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The Process to Create Change:
Policies and Procedures Overview
Why Policy Change &
Enforcement
Because your community goal is:
to reduce economic, interpersonal, and
social costs imposed
on a community, neighborhood,
organization, family, or employer
due to direct and collateral problems
related to alcohol.
Public Policy Process
Step One:
What Can Be Changed & How?
• Is it a policy?
– A policy is a formal rule or standard.
– Does a policy exist?
– At what level does the policy need to be implemented
or created in order to get the change desired?
• Is it a procedure?
– A standard or practice that is generally followed by an
organization or persons in the organization.
– Is there an agency or group “in the system” that can
tell you HOW the procedure works and if a policy can
be created?
Step Two:
Who Can Make the Difference?
• Who are your decision makers?
– School, City, County, State, Federal
– What is their history; their perspective?
• Initial Informational Meetings
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Create the relationship
Raise awareness & positive regard
Educate about the policies, procedures, and process
Give you perspective on how to proceed
The Polite Advocate
Meeting With Decision Makers
Step One
Research the problem to solve in your community:
•What background info is available?
•Who are the experts – local, state, national?
•Credible & available
•Who are the decision makers?
•Find some passionate constituents.
You Don’t Have to Be the Expert
Having completed the research on
the the problem, solutions, and the
decision makers, you know more
about your issue than most
Materials to Take With You
• Prepare or obtain a fact sheet.
• If several people are going, each should
have a role to play.
• Anticipate questions or objections.
• Practice before you go.
• Prepare an appropriate and engaging
introduction of yourself.
•Your organization, mission, and if there is a
relationship between your org & the decision maker
At the Meeting:
• Be organized.
• Be on – point.
• Be authentic.
• Be honest.
• Be open to questions.
• Be polite and be brief.
The Polite Advocate
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Who you are?
Who you represent?
What you are doing?
What you want (problem/solution)?
Ask (commitment/what you want)?
Thank you. Say it no matter what.
How To Be A Polite Advocate
Introduction - Who Your Are & Who You Are With
Should be very short, one-way Communication, that lets them
know what to expect.
Body - What You Are Here To Talk About & Why It’s Important
Be conversational, be clear, use examples - relate it personally take one portion of the problem/solution, don’t overdo it.
Conclusion - What Do You Want & Thank You
ALWAYS ask for a specific commitment - their support, their vote,
etc. Thank them even if they disagree with you
How To Be A Polite Advocate
Example
(Who) My name is Nicole Holt
(Who) I am a member of Texans Standing Tall
(What) I am here to talk about how you can be an effective voice
in preventing underage alcohol use.
(Why) Youth today are bombarded with media messages
displaying alcohol use as cool, or a “Right of Passage.” Adults
need to help teach youth the consequences of alcohol use.
(What) I ask that you use the advocacy skills learned today to
help educate decision makers on the cost of underage alcohol
abuse.
Thank you for taking the time to come here today.
After The Meeting
• Write a thank you letter.
• Provide any follow up information
requested.
• Affirm the relationship.
• Place a phone call to follow-up.
Meeting with your
Decision Maker is all about:
• Relationship
• Relationship
• Relationship
Texans Standing Tall
2211 I-H 35 South, Suite 201
Austin, TX 78741
Phone: 512.442.7501
Email: tst@TexansStandingTall.org