Table of Contents >
   Part G. Implementing Promising Community Interventions
      Chapter 25. Changing Policies >
         Section 1. Changing Policies: An Overview >
             Tools & Checklists - A checklist that summarizes the major points contained in the section. >

Changing Policies: An Overview

  

Tools & Checklists

 Contributed by Phil Rabinowitz Edited by Bill Berkowitz

Checklist

Here you will find a checklist outlining the most significant points of the section.

What do we mean by policies?

__ Policies are the written or unwritten guidelines that governments, organizations and institutions, communities, or individuals use when responding to issues and situations.
You address:
__ Official government policies.
__ Policies made by government bureaucracies, and by public services such as police and fire departments.
__ The policies of foundations and other private funders.
__ Policies of businesses.
__ Policies of the media.
__ Policies adopted by the community as a whole.

Why try to change policies?

You change policies because:
__ Addressing policies can start a community conversation about the issues in question.
__ Changing policy is easier in the long run than fighting the same battles over and over again.
__ Changed policies can change people's minds and attitudes.
__ Changed policies have effects on the next generation.
__ Policy change is the path to permanent social change.

Who should try to change policies?

To change polices, you turn to:
__ A broad-based coalition.
__ An organization that works with those affected by the policies in question.
__ A grass roots community initiative.
__ A concerned professional association.
__ A determined individual.

When should you try to change policies?

You make an effort to change policies when:
__ It's an election year.
__ The issue first arises.
__ A crisis is reached, and it's clear the current policy isn't working.
__ Public opinion has reached critical mass.
__ There's a specific debate about the issue.
__ New information changes perceptions about the issue.
__ A publication or other source brings an issue to the public attention.

How do you go about changing policies?

__ You try to change policies by using the 8 P's:

  • Planning
  • Preparation
  • Personal contact
  • Pulse of the community
  • Positivism
  • Participation
  • Publicity
  • Persistence