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Developing Your Advocacy Plan

Developing Your Advocacy Plan. What Does It Take to Be an Effective Tobacco Control Advocate? . Objectives. Understand why physicians are natural advocates for policy change Identify the competencies needed to be an effective advocate Grasp basic change strategies (it’s not always logical)

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Developing Your Advocacy Plan

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  1. Developing Your Advocacy Plan What Does It Take to Be an Effective Tobacco Control Advocate?

  2. Objectives • Understand why physicians are natural advocates for policy change • Identify the competencies needed to be an effective advocate • Grasp basic change strategies (it’s not always logical) • Map out an advocacy plan

  3. Why Do Advocacy Work? “The message for us today is that to improve the health of children we need to be respectable rebels. We need to be rebels to push society to do what is right for children.” Haggerty RJ, Jacobi A. Respectable rebel. Pediatrics. 1997;99-462-466

  4. Physicians as Natural Advocates • You have real stories from real people • You have credibility in your communities • You have diagnostic and problem solving skills

  5. Julius B. Richmond Model: Changing Public Policy Scientific Knowledge Social Strategy Political Will

  6. What’s needed to be an effective advocate? • Passion • Proficiency (knowledge, expertise, skills) • Partners • Political power • Persistence

  7. Passion Harnessing your passion to make change Generating a collective Voice

  8. Proficiency • Understanding of the problem – root causes, scope, data • Expertise in tobacco control science – evidence base for cessation techniques and control of second-hand smoke • Strategy expertise • Knowledge of the process – who makes the decisions and what are the rules? • Use of the media to raise your voice

  9. Partners Think broadly about key partners • Business leaders • Faith based organizations • Medical organizations • Parent organizations • Youth organizations • Environmental groups • Community organizations interested in health of community

  10. Political Power • Raising your voice • Building a constituency • Cultivating relationships with decision makers • Media strategy

  11. Persistence • Sustaining your efforts • Overcoming setbacks • Celebrate the small wins

  12. Tips • Democracy is not a spectator’s sport – participation is required • Advocacy is not conducted in a vacuum • Numbers count! • Relationships with decision makers count too!

  13. Advocacy Do’s and Don’ts Do’s Speak out Be authoritative Partner Be creative Be practical Be patient (pretty) Never, ever stop Don’ts Be partisan Antagonize allies Act angry Be too impatient Grandstand for self

  14. Putting Together the Plan Eliminate exposure to SHS in public parks Advocacy Goal #1 Community Advocacy Level City Council Target of Change 9 months Timeframe

  15. Strategy #1Form Coalition of Supporters

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