Advocacy
Working to get Alberta Students a Good Deal
Context to Advocacy
- Who remembers the difference between a lobbyist and an advocate?
- Role of the Government Relations and Advocacy Director
- Advice
- Training
- Research
- Issues forecasting
- Government Relations
People
- You are people, and politicians and bureaucrats are also people
- People remember how you make them feel
- First impressions MATTER
Relationships
- Working relationships are based on mutual interest
- They rely on mutual trust
- The purpose of “the Meeting” is to establish BOTH
Preparing for “The Meeting”
Part 1
- Knowing your subject:
- Their Background and platform, the constituency they represent, and what issues they care about
- Knowing what they look like and what their names and titles are
Part 2
- Think big and have a big plan
- Represent issues that affect ALL students
- Know what you bring to the table
Part 3
- Practical steps to a successful meeting:
- Dress professionally
- Be early
- Bring your documents, and bring documents to share
- Bring business cards
- Eat and sleep beforehand
Conduct During “The Meeting”
- Being Professional
- Being open-minded
- Being ethical
“The Meeting”
- Educate them
- Interest them
- Engage them
- Plan WITH them
- Follow-up WITH them
- Move forward WITH them
Working Relationships
- The point of a working relationship is that it is ongoing
- “The Meeting” is only the first step- if it goes well, it will be the first of many!
- Staying in touch, following up, and following through
After “The Meeting”
- The point of a working relationship is that it is ongoing
- “The Meeting” is only the first step- if it goes well, it will be the first of many!
- Staying in touch, following up, and following through
Evaluation
- Did you explain your perspective accurately?
- Did you illicit interest?
- Did you follow up the individual meeting?
- Do you have a plan to move forward?
Reporting
- Create a report of your meeting immediately after having it
- Answer the questions mentioned in “After The Meeting” in as much detail as you can
- The report isn’t just for other people – it’s for YOU. People forget stuff all the time and nobody likes that
The Goal
The goal is to create a long-term and mutually beneficial working relationship – something your successors can inherit and that you can be proud of.
So You Had an Uncomfortable Meeting
- This is not the end of the world, it is a learning opportunity
- Follow the same reporting procedure, so that you don’t make the same mistakes a second time
How ASEC Can Help
- We can give you materials to study
- We can give you media (being in front of a camera) training
- We can give you interview (being in front of a person) training
Feel Ready?
- It’s okay if you don’t. You have all kinds of resources available to you
- ASEC is here to help train you, prepare you, and help you manage your advocacy initiatives.
So What Now?
If you want a copy of this information;
If you want to get in contact with AlbertaStudents.ca;
AND/OR you want to arrange a meeting for media training or interview training;