organize your policy campaign jack nicholl store training sacramento, ca april 30, 2002

ORGANIZE YOUR POLICY CAMPAIGN

Jack NichollSTORE TRAINING

Sacramento, CA

April 30, 2002

Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section Sponsored by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section

Power and policy

VIDEO: YOU

• It’s About YOU– Understanding your power– Using your power– Feeling powerful– Winning


Where your power comes from

• Public Opinion• Money

– Prop 99 statewide infrastructure– Campaign and lobbying funds

• History of Success– Ballot measure– Statewide laws/local ordinances


History of Success

• Prop 99, AB 13 & Prop 10• Defeat of Prop 188 & Prop 28• Local Ordinances• Recent MSA Initiatives • Polling


Recognizing Our Power

• When you feel powerful, you act with courage and commitment needed to win.

• When we’re out of touch with the power of our movement, we’re timid, cautious and scared.

• Understanding our history as a movement helps us feel our power.


Easy wins are over

• Harder Tasks Ahead– Enforcement– Tobacco sales and marketing– Outdoor air

• Entryways• Parks• Outdoor dining• Apartment units/common areas


Are we prepared?

• Current Record– Losing more than winning– Seen as narrow special interest– Not part of power equation

• Impact– Discouragement– Less risk taking– Slower changes


Our Grade = Needs Improvement

How Can We Improve?• Examine Values and Commitments• Learn How to Build Power in Issue

Campaigns


Values and Commitments

• Health Educators• Avoid Conflict• Don’t Like to Lobby/not political• Comfort Zone/no troubleWE CAN’T WIN WITHOUT• Campaigners, who can lobby, involved

in local politics


The Power in Issue Campaigns

Community organizing applies the power of organized people on

individual decision makers who control the passage of tobacco

control legislation.


Community Organizing Power

The Eight Steps of a Community Organizing Campaign:

1. Create a Core Group 2. Document the Problem3. Select Your Issue4. Develop the Strategy


Community Organizing Power

The Eight Steps of a Community Organizing Campaign:

5. Broaden the Campaign 6. Open Dialog with Decision-Makers7. Confront Targets and Execute 8. Win and Implement New Policy


Step 1: Create a Core Group

• Leadership• Lobbying Organizations• Stakeholders• Resources


Step 2: Document the Problem

The Public Health Problem:

• Target Audiences• Local Data• Surveys


Step 2: Document the Problem

The Political Problem:

• Opinion Leader Perceptions• Governmental Record• Background on Decision-Makers


Step 3: Select Your Issue

Checklist: Improves People’s Lives Empowers People Alters the relations of power Worthwhile Winnable Be widely felt



Checklist: Be deeply felt Easily Understood Clear Target A WorkableTime Frame Be non-divisive Builds Leadership



Building Block for next campaign Hits the Pocketbook Raises Money Values Consistent


Step 4: Develop the Strategy

• Strategy: The Design for Building Power

• A completed Strategy Chart is your strategy. It’s prepared by leadership and requires several intensive sessions.

Goals Getting Organized

Constituents, Allies and

Opponents

Targets Tactics

1. List the long-term objectives of your campaign.

2. Establish the intermediate goals for this issue campaign. What constitutes victory?

3. How will the campaign:

Win concrete improvement

in people's lives?

Give people a sense of their own power?

Alter the relations of power?

4. What short-term or partial victories can you win as steps toward your long-term goal?

1. List the resources that

you bring to the campaign. Include money, number of staff, facilities, reputation, canvass, etc.

2. What is the budget,

including in-kind contributions, for this campaign?

3. List the specific ways in

which you want your organization to be strengthened by this campaign. Fill in numbers for each:

Expand leadership group

Increase experience of existing leadership

Build membership base Expand into new

constituencies Raise more money 4. List internal problems

that have to be considered if the campaign is to succeed.

1. Who cares about this issue enough to join or help the organization?

Whose problem is it?

What do they gain if they win?

What risks are they taking?

What power do they have

over the target?

Into what groups are they

organized?

2. Who are your opponents?

What will your victory cost them?

What will they do/spend to oppose

you? How strong are

they?

A target is always a person. It is never an institution or elected body.

1. Primary Targets Who has the

power to give you what you want?

What power do you have over them?

2. Secondary Targets

Who has power over the people with the power to give you what you want?

What power do you have over them?

For each target, list the tactics that each constituent group can best use to make its power felt.

Tactics must be: In context

Flexible and creative

Targeted Agreed to by

the membership Backed by a

specific form of power

Tactics include: Media events

Actions and demands

Public hearings Strikes Voter registration

and education Lawsuits Accountability

sessions Elections Negotiations


Step 5: Broaden the Campaign

• You Can’t Do It Alone. You Need Help.• Why Join Your Campaign?

– A common issue– Self-interest

• Which Organizations to Recruit?– What do you need


Step 6: Open Dialog with Decision-Makers

• First Meeting is Crucial:– Information and inquiry– Demonstrate breadth of community

support– Communicate local impact (in decision

maker’s own district) of the problem– Make specific request and get an answer– Leave behind information on public health

problem and the campaign


Step 7: Confront Targets and Execute

• Tactics• Direct Action

– Petitions; letters; phone calls, emails– Actions: rallies, hearings, press events


Step 7: Confront Targets and Execute

Tactics Checklist: Feasible or Realistic Target Focus Put Power Behind Demand Meet Goals Outside Target’s Experience Within Experience of Coalition Fun for participants Positive with media


Step 8: Win and Implement New Policy

• Negotiations and Compromise• Closing the deal• Education about new policy

– Enforcement agencies– The community


We have the power to win

• Understand your campaign role • Understand and execute the

strategy chart and campaign steps• Use your power for policy change

organize your policy campaign jack nicholl store training sacramento, ca april 30, 2002

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