One of VALUE's goals is to help adult learners effectively communicate with legislators and adult education officials. These policy makers make decisions which affect whether adult learners get the kind of education services they need.
Adult learners can help policy makers make informed decisions. Learners can educate policy makers about (a) the needs of adult learners and (b) the value of investing in high-quality adult education.
When communicating with policy makers, adult learners need to be well informed about the issues which policy makers are dealing with.
VALUE's Advocacy Committee will use this web site, our newsletter, and workshops at national and state conferences to inform adult learners about policy issues. We will prepare a series of Advocacy Messages about important policy issues. Adult learners can use these messages when preparing to communicate with policy makers.
Please contact VALUE's web site manager, Paul Jurmo, at 14 Griffin Street, East Brunswick, NJ 08816-4806, 732/254-2237, if you want to (a) ask a question about any of our Advocacy Messages or (b) suggest a policy issue for us to cover in a future Advocacy Message.
Remember: Policy makers and funders listen to adult learners -- especially if you come with a well-informed advocacy message.
--VALUE's Advocacy Committee
Current: August 2001 -- Ten Commandments of Good Advocacy
Archives:
April 2000 -- Why and How States Should Invest in Adult Learner Leadership
August 2001 -- Ten Commandments of Good Advocacy
The following tips were presented in a workshop at VALUE’s Adult Learner Leadership Institute in Columbus, Ohio in July 2001. VALUE Members Gloria Ashford, Archie Willard, and Randall were the presenters. They said that, to be an effective advocate, an adult learner should follow these steps.
- Talk about–one and only one–topic or issue.
- Keep in mind that you’re trying to convince your target person or group to help, so make a friend.
- Make sure people understand the problem- short and sweet (clear).
- Describe how you’d like them to help -- again, short and sweet -- and put it in terms of why helping is good for them.
- Briefly tell them why someone might ask them to do just the opposite from what you suggest and why that’s not a good idea.
- Give them time to ask questions.
- End by asking if you can count on their help or -- if they’ve already promised to help -- end by thanking them and restating what you heard them promise.
- Thank anyone who helped make the advocacy opportunity possible — a secretary or receptionist, or an assistant maybe.
- Send a short thank you note- even a hand written card- to the person or people you met with. Do this within two days.
- Work with others, whenever
possible. Two or more heads are better than one.
For actual meetings, though, only two or three people should go.
Plan ahead of time what points you want to make (see 1-8 above) and divide them up between the two or three of you.
Whenever possible, practice what you’re going to say so you can be sure to keep it as short and as clear as possible.
People get confused when you talk about more than one thing.
Be polite and develop a relationship with them on a human level up front (a little bit of small talk & call them by name).
This requires some thinking before you advocate and maybe even talking to someone ahead of time who knows your target person or group.
You’ve got to think honestly and fairly about the other side and come up with good reasons why your suggestion is better.
If you don’t know the answer, tell them you’ll find out and get back to them in two days or less. Make sure you follow through- even if you haven’t found out the answer yet.
Your credibility (their respect for you) and their future help are at stake.
Also, thank them for the opportunity to talk with them.
Be sure to get their name. Maybe they can be helpful to you next time.
Effective advocacy is all about building good long-term relationships.
This little courtesy helps more than you might think because so few people do it anymore. By doing it, people remember you with respect.
Send your thank you note by itself or with any additional information you think they might need — or information you promised.
Revised 8/24/01