Develop and Organize for your Agenda
Consult policy experts in the given field
Think academic researchers, legislative assistants, non-profit and thought leaders.
- Get a sense of the recent history of the issue. Questions to ask include - has anyone tried this idea before in the state? If so, what were the results?
- After getting a handle on the historical information, seek out the political information. Which fellow elected officials may be allies? Will any be adversaries? How much political will, or power, does each have?
- Draft the legislation, with assistance from staff if available. Be sure that any final version that is submitted is something you have confidence in. Even if the policy will be altered later, do not introduce legislation that is poorly crafted.
Create Advisory Groups
Draw on the relationships developed with your constituents to create citizen advisory groups that offer guidance on the attitudes of your district. These groups can be created along demographic- or issue- focused lines and can meet regularly or be called in only when you face a decision on a policy or action related to the members of that group. These groups can act as critical back-up when faced with an unpopular or difficult decision and can offer a sounding board on how your decisions affect their lives and the lives of their neighbors.
Look towards the relationships you developed and mapped in step 2 for who to include in the advisory groups. See flow chart in downloads for an example.
Engage Volunteers and Supporters
As an elected official, you can play a key role in developing new leadership amongst your constituents by asking them to take on the tasks of organizing behind your agenda. By engaging volunteers and supporters in these tasks, you accomplish two goals - getting the message about your priorities and your issues out to a wider audience, and building the skills of your allies to engage in issue advocacy work. Examples of tasks that you can ask volunteers to do include writing letters to the editor in support of your agenda or an issue you are working on; recruiting constituents to attend a town hall forum; or mobilizing constituents to give testimony at a hearing. Be intentional about organizing behind your issue. Not only will this ensure success, but it will also engage constituents and build their skills.
Special thanks to MN Representative Steve Simon for background information for this guide on the process for developing policy.