Social policy Reform : Power Point Presentation

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Becoming an Effective
Policy Advocate

Bruce Jansson, University of Southern California
�

PowerPoint created by

Gretchen Heidemann, MSW, PhD Candidate

University of Southern California

School of Social Work

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

Young Adulthood

Chapter 6
Committing to an Issue:
Building Agendas

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Committing to an Issue:
Building Agendas

Policy advocates’ first challenge is to get a specific policy issue on decision makers’ agendas in agency, community, or legislative settings
They have to use a combination of political, interactional, and analytic skills to accomplish this

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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A few words of caution…

Many issues never reach the agenda because opposing groups successfully use tactics to keep them off
Placement on the agenda does not tell us precisely what kind of proposal or solution will finally emerge

Proposals are finalized in the give-and-take of deliberations

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Taking the First Step

The immediate challenge is to convince others, preferably decision makers, that a problem merits their serious attention
You get the issue on the agenda so that it can be examined in more detail
This is agenda building

Agenda building is a critical phase of the policy development process

It builds interest in and support for a policy reform from the outset

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Why Agenda Building is Needed

Legislatures

Because a lot of legislation is introduced each session, most won’t be put on the agenda

Successful policy advocates are able to garner attention for the issues they are interested in and to get those issues on legislative agendas.

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Why Agenda Building (cont.)

Agencies

Agency executives have many tasks that occupy their time

In order to get their attention, policy advocates must convince agency leaders that a policy innovation will help the agency increase its resources and attract more support

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Why Agenda Building (cont.)

Communities

A lot of issues vie for attention in communities

Advocates may draw attention to their issue by getting a story in the mass media, holding a community forum, or staging a protest

Their goal is to persuade community decision makers to prioritize the issue in their deliberations

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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The Agenda Funnel

When viewed as going through a funnel, the process of policy advocacy can be more easily understood

Problems are identified and go into the top of the funnel, which is wide

On the way down they are explored and modified and deliberated and perhaps winnowed out

Enacted and implemented policies come out at the narrow bottom

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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The Agenda Funnel (cont.)

Agenda building usually comes before other policy practice tasks
If a proposal is developed first, advocates must still return to agenda building to get the issue on decision makers’ agendas

Otherwise they find their issue stymied for lack of interest by them

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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A Little Bit of History (cont.)

Prior to the writings of John Kingdon, many people ignored agenda-building

They thought that policy reforms magically appear or that there were other simplistic explanations, such as those given by

Rationalists

Incrementalists

Garbage can theorists

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History (cont.)

Rationalists assumed that decision makers placed issues on agendas when they received technical reports or data that recommended a specific change

Actually issues are often placed on agendas without empirical studies and when there are studies, they often are ignored

History (cont.)

Incrementalists assumed that administrators and legislators would introduce only modest changes in existing policies in response to complaints or pressures

Research shows that decision makers will often support major changes in existing policy

History (cont.)

Garbage can theorists stated that

Particularly in agency settings, policy problems and solutions are talked about in passing for a long time but nothing is done until they finally are placed on a policy agenda

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Challenges in Agenda Building

Challenge 1: Diagnose the context

Identify contextual constraints and opportunities

If policies are deemed extremely difficult to change, work to change the context or to focus on alternative policy changes

If contextual opportunities outnumber constraints, initiate policy changing strategy at once

In some cases, the prognosis will be guarded or unclear

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Challenges (cont.)

Challenge 2: Soften the context

Policy advocates must make the context more favorable for their policy initiative

They might have conversations with strategically placed persons or work with a coalition or advocacy group to pressure decision makers to take an interest in their issue

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Challenges (cont.)

Challenge 3: Activate change

Policy advocates must get a decision maker or legislator to put an issue on the agenda of the other decision makers in the agency, community, or legislative setting

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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The Diagnosing Stage

When diagnosing the context, policy advocates must analyze:

streams of problems and solutions

recent professional decisions and trends

political realities

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Diagnosing Stage (cont.)

Streams of problems and solutions

Policy advocates must consider the kinds of problems and solutions that have already been considered in a setting

By doing so, they discover where their issue fits into this larger picture and gain a better sense of their issue’s prognosis

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Diagnosing Stage (cont.)

Solutions can be classified into 3 groups:

Specific programs

Ex: Interventions to help a group of clients

Those that aim to correct institutional problems

Ex: changing an agency’s fee structure

Methods of making decisions

Ex: Setting up a task force or establishing a committee

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Diagnosing Stage (cont.)

Recent Professional Developments and Trends

Fads and trends can powerfully shape the prognosis of a policy reform

Ex: A push in the 1990s for collaboration, recent promotion of evidence-based practices

They can be discerned by examining professional journals, talking with professionals, and analyzing the kinds of innovations that funders prioritize

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Diagnosing Stage (cont.)

Political Realities

Political developments influence whether specific issues will be placed on agendas

Policy advocates need to consider the viewpoint of important officials by finding out what positions they have taken on similar issues or reforms in the past

They also need to consider court rulings that are germane to their issue

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Diagnosing Stage (cont.)

Political realities

In agency settings, advocates must consider factors such as:

Whether their reform fits the agency’s mission

The state of the budget

In communities they must consider the viewpoints of

Community leaders

The public

Mass media

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Diagnosing Stage (cont.)

Factors that suggest policy innovation will be difficult to achieve:

The magnitude of the proposed policy change

Whether the issue is already politicized

Whether persons with power believe that policy change will harm their economic, professional, or political self-interest

Whether the reform will be expensive or difficult to implement

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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The Softening Stage

Policy advocates can attempt to enhance the prognosis of a policy reform even before it enters policy deliberations by:

working in problem and solution streams

building political support

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Softening Stage (cont.)

Working in problem and solution streams

Those who want decision makers to take their problem seriously have to convince them that it is a problem and not merely a condition

A problem poses a threat or danger to someone

Problems are more likely to be viewed as important if is believed that someone will suffer dire consequences if it is not addressed

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Softening Stage (cont.)

How do we convince other people that a condition is a problem?

Data

to argue that a condition affects a lot of people, that some subset of the population is afflicted far more than others, or that the problem is becoming worse

to demonstrate that a problem has important implications that extend beyond a specific issue or population

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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The Softening Stage

Language / Terminology

use words such as crisis

refer to a social program as “investing” in human needs

Potential for success

demonstrate that the problem is not hopeless and can be ameliorated

find successful pilot projects that demonstrate that specific reforms will yield positive outcomes

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Softening Stage (cont.)

Appeal to Values

such as the ethical principles of beneficence, social justice, and fairness

illustrate with specific case studies of persons who suffer from the problem

State problems in relatively broad terms

present problem in general terms

frame it as important to significant segments of legislators’ constituencies

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Softening Stage (cont.)

Cost-efficiency

show that a policy will avert future costly problems

Prevention

decision makers often view prevention negatively

they often want to prioritize services for those already afflicted rather than to fund prevention

advocates need evidence that they can avert problems when proposing a policy

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Softening Stage (cont.)

Advocates need to anticipate likely objections or opposition to a policy so they can diminish or rebut them
As they successfully counter objections, they soften the context, making it easier not only to get an issue placed on the agenda, but to get a reform enacted
The media can serve as an important educational tool

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Softening Stage (cont.)

Only a few solutions make it onto agency or legislative agendas

Decision makers will examine the fiscal, administrative, and political feasibility of those solutions

They will also judge a solution’s likely effectiveness and technical merits

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Softening Stage (cont.)

Policy advocates can gain political support by

Educating those in strategic positions

Asking for suggestions from influential people

Building a coalition

The Activating Stage

This is the stage during which an issue is actually put on an agenda so that it can be considered.

Tactics, such as timing, coupling, negotiating, assembling early sponsors and supporters, and routing, are often used in accomplishing this

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Activating Stage (cont.)

Timing and Windows of Opportunity

Relatively brief moments when “the time is ripe” for an initiative

Key events can sensitize legislators to a specific issue

Ex: Sept. 11th, Hurricane Katrina, the results of an investigation, the shift in majority control from one party to another

Windows of opportunity often close rapidly

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Activating Stage (cont.)

Timing and Windows of Opportunity

In strategizing, policy advocates should:

prepare for an opportunity by analyzing an issue or problem

recognize when a window of opportunity augurs well for it

seize the moment by seeking support for placing it on the decision agenda

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Activating Stage (cont.)

Coupling

Making imaginative connections between the solution, problem, and political streams

Ex: Connecting a stimulus package with other social problems such as homelessness

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Activating Stage (cont.)

Framing and Finding Titles

Putting a twist on proposals to make them appealing to decision makers

Ex: portray a benefit as an earned benefit to make it difficult for opponents to argue that it is a welfare benefit

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Activating Stage (cont.)

Negotiating and Bargaining

Accommodating different points of view, even before an issue appears on the decision agenda

Try to create a win-win atmosphere that allows different people and factions to believe they will each have a piece of the action

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Activating Stage (cont.)

Assembling Early Sponsors and Supporters

Enlisting people to sponsor a legislative proposal by placing their names on it

They should be powerful politicians who also represent an array of perspectives

Solicit their advice and make them part of the planning process

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Activating Stage (cont.)

Routing

Finding a home base for an issue by routing it to decision makers who want to resolve it in ways that are acceptable

This involves deciding which committee should get jurisdiction

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Activating Stage (cont.)

Media Coverage

Getting timely coverage of proposals

Using the media to get stories about activities printed or placed on television

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Direct-Service Staff & Agendas

Legislators and high-level agency staff are best situated to assume pivotal roles in building agendas
However, direct-service staff can participate in agenda building in both agency and legislative settings

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Direct-Service Staff (cont.)

Direct-Service Staff can:

Work within their agencies to locate unaddressed or poorly addressed community needs

Read professional literature to find evidence-based practices that could be (but are not) implemented

Join coalitions and advocacy groups that already exist in the community and lend them volunteer and other support

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Direct-Service Staff (cont.)

Direct-Service Staff can also:

Talk with legislative aides about unaddressed or poorly addressed issues they have seen

Encourage their clients to call high-level officials or help them draft letters to these officials

Organize voter registration projects if allowed by their agency

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Policy Advocacy for Powerless Populations and Unpopular Issues

The agenda building process is often skewed against unpopular issues and powerless groups
Groups that plug away for unpopular issues and populations may be laying the groundwork for subsequent policy changes

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Powerless Populations (cont.)

Policy advocates conclude at times that they cannot secure policy initiatives working solely through conventional channels

Ex: Abolitionists, suffragettes, civil rights advocates

Protests

Can harden the positions of public officials against the sought reforms

Can also get decision makers to pay attention and draw public awareness to the issue

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Electoral Processes

Agenda building often takes place within electoral politics
Politicians, parties, and activists try to find issues that:

distinguish them from their opposition

appeal to their natural constituencies as well as to swing voters

divide the opposing party (i.e. wedge issues)

generate support for themselves

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Electoral Processes (cont.)

Ideology assumes a key role in the process of agenda building

The two major parties have somewhat different bases of political support

They gravitate toward somewhat different positions on issues

However, they often battle for the center, seeking policies that will appeal to centrist voters so they can gain a winning edge

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Links with Advocacy Groups

Policy advocates should consider connecting with an established advocacy group
Examples:

Join a local group or a local chapter of a national group, such as NASW

Campaign for politicians who are most likely to put certain issues on policy agendas

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Multiple Skills for Agenda Building

Policy advocates use all four skills when they try to influence policy agendas

1. Political skills to analyze and engage in the political stream

2. Analytic skills to develop and use data in the problem and solution streams

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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Multiple Skills (cont.)

3. Interactional skills to help proposals reach policy deliberations, persuade people to take specific problems seriously, participate on committees and task forces, and organize coalitions

4. Value-clarifying skills to decide whether to invest energy in promoting an issue in the first place and to decide how to frame it

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

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