1. Lesson Notes

A. Power Mapping: Identifying the Targets Before launching a campaign, you must know who has the authority to grant what you want.

  • The Decision Maker (Primary Target): The individual with the final "Yes/No" power (e.g., the CEO, the County Governor, or a Committee Chairperson).

  • The Influencer (Secondary Target): People the decision-maker listens to (e.g., religious leaders, technical advisors, or major media outlets).

B. The Policy Brief: Your Primary Tool A policy brief is a concise summary of a particular issue, the policy options to deal with it, and some recommendations on the best option.

  • Structure:

    1. Executive Summary: A 2-sentence hook.

    2. Problem Description: Why does this issue matter now?

    3. Policy Options: What are the different ways to solve it?

    4. Recommendations: The specific action you want the target to take.

C. Choosing Your Channels

  • Direct Lobbying: One-on-one meetings, formal letters, and technical presentations. High impact, but requires high-level access.

  • Grassroots Advocacy: Social media "storms," public petitions, and community rallies. Builds public pressure but can be harder to control the messaging.

D. Ethics and Transparency Strategic influence must be balanced with integrity. This includes:

  • Accuracy: Never providing false data to a legislator.

  • Disclosure: Being transparent about who you are representing and your funding sources.

  • Compliance: Adhering to the Public Officer Ethics Act and any specific lobbying registration requirements.