building blocks: collaborating for a successful coalition stacy reliford field government relations...
TRANSCRIPT
Building Blocks:Collaborating for a
Successful CoalitionStacy Reliford
Field Government Relations DirectorAmerican Cancer Society Cancer Action
Network
OverviewForming your
coalition
Strategizing for success
Recruitment & Retention
Media: Read all about it!
Forming Your CoalitionIdentify potential partners supportive of
your causeHealthcare providers – nurses, doctorsPublic health – local health dept., nonprofitsTeachersFaith CommunityYouthGeneral Public – grassroots & grass topsVoluntary agencies – American Cancer
Society, American Lung Association, American Heart Association
Forming Your CoalitionClearly identify the goal – POLICY
CHANGE
Establish leadership – Chair/Director, Media Contact, Secretary
Identify the host for the coalition
Mobilize: Core Group v. List of Supporters
Who will come to the table?
Strategizing for Success
Conduct a needs
assessment
Develop a strategic plan
Establish your timeline
Determine Community
Readiness
Decide on Dealbreakers
Strategizing for Success
Conduct a needs assessment
Review local, state & national data
Resources: County-level data, BRFSS
Understand the environment on your issue
Local and state laws
What are the community’s needs?
Strategizing for Success
Develop a strategic plan
Create a mission statement
Review your needs assessment
Define goals to meet your needs
Identify objectives – steps to reach your broader goals
Action steps & activities
Determine how to allocate resources
Strategizing for Success
Establish Your TimelineBe reasonable, policy making takes time!Set immediate, intermediate, and long term
benchmarks:Immediate – host a community event or
public forumIntermediate – identify supportive decision-
makers and meet with themLong-term – implement a policy change
Model Smoke-Free Timeline
Education/Contact with Decision Makers
Community Education
Formal Launch (Public)
Introduce Ordinance
Repeal? Recall?
Ballot fight?
Ordinance
Passes!
Plan for Implementation & Enforcement
Build Power/Database Engage Grassroots advocacy
Hearings, amendm
ents, vote,
re-vote, more am
endments,
etc.
Opposition especially active! Be prepared
Comm
unity poll shows we’re
ready!
Goals met : 1,200 advocates
(100) businesses, (20)
workers signed up,
presentations, etc.
Coalition formed!
Organizing (Core)
Committee sets mission,
goals, campaign plan
Strategizing for Success
Community Readiness AssessmentIs your community ready for a policy change?
Understanding the dynamics – what is the process for policy change in your community? Who are the decision makers?
Community education and gauging support
Decide on Dealbreakers
When to compromise, walk away or oppose
Recruitment & Retention
Build a dynamic presence in the communityAttend community events
Generate support onlineBuild a website Social Media = Small Investment + Large Returns
Facebook PageTwitter Account
Encourage coalition members to be ambassadors
Capacity Building
Recruitment & Retention
Invest in your coalitionSay Thank YouCelebrate reaching benchmarks
Meet for happy hour at a smokefree restaurant
Publically thank grassroots and grass tops for their support
Continue to revisit your strategic plan!Policy making is frustrating, show progress by
reaching incremental objectives and goals
“Real World” Coalition IssuesPolicy Change is a Long Process
Right People vs Not-So-Right People
Personality Conflicts
Sticking to Roles
Media: Read All About It!
Media advocacy essential to building credibility
Build relationships with media contactsMeet with the newspaper editorial
board Identify any personal connections
to reporters, radio DJs, newsletters, etc.
Broaden your definition of “media”E-alerts, newsletters, social media,
blogs, radio, church bulletins, school or business announcements, billboards
Determine a clear, cohesive message
Know your audience
Use evidence based or tested messagesEveryone has the right to breathe clean air!
Stick to the message that is true to your missionDon’t chase opposition talking points
Messaging
MessagingHealth messages
Factual vs Emotional
Complicated vs Simple
Commonly Used Acronyms ANR – Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights
ASHRAE – American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers
ACS – American Cancer Society
ALA – American Lung Association
AHA – American Heart Association
SHS - Secondhand Smoke
ETS - Environmental Tobacco Smoke*
RSP – Respirable Particulate Matter
IAQ – Indoor Air Quality
Cotinine – Metabolized nicotine
* not recommended
Words to Use, Words to AvoidWords to Use
Secondhand Smoke
Smokefree Workplaces
Smokefree Environment
Smokefree Ordinance
Words to Avoid
Ban
ETS or Environmental Tobacco Smoke
Media: Read All About It!
Earned MediaLetters to the
EditorOp-Ed or Guest
EditorialPress ReleasePublic Service
AnnouncementPitching stories to
local reporters
Paid MediaBrief TV
commercialsWebsite
banners/adsRadioBillboardsDirect MailNewspaper or
classified ads
Paid Media
Sample Educational Brochure
Takeaways from TodayRecruit a diverse coalition that is representative
of your community
Seek committed volunteers
Strategic planning will keep you on the path for success
Pick a key message and stick to it
Be ingenuitive in getting the word out
Policy changes makes for healthy communities
Why Smoke-Free Indoor Air Policies Are So Important
Reduces exposure to secondhand smoke among workers & the public
Reduces cigarette consumption rates
Increases successful quit attempts
Reinforces efforts to reduce tobacco use among children (behavior modeling)
Improves the overall health of our community
ContactStacy Reliford American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network [email protected]
Traci Kennedy Director, Tobacco Free Missouri [email protected] www.tobaccofreemo.org
SourcesCDC Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs – User Guides: Coalitions State and Community Interventions http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/bp_user_guide/pdfs/user_guide.pdf
Clear Thinking Communications. Building Successful Coalitions to Address Underage Drinking http://www.clearthinkingcommunications.com/case_studies_for_clear_thinking_communications/ReducingUnderageDrinking.pdf
Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium. How-To Guides on Community Health Promotion - Building and Maintaining Effective Coalitions http://www.ttac.org/tcn/peers/pdfs/07.24.12CA_BuildingAndMaintainingEffectiveCoalitions_Resource.pdf