ORGANIZE YOUR POLICY CAMPAIGN

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ORGANIZE YOUR POLICY CAMPAIGN

• Jack Nicholl
• STORE TRAINING
• Sacramento, CA
• April 30, 2002

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Power and policy

• VIDEO YOU
• Its About YOU
• Understanding your power
• Using your power
• Feeling powerful
• Winning

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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

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History of Success

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

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Recognizing Our Power

• When you feel powerful, you act with courage and
  commitment needed to win.
• When were out of touch with the power of our
  movement, were timid, cautious and scared.
• Understanding our history as a movement helps us
  feel our power.

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Easy wins are over

• Harder Tasks Ahead
• Enforcement
• Tobacco sales and marketing
• Outdoor air
• Entryways
• Parks
• Outdoor dining
• Apartment units/common areas

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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

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Our Grade Needs
Improvement

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

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Values and Commitments

• Health Educators
• Avoid Conflict
• Dont Like to Lobby/not political
• Comfort Zone/no trouble
• WE CANT WIN WITHOUT
• Campaigners, who can lobby, involved in local
  politics

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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.

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Community Organizing Power

• The Eight Steps of a Community Organizing
  Campaign
• Create a Core Group
• Document the Problem
• Select Your Issue
• Develop the Strategy

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Community Organizing Power

• The Eight Steps of a Community Organizing
  Campaign
• Broaden the Campaign
• Open Dialog with Decision-Makers
• Confront Targets and Execute
• Win and Implement New Policy

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Step 1 Create a Core Group

• Leadership
• Lobbying Organizations
• Stakeholders
• Resources

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Step 2 Document the Problem

• The Public Health Problem
• Target Audiences
• Local Data
• Surveys

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Step 2 Document the Problem

• The Political Problem
• Opinion Leader Perceptions
• Governmental Record
• Background on Decision-Makers

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Step 3 Select Your Issue

• Checklist
• Improves Peoples Lives
• Empowers People
• Alters the relations of power
• Worthwhile
• Winnable
• Be widely felt

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Step 3 Select Your Issue

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

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Step 3 Select Your
Issue

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

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Step 4 Develop the Strategy

• Strategy The Design for Building Power
• A completed Strategy Chart is your strategy. Its
  prepared by leadership and requires several
  intensive sessions.

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Step 5 Broaden the Campaign

• You Cant Do It Alone. You Need Help.
• Why Join Your Campaign?
• A common issue
• Self-interest
• Which Organizations to Recruit?
• What do you need

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Step 6 Open Dialog with Decision-Makers

• First Meeting is Crucial
• Information and inquiry
• Demonstrate breadth of community support
• Communicate local impact (in decision makers own
  district) of the problem
• Make specific request and get an answer
• Leave behind information on public health problem
  and the campaign

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Step 7 Confront Targets and Execute

• Tactics
• Direct Action
• Petitions letters phone calls, emails
• Actions rallies, hearings, press events

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Step 7 Confront Targets and Execute

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

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Step 8 Win and Implement New Policy

• Negotiations and Compromise
• Closing the deal
• Education about new policy
• Enforcement agencies
• The community

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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