Chapter 3

©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Col©2011, Cengage Learning, Brooks/ Cole Publishinge Publishing

Becoming an Effective Becoming an Effective Policy AdvocatePolicy Advocate

Bruce Jansson, University of Southern CaliforniaBruce Jansson, University of Southern California

PowerPoint created byPowerPoint created by

Gretchen Heidemann, MSW, PhD CandidateGretchen Heidemann, MSW, PhD Candidate

University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

School of Social WorkSchool of Social Work


Chapter 3Chapter 3Obtaining Skills and Competencies Obtaining Skills and Competencies

for Policy Advocacyfor Policy Advocacy


A Policy Practice FrameworkA Policy Practice Framework

A useful policy practice framework:A useful policy practice framework:– Places policy advocacy in its contextual setting– Identifies the values, ideology, interests, and goals of

stakeholders in specific policy situations– Discusses patterns of participation– Identifies tasks that policy advocates undertake in

their work– Identifies skills that policy advocates should possess– Identifies the key competencies that policy advocates

should possess


The Policy ContextThe Policy Context

Encourages us to ask important questions about how policy making works, both in general and in specific situations

Helps us understand the (often vacillating) response of public and nongovernmental officials to major historical events – such as the September 11th terrorist attacks

or Hurricane Katrina


Stakeholders vs. Policy Stakeholders vs. Policy InitiatorsInitiators

Stakeholders are persons with a vested interest in a specific policy or issue being contestedWe call them stakeholders because they have a stake in a policy or issue, whether political or economic, or because they are directly affected by itPolicy advocates need to identify these groups, and to understand the likely positions and perspectives they take, because they probably will become involved when advocates try to initiate, modify, or terminate a specific policy



Stakeholders can include:Stakeholders can include:– Leaders and members of interest groups– Advocacy groups– Program administrators and staff– Legislators and their aides– Heads of government and heads of political parties– Governmental agencies– Consumers or beneficiaries– Regulatory bodies and courts– Professional groups associated with the issue– Corporate interests– Trade union leaders and members



Interest by a large number of stakeholders Interest by a large number of stakeholders exists when:exists when:– The policy initiative is ideologically chargedThe policy initiative is ideologically charged– The policy initiative is seen as affecting their The policy initiative is seen as affecting their

basic economic and political interestsbasic economic and political interests– The policy initiative is perceived as costing a The policy initiative is perceived as costing a

lot of moneylot of money



Policy initiators are persons or groups that initiate a change in existing policy

They may propose a new policy, or the modification or termination of an existing policy


Patterns of ParticipationPatterns of Participation

Other people who participate in policy deliberations:– Bystanders take no part in policy deliberations– Policy responders seek to modify or change

the policy proposals of the initiators They want to expand their ranks by attracting people from other groups

– Opposers decide to block or modify proposalsThey want to convert people to their position


The Eight Tasks of Policy The Eight Tasks of Policy PractitionersPractitioners

Task 1: Task 1: Deciding what is right and wrong – Practitioners use ethics and analysis to

decide if specific policies are meritorious– If they believe the policy lacks ethical merit,

they may to launch a policy advocacy intervention



Task 2: Task 2: Navigating policy and advocacy systems– Practitioners decide where to focus and

position their policy intervention, such as:whether to seek changes at the local, state, or federal levelwhether to seek changes in public policies or the policies of a specific organizationwhether to address specific social problems in international venues, such as by changing immigration policies



Task 3: Agenda-settingTask 3: Agenda-setting– Practitioners gauge whether the context is

favorable for a policy initiative– They evolve early strategy to place it on policy

makers’ agendas



Task 4: Problem-analyzingTask 4: Problem-analyzing– Practitioners analyze the causes, nature, and

prevalence of specific problem – They gather information about the prevalence

and geographic location of specific problems



Task 5: Proposal-writingTask 5: Proposal-writing– Practitioners develop solutions to specific

problems

– Proposals may be relatively ambitious, such as a piece of legislation, or relatively modest, such as incremental changes in existing policies



Task 6: Policy-enactingTask 6: Policy-enacting– Practitioners try to have policies approved or

enacted



Task 7: Policy implementingTask 7: Policy implementing– Practitioners Practitioners try to carry out enacted policies– Considerable conflict can erupt during this

stage– Many stakeholders try to shape how specific

policies are implemented



Task 8: Policy assessingTask 8: Policy assessing– Practitioners evaluate programs by obtaining

data about the implemented policy’s performance

– They assess programs to see if they fulfill certain objectives



These policy tasks are not always easily These policy tasks are not always easily distinguishabledistinguishable

Practitioners Practitioners often engage in several of these tasks at the same time

Rarely are the tasks accomplished sequentially and predictably– Ex: Response to Hurricane Katrina


Four Skills That Policy Four Skills That Policy Practitioners NeedPractitioners Need

Analytic SkillsAnalytic Skills– to evaluate social problems and develop

policy proposals– to analyze the severity of specific problems– to identify the barriers to policy

implementation– to develop strategies for assessing programs



Political SkillsPolitical Skills– to gain and use power– to develop and implement political strategy



Interactional SkillsInteractional Skills– to participate in task groups, such as

committees and coalitions– to persuade other people to support specific

policies



Value-clarifying SkillsValue-clarifying Skills– to identify and rank relevant principles when

engaging in policy practice


Political CompetenciesPolitical Competencies

Using the mass mediaUsing the mass media

Taking a personal positionTaking a personal position

Advocating a position with a Advocating a position with a decision makerdecision maker

Seeking positions of powerSeeking positions of power

Empowering othersEmpowering others

Orchestrating pressure on Orchestrating pressure on decision makersdecision makers

Findings resources to fund Findings resources to fund advocacy workadvocacy work

Developing and using Developing and using personal powerpersonal powerDonating time/resources to Donating time/resources to an advocacy groupan advocacy groupAdvocating for the needs of Advocating for the needs of a clienta clientParticipating in Participating in demonstrationdemonstrationLitigating to change policiesLitigating to change policiesParticipating in political Participating in political campaignscampaignsVoter registrationVoter registration


Analytic CompetenciesAnalytic Competencies

Developing a proposalDeveloping a proposalCalculating tradeoffsCalculating tradeoffsDoing force field analysisDoing force field analysisUsing social science Using social science researchresearchConducting a marketing Conducting a marketing studystudyUsing the internetUsing the internetWorking with budgetsWorking with budgetsFinding funding sourcesFinding funding sourcesDiagnosing audiencesDiagnosing audiences

Designing a presentationDesigning a presentationDiagnosing barriers to Diagnosing barriers to implementationimplementationDesigning implementation Designing implementation strategystrategyDeveloping political Developing political strategystrategyAnalyzing the contextAnalyzing the contextDesigning policy Designing policy assessmentsassessmentsSelecting a policy Selecting a policy practice stylepractice style


Interactional CompetenciesInteractional Competencies

Coalition buildingCoalition building

Making presentationsMaking presentations

Building personal powerBuilding personal power

Task group formation and maintenanceTask group formation and maintenance

Managing conflictManaging conflict


Value-clarifying CompetenciesValue-clarifying Competencies

Engaging in ethical reasoningEngaging in ethical reasoning


Styles of Policy PracticeStyles of Policy Practice

Electoral style – Used when policy advocates want to get

someone elected to office or when they want to initiate or contest a ballot initiative (i.e. proposition)

– The goal is to change the composition of government by:

getting progressive candidates into officedefeating less progressive candidatesgetting a ballot initiative enacted or defeated



Legislative advocacy style – The goal is to secure the enactment of

meritorious legislation or defeat ill-conceived measures

– They work with advocacy groups, community-based organizations, professional associations, and lobbyists

– They try to convince legislators to adopt their measure or to defeat a measure that they dislike



Analytic style – Using data to develop policy proposals or

evaluate how existing policies are working– They often work in or with think tanks,

academic units, funders, or government agencies



Troubleshooting style – Used to increase the effectiveness of

operating programs or to evaluate them with an eye to improving them

– They need to work with planning groups that consist of members of the implementing team

– They sometimes work with outside groups of consumers or others who bring pressure on the staff of a program to change it


Styles of Policy AdvocacyStyles of Policy Advocacy

Advocates need a combination of each of the four skills to be effectiveIn hybrid styles, policy advocates combine or move between the four different stylesPolicy practitioners who rely on a single skill are sometimes stereotyped: – opportunists rely on political skills– do-gooders rely on values– policy wonks rely on analytic data


Applications of Policy Tasks and Applications of Policy Tasks and SkillsSkills

Task 1: Deciding What is Right and WrongTask 1: Deciding What is Right and Wrong– Policy advocates use a combination of ethical

and analytic skills to decide whether to launch an advocacy intervention

– They may use utilitarian or first-principle ethical reasoning to decide that the status quo violates ethical precepts

– They may draw upon research to decide that existing policies are not as effective as alternative or proposed ones



Task 2: Navigating Policy and Advocacy Task 2: Navigating Policy and Advocacy SystemsSystems– Policy advocates use analytic and political skills to

decide where to focus their policy advocacy– They may decide to try to change a specific state law,

not only because it will best address a specific problem, but because it is politically feasible

– They might use their analytic and political skills to focus on local public officials



Task 3: Building AgendasTask 3: Building Agendas– Policy advocates use analytic skills to demonstrate

that a crisis exists and that the problem deserves serious attention

– They use political skills to associate issues with political threats and opportunities in the minds of decision makers

– They use interactional skills to place issues on the agendas of decision makers

– They use value-clarifying skills when they seek a preferred position for a specific problem in policy deliberations



Task 4: Analyzing ProblemsTask 4: Analyzing Problems– Policy advocates use analytic skills to Policy advocates use analytic skills to understand the

social problems that they seek to address through policy initiatives

how many persons are impacted by a specific problemwhat kinds of persons possess the problem by race, ethnicity, social class, place of residence, and other characteristics what causes persons to develop specific social problems such as homelessness

– They use political skills to frame a specific policy proposal to attract the attention of decision makers



Task 5: Writing ProposalsTask 5: Writing Proposals– Policy advocates use analytic skills to develop criteria

that they use to rank an array of policy alternatives that they wish to consider

– They use political and value-clarification skills to decide when to accept or oppose amendments

– They use interactional skills by working with committees to fashion proposals, and by having personal discussions with a proposal’s friends and foes to bolster friendly amendments and soften or avert hostile ones



Task 6: Enacting PolicyTask 6: Enacting Policy– Policy advocates Policy advocates use analytic skills when developing

strategy to enact policyThey analyze the context, identify power resources, and evolve a coherent political strategy

– They use political skills to implement the strategy– They use interactional skills to gain inside information

about the strategies their opponents use, to convert people to their side, and to keep opponents on the defensive

– They use value-clarifying skills to decide what tactics are ethically meritorious and which are not



Task 7: Implementing PolicyTask 7: Implementing Policy– Policy practitioners use analytic skills to decide what

kinds of organizational arrangements will help implement specific policies

– They use political skills to develop strategy to offset barriers to the effective implementation of a policy

– They use interactional skills to improve the implementation of a policy by mediating disputes, forging interagency agreements, and providing training sessions so staff know how to implement it

– They use value-clarifying skills to decide who should receive priority in getting services when resources are insufficient



Task 8: Assessing PolicyTask 8: Assessing Policy– Policy advocates use analytic skills to decide

what kinds of data are needed, how to collect them, and how to interpret their findings

– They use political skills to manage conflict, such as when they encounter disagreement about what evaluation criteria to use

– They use interactional skills to develop an assessment methodology, gather data, and interpret findings


Ballot-Based AdvocacyBallot-Based Advocacy

The 8 tasks also apply to developing and managing a political campaign– A candidate may run for office because she believes

her opponent lacks ethical grounding to decide what is right and what is wrong

– She selects which office to seek as she navigates policy and advocacy systems

– She decides when it is propitious to run for office in the context of background factors (agenda-building)

– She needs to decipher why her likely opponent is defeatable (policy analysis)



– She needs to build her case so that she stands a decent chance of winning (proposal construction)

– She needs to actually wage the campaign by making correct strategy choices, mustering volunteers, raising funds, and using the mass media (policy enacting and policy implementing)

– She needs to assess her strategy and campaign organization so she can decide whether to run again, if she loses, or to develop strategy for the next campaign, if she wins



Political candidates also need the 4 skillsPolitical candidates also need the 4 skills– Political skills to devise strategy – Value-clarifying skills to decide what tactics

are ethical to use during the campaign – Analytic skills to initiate and debate campaign

issues and to devise solutions to them – Interactional skills to develop and maintain a

campaign organization


The Variety of PoliciesThe Variety of Policies

Social workers confront policy issues at virtually every turn

The services they provide are dictated by policies from many sources

These policies shape the lives and work of citizens, clients, and implementing staff



These policies vary in their effects and importance– Some are trivial, others have considerable

impact

They vary in their malleability– Some are easier to change than others



Policy advocates need not focus on one particular kind of policyThey can try to change simple or complex, agency or legislative, or controversial or non-controversial policiesThis underscores the need for flexibility– Policy practice occurs in many kinds of settings, takes

many forms, and varies with the issue and the context– We must understand the concepts, skills, tasks, and

frameworks that apply to a range of policy practice situations


Overcoming Discomfort with Overcoming Discomfort with PowerPower

The use of power is crucial in policy The use of power is crucial in policy advocacyadvocacy– Power is used to:

Persuade highly placed officials to prioritize an agenda

Help enact or block proposals

Gain access to networks of people who have information



It is NOT unethical for social workers to develop and use power

In fact, they already use power in their professional work:– They use sanctions and penalties for clients whose

responses to services fall outside expectations– They enforce (or choose not to enforce) agency

procedures – They take sides in family or other conflicts, sometimes

in subtle ways



We need to demystify power and declare it a professional resource vital to both clinical work and policy practicePower needs to be observed, modeled, and practiced as a professional skillSocial workers also need to develop leadership skills so they can initiate and assume important policy-making roles

Policy leadership is taking the initiative to develop new policies and to change existing ones to improve the human condition


Social Policy’s Role in Social Policy’s Role in Ecological FrameworksEcological Frameworks

When social workers fail to exert policy leadership, they allow other people with less commitment to clients’ well-being and to oppressed minorities’ needs to shape the human services delivery systemSocial workers who wish to help their clients have a professional duty to try to reform those policies that cause or exacerbate their clients’ problemsOtherwise, they ignore key elements of the ecosystems of their clientsPolicy advocacy is thus a professional intervention because it is geared to improving the well-being of citizens and clients

Chapter 3

Education

policy advocates

policy initiative

policy proposals

policy context

navigating policy

policy advocacy2011

new policy

policy implemen