
can put a human face on the problem.
- Who are considered the experts
in this issue? Locally? Nationally? What names repeatedly come up in
conversations, newspaper articles, and published reports on the topic?
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