Table of Contents >
   Part G. Implementing Promising Community Interventions
      Chapter 25. Changing Policies >
         Section 6. Promoting Community-Friendly Policies in Business... >
             Tools & Checklists - A checklist that summarizes the major points contained in the section. >

Promoting Community-Friendly Policies in Business and Government

  

Tools & Checklists

 Contributed by Phil Rabinowitz Edited by Bill Berkowitz

Checklist

Here you will find a checklist summarizing the important points of the section.

What do we mean by community-friendly policies?
__ Community-friendly policies are those social, economic, health, and environmental policies that make the community healthier and improve its quality of life.
__ Community-friendly policies respect cultural and other diversity, community history, and environmental integrity.
__ Community-friendly policies regard each community as unique, and take its characteristics into account.
__ Community-friendly policies use the community as the context for policy-making.

Why promote community-friendly policies?
__ Community-friendly policies help everyone in the community.
__ Community-friendly policies promote equity.
__ Community-friendly policies promote diversity.
__ Community-friendly policies are good for business.
__ Community-friendly policies help politicians get reelected.
__ Community-friendly policies promote community health, environmental quality, financial stability, and social justice.

When would you promote community-friendly policies?
__ When policy is specifically being debated. 
__ When something new is about to be started. 
__ When there's an election.
__ When there's a crisis in the making.
__ When there's a public groundswell for community-friendly policy in a specific area.
__ When the community is invited to the table.

Who should promote community-friendly policies?
__ Everyone.
__ Stakeholders (i.e. those most directly affected by the policy).
__ Community activists.
__ Particular populations or groups who may have an interest (language minorities, public housing tenants, parents of children in the schools, the business community, low-income workers, etc.)
__ Public officials, both elected and appointed.
__ Public employees (who may be asked to carry out or administer policy).
__ Community-based organizations and community coalitions.
__ Educational institutions.

How do you promote community-friendly policies?
__ Decide where to start.
__ Do your homework. 
__ Offer to help find solutions that work. 
__ Frame the debate as a win-win situation. 
__ Point to and reward those businesses and government agencies who support and engage in community-friendly practices.
__ Communicate, communicate, communicate.
__ Marshal support. 
__ Advocate for community-friendly policies in whatever ways are appropriate to the situation.
__ Continue promoting community-friendly policies in business and government indefinitely.