Course Title: ADVOCACY SKILLS AND STRATEGIES/EDLD 513 Syllabus for Fall 09 Faculty: Pat Libby & Howard Wayne Pat Libby: (619) 282-8875 E-mail: plibby@sandiego.edu Howard Wayne: (619) 384-1278 E-mail: Howard.wayne@yahoo.com Office hours: At mutual convenience. Please call or e-mail for an appointment.
Summary Description: Successful advocates utilize a toolbox of strategies to advance their cause. These strategies include: having a grasp of nonprofit lobbying regulations, knowing how the legislature and Congress work officially and behind the scenes, understanding how public policies are made, undertaking research which provides facts and figures to bolster a given argument, knowing how to build partners across sectors who will support your cause, and understanding how to use the media to build public support for your issue. This class will provide students with a framework for conceptualizing and carrying out advocacy campaigns. Each student will be asked to apply what is learned in class to the development of a comprehensive advocacy campaign. Students may work individually but are encouraged to work in small groups on a specific public policy or state legislative campaign.
Course Objectives: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
To provide students with a clear understanding of the IRS lobbying regulations pertaining to nonprofit corporations. To increase student understanding of the mechanics of legislative lobbying in Sacramento and to expose students to direct legislative lobbying in Sacramento. To provide a conceptual framework for developing well-conceived advocacy campaigns. To convince students of the essential role of cross-sectoral coalition building as part of advocacy campaigns. To apply the principles and concepts learn in the class through both case analysis and practical application.
Required Reading: The text for this course is a course reader that will be available in the bookstore.
Program Length: This is a 2 unit course meeting every other Thursday from 6-9pm beginning Sept. 22nd through Dec. 1st., including a trip to Sacramento to lobby your legislators that will take place ALL DAY on Monday, January 11th, and a final two hour meeting to debrief
on your Sacramento experience (that date will be determined when we meet the first day of class). An additional course date to rehearse for the visit to Sacramento will be held at a mutually agreed upon time (this is optional, however, in the past students have requested we meet for this purpose). IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT STUDENTS MAKE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS TO SACRAMENTO BY NO LATER THAN OCT. 16th SO THAT YOU CAN OBTAIN THE LOWEST AIR RATE POSSIBLE. The approximate schedule for that day will be as follows: Students will leave on Southwest Airlines on a 6:30am flight arriving at the Capitol Building at 9:30. Prof. Wayne will provide a tour of the Capitol from 9:30 - 10:30; Students will attend a Session of the Assembly from 11:00 - 12:30, lunch from 12:30-1:15, Meet with legislators during the afternoon. Leave the Capitol Building at 5:00 for a 6:00 flight home. (Note: these are approximate times and will have to be confirmed).
Required Assignments/ Grading Criteria: The overall assignment for the course is for each student to work on a public policy/regulatory issue or legislative campaign. The public policy issue may be at the city, state, or county level; the legislative campaign should be at the state level. Students are strongly encouraged to work in groups and must work minimally in pairs. If students decide to work on a policy issue rather than a legislative issue, please join another team for the lobbying trip to Sacramento and be sure you are briefed thoroughly by that group on the issue you will be presenting to elected and appointed officials and their designees. Remember: once you have framed the issue you will lobby on, you will need to make appointments to meet with your legislators or their aides for the afternoon of January 11, 2009. Class Participation: 10% Attending class, arriving on time, and actively participating in class discussion are course requirements. All students are required to travel to Sacramento during the course period to lobby assembly members and their staff on a specific issue. Class attendance is mandatory. Students will not pass the course if they miss more than 1 class session and will not pass the course if they do not travel to Sacramento. Each student team will be asked to do a 15-20 minute presentation on his/her campaign plan. These presentations will take place during the class that meets on Dec. 1st. To assure accountability, after your final project is submitted, students will be asked to fill out a confidential form that distributes 100 points among each team member to indicate the degree to which each participated in carrying out the assigned work. For example, if you and 3 other students put in an equal amount of work, you would rate your respective contributions at 25 points each. These ranking sheets play a role in determining your grade; students who do not participate fully in the work of their team will be marked down accordingly.
Homework assignments: 40% In addition to your reading you have two brief homework assignments which must be done for class weeks 2 and 5. Late assignments will not be accepted. Conceptual Plan for Advocacy Campaign: 50% Students are asked to prepare an advocacy campaign strategy that you will turn in as your final assignment. Elements of this campaign should minimally include: • •
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A well-researched, succinct case statement that briefly describes the issue – you will use this document to present your case to the officials you are lobbying. A research component that demonstrates how you arrived at your position – portions of which you may wish to share with those officials you are lobbying. Please be sure this is well-referenced. A list of specific allies who have signed on to your cause as well as a description of the strategy you used to recruit them. A brief description of those entities you believe may be opposed to your issue. An outline of your time line and key campaign steps. This should include a description of those you intended to visit and did visit in Sacramento (or elsewhere) and their reactions to your proposal. Reflection pieces on the process submitted by each of your team members (see paragraph below).
The Reflection piece is a 3-4 page narrative/reflection piece (done separately by each participating student) describing the leadership dimensions of the process you undertook to create this product. What were the dynamics you encountered as part of your working group and how did those dynamics you encountered as part of your working group detract from or contribute to the process and product (e.g., did your team cohere easily, and if so, how; did much negotiation take place; was there a need for conflict resolution, etc.)? What portion of the product were you specifically involved in creating or, what was your major role in developing that product? What organizational dynamics within your client organization impeded or contributed to the effectiveness of the work (for example, how did individual clients or the culture of your client organization shape your work?). What theories/models did you learn in the course that you applied in the process of creating this document (again, please be sure to write a sentence or two defining those for the benefit of the reader)? Please think about how you may have addressed or solved a problem creatively through this process and product. Please note: the project as a whole is not expected to be a lengthy document but should contain an inclusive description of the process you undertook and the materials you presented as part of your campaign.
Academic Integrity (statement language courtesy of Dr. Athena Perrakis)
The code of academic integrity is not just rhetoric; forms of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, or facilitating academic dishonesty, will not be tolerated in this class and may result in suspension or expulsion from the university. To summarize, anything you hand in to me must be written in your own words, exemplifying your own thoughts and ideas, and you must source any references you used in completing your work using the format of the APA 5th Edition Style Manual. Although you are encouraged to work and learn collaboratively, both within and outside of class, the work you submit to me should reflect your own thoughts and ideas, and it must be expressed in your own words unless you cite whose words you are using. If you are unsure of what this means, please check with me before completing an assignment.
Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in the class are encouraged to contact Disability Services in Serra 300 (tel. 260-4655) as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Curriculum: Prior to the first day of class: read chapters 1 and 2 and come prepared with some advocacy campaign ideas that you would like to work on during the semester. Think big and small and don’t be afraid to toss ideas around. Please note: you must pick a campaign topic by no later than the end of class on Oct. 20th Class 1: Sept. 22nd: Starting at the Beginning: Designing an Advocacy Campaign Many of our advocacy efforts will end up in Sacramento or Washington, D.C. But before we get there, we need to devise a roadmap for our advocacy campaigns. During this class we will review the fundamental strategic elements of comprehensive advocacy campaigns referring to the chapter’s you’ve read. Homework for class 2: Read Chapter 3. Then begin your first written assignment which is to write a 5-7 page paper (double spaced) using the 10 point construct to analyze how a specific advocacy organization uses these strategies to lobby. For example, you can look at the Sierra Club, National Riffle Association, Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Housing California, Clean Water Action or any organization of your choosing. This assignment is due on class 2. Class 2: Oct. 6th: Case Study Presentations from 2007 & 2008 Advocacy Course Students. Today we’ll hear two case studies from two different groups of Advocacy students. Maureen Carasiti will talk about The Registry to End Abusive Caregiver Hiring (REACH) -- a project conceived of and carried out by cohorts from the 06 and 07 Advocacy course. Jennifer Martin will speak to you about the Breaking the Tire Cycle campaign conducted in 08/09 (the bill is pending as we write this syllabus). During the second part of the class, these students and the
faculty will work with you to further develop your project ideas. Homework for class 3: Read Chapter 4 that describes the legislative process and come prepared to ask questions about all aspects of how things work in California (and please, don’t be shy about what you don’t know). Remember, your papers are due next time we meet. Class 3: Oct 20th Introduction to the California Assembly Legislative Process For most citizens, Sacramento is an intricate labyrinth of systems and personalities that are as unfamiliar as the moonscape. During this class, former Assemblyman Wayne will augment your reading with a thorough explanation of how the Assembly works and how nonprofit advocates can navigate the system to their advantage. Our lecture will include a discussion on how to identify an advocacy issue. Homework for class 4 (4 assignments): 1. Please visit http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/bos1/ (the website of county board of supervisor Greg Cox) to become informed on the organization of that office and the supervisor’s latest activities. 2. Visit the website of any member of the San Diego City Council. 3. Go to a city council meeting of the city of your choice (or, if you must, watch it on T.V). 4. Write up a brief description of an issue that was discussed at the aforementioned city council meeting. What strategies were used to influence the policy-makers? Did you think these arguments were successful? How did the advocates approach the elected officials – what was their tone? How were they received? We want you to listen carefully to the arguments and counter arguments that are being put forth. Who are the supporters? Are they cross-sectoral or do they just represent one particular sector? Is research cited? Are the issues “named & framed?” How do the public officials respond to each of those who are presenting arguments? This assignment is due Nov. 17th. Class 4: Nov. 3rd: Working with the Board of Supervisors and Working with the Media Pam O’Neil, Chief of Staff to County Supervisor Greg Cox and USD Nonprofit Program Advisory Board Member will open our class with a talk about successful and unsuccessful approaches for lobbying the county. During the second part of class, Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, San Diego Union Tribune, will talk about how best to promote your idea to the media. Homework for class 5: Read the use of legislative consultants and Stories from the Grasstops in your reader. Class 5: Nov. 17th: Working with a Lobbyist During the first part of the class we will be treated to a presentation by Jim Lantry, Principal, California Legislative Advocates, who will describe how a nonprofit corporation can work with a paid lobbyist in Sacramento. Following Jim’s talk, we’ll discuss the Grasstops chapter.
Class 6: Dec. 1st: Initial Presentations on your Advocacy Campaign Each student group will present the case statement and preliminary strategy you have developed for your advocacy campaign which will allow your classmates to review and comment upon your plans. Please note: for your actual presentation to the Legislature you will need to pre-schedule meetings with Members or their staffs. In the last two weeks of December, the Capitol is deader than a tomb - act accordingly. Also, consider scheduling a meeting with a staff member of a legislative committee. Optional Class: Date to be determined: Second presentation (from 6:00-7:30pm) This class provides those who are interested with a second chance to test out the pitch you plan to make in Sacramento before “showtime.� Class 7: January 11h: Lobbying in Sacramento: Students will leave on Southwest Airlines on a 6:30am flight arriving at the Capitol Building at 9:30. Howard will provide a tour of the Capitol from 9:30 - 10:30; Students will attend a Session of the Assembly from 11:00 - 12:30, lunch from 12:30-1:15, Meet with legislators during the afternoon. Leave the Capitol Building at 5:00 for a 6:30pm flight home. Please note: These are approximate times and will need to be finalized. Class 8: Debrief: For this final class we will hear from students about your experiences advocating in the Assembly. Was your message well-received? Is your campaign strategy on target? What are the next steps in your campaign? What, if anything, will you modify about your campaign plan? One final note: Students should know, for future reference, that you can track California bills as they move through the legislative process. Go to http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/billinfo.html You can not only search for bills, you can also subscribe for up-dates as the bill progresses (or not) through the system.