Focusing on Action, Advocacy & PSE Change

1. Focusing on Action, Advocacy & PSE Change SAH Action Institute Houston, TX April 27, 2010 Frances D. Butterfoss, PhD Coalitions Work

2. Overview • Prioritizing populations & strategies • Implementing strategies • Types of advocacy • Developing an advocacy team & strategies

3. A word by any other name... • Network • Advisory Group • Task Force • Alliance • Consortium • Partnership • Coalition Group of individuals representing diverse organizations or constituencies who agree to work together to achieve common goals(Feighery & Rogers, 1990)

4. Coalitions represent… Grasstips – traditional leaders & groups in power Grassroots – local, emerging community leaders & groups

5. Community Ownership of Coalition Engage community partners to: • Define issues • Identify solutions & resources • Plan & implement strategies

6. Strength in Numbers

7. Strength in Relationships

8. Strength in Diversity

9. Strength in Resources

10. Focus on Action

11. Ideal Coalition Activities • Resource identification, development, dissemination • Addressing gaps in service/education • Collaborative tasks • Communication campaigns – public awareness • Systems Change • Advocacy

12. 2 X 2 Prioritization Matrix Green & Kreuter, 1999

13. Choosing Priority Population(s) ∙Who is directly affected by issue? ∙Who has similar interests or concerns? ∙Who has vested interest/concern in outcome? ∙ Who is respected or powerful in community? ∙Who has acted on issue before or might later? ∙ Who can help you reach potential members? Brown, 1984

14. Focus on Promising Practices • Choose promising or proven strategies rather than comfortable or easy ones • Network w/other coalitions – find out what works • Imagine & develop innovative solutions

15. Ensure Project Success • Develop resources to carry out project • Ensure strategy has support from staff, • partners, leaders & community • Assess barriers to implementation • Identify tasks (staff, space, materials & • equipment); set up management system • Adjust strategy as needed • to fit population/conditions

16. Check it Out! Can you share an example about an effective PSE change strategy that your coalition implemented ?

17. Focus on Advocacy

18. 3 Types of Advocacy • Reactive: Position ourselves to impact policies proposed by elected officials • Responsive: Support policy-related effort of partners or other coalitions • Proactive: Develop priority agenda & steps to advance it

19. Reactive –“Be Prepared” • Birmingham, AL City • Council appropriated • $11.6 million to repave • streets • Health Action Coalition • submitted proposal to • Council to stripe inner • lanes to minimum • width to make room • for future bike lanes

20. Responsive – “Bubble Up” CINCH child health coalition supported Virginians for a Healthy Future, American Heart, Lung & Cancer Societies to advocate for tobacco tax increase (2006, 2009) & restaurant smoking ban (2009)

21. Proactive – Build a Base PIV immunization coalition contacted state lawmakers, Merck lobbyists, sent email alerts & attended rally at state house to foster passage of HPV law (2008) YES HPV

22. Effective Coalition Advocacy works when… • Cause or issue is ‘right’ • Members represent power in numbers • Issues, opposition & climate of opinion about issue is well researched • Members are skilled in using advocacy tools (including media) • Effective strategies/tactics are chosen

23. The Advocacy Team • Visionaries – challenge, take risks, rethink priorities • Strategists– clarify vision, anticipate obstacles, keep efforts on track • Statespersons – authoritative, politically savvy negotiators who elevate cause • Experts – knowledgeable & lend credibility • MovementBuilders – recruit new members, promote inclusiveness & resolve conflict • Sparkplugs – agitators who energize campaign; hold people in power accountable • Communicators – translate complex data/policy into simple, powerful messages

24. Developing an Advocacy Strategy • Define advocacy objective early • Choose issues that compel people to get moving, but are realistically achieved in 1-2 yrs • Be a resource - build relations/access to decision makers • Use strategies that require least effort & confrontation, but still “get the job done” Advocacy Institute, 2005

25. Developing an Advocacy Strategy • Learn access/pressure points to influence/move those who have authority to give coalition what it wants • Understand the opposition • Choose mix of messengers: Authentic voices, technical experts, power brokers • Translate legislative procedures to partners • Share credit for victory Advocacy Institute, 2005

26. Community Resource Inventory

27. Advocacy Partner Power Grid Clarify power of potential partners - Identify valuable allies

28. Advocacy • Virginians for a Healthy Future, ACS, ALA, AHA & CINCH tobacco tax increase (2006, 2009?) & local restaurant smoking bans (2009) • PIV’s Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine Law (2008) YES HPV

29. Coalition Advocacy Resources • Butterfoss, FD. Coalitions and Partnerships for Community Health. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2007. • The Community Toolbox - http://www.ctb.edu • Democracy Center Advocacy Training & Resources - http://www.democracyctr.org/advocacy/index/htm • APHA Media Advocacy Manual – http://www.apha.prg/about/news/mediaadvocacy.htm • Alliance for Justice - www.afj.org • The Advocacy Project - www.advocacynet.org

30. Check it Out! What steps will you take to build an advocacy effort with your coalition?

31. Summing it Up • Take advantage of your coalition’s strengths in focusing on action & advocacy • Choose strategies that mesh with your mission & are likely to change behaviors, policy, environments & systems • Choose at least one major policy change & make it part of your annual action plan

32. “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948

33. Contact Info Frances D. Butterfoss, PhD, MSEd (Fran) President, CoalitionsWork 1109 Moore House Road Yorktown, Virginia 23690 757-898-7454 work (phone & FAX) 757-206-5520 cell fran.butterfoss@coalitionswork.com Email http://www.partnershipswork.com/Website