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Developing a Legislative
Advocacy Survival Kit
As members of APSE we have
learned that it is critical that
we present a strong voice to
politicians about our needs. It
is critical that they hear our
message. The only way that can
happen is if we are prepared.
Every year it is important for
us to advocate, but never more
so than this year with the
significant budget cuts. Thus,
the following are some
suggestions on how to build your
own survival kit for effective
legislative advocacy:
1.
Cultivate and Develop a List of
Friends
At APSE we are familiar with our
representatives. However, often
we do not know their major
contributors, or their friends,
or business partners. These
individuals have significant
influence and might be willing
to help relay APSE's message if
they were asked.
It is easy to develop this list
of individuals. At your agency
many of these influential people
are already friends of APSE by:
1. Serving on your board
2. Currently working or
volunteering
3. Being the relative/friend
of someone that is a consumer
Start talking in your agencies
about who knows who and make a
list. If we all work on
cultivating these relationships
across the state we will
increase our advocacy efforts.
2. Know What Time of Year to
Start Your Advocacy
In order to have influence over
what is in the Governor's
budget, it is important to begin
advocacy efforts prior to
January. Since the Governor
releases his budget at the end
of January we need to make
contact early in order to affect
change at this level.
Advocacy efforts with the
legislature should begin any
time in January and continue.
3. Develop A Written Strategic
Plan
It is important that we are
clear, concise and knowledgeable
about our concerns. An
effective way to ensure this is
to develop a strategic plan
which should include:
1. A Statement of Issues - The
statement of issues should
identify the problem that you
want to address and the solution
that you are requesting.
2. Desired Outcomes - What is
the outcome that you want to
achieve by meeting with a
representative? If you are
clear about the outcome he/she
will be too.
3. Action Plan - How are you
going to advocate? Are you going
to do mailings, visits, phone
calls? Who are the friends that
you have identified? Who will
contact these friends and ask
them to reach out to the
politician? All of these
questions should be answered in
the action plan. This will help
guide you and your agency with
the implementation of your
advocacy efforts.
4. Talking Points - Develop a
short list of information and
facts about your message. Share
this with everyone that will be
advocating. It is important
that the message is consistent
so that it gets heard loud and
clear.
These are just a few tools that
you can add to your survival
kit. Add more tools as you
discover them. Share tools with
fellow APSE members. Together
we will not only have the best
defense, but also be able to
successfully create change.
A special thank you to Brian
McLane, Assistant Commissioner
at VESID for many of the tools
for the survival kit.
For more information, contact
Anne Valliere at
vallia@livingresources.org |
