CH 5 Practicing Mezzo Policy Advocacy Interventions PDF

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CH 5 PRACTICING MEZZO POLICY ADVOCACY INTERVENTIONS! ! DEFINING MEZZO POLICY ADVOCACY! • Policy advocacy that seeks to address persons 7 core problems by changing organizations and communities. !

IDENTIFYING 5 SKILLS NEEDED FOR MEZZO POLICY ADVOCACY! • Initiating: Failure to take initiative means the wishes of other persons and officials prevail even when they lead to dysfunctional policies. Advocates need to be assertive & place issues on the table without provoking conflict. ! • Influencing: Need to be able to influence others to work with them to change specific policies. ! • Negotiating and bargaining: Need to be able to negotiate with agency and community leaders to achieve their policy goals. Policy advocates often must compromise.! • Mediating conflicts: This can be done by identifying point or issues that competing groups have in common. Help participants identify compromises. Use process skills in task groups and committees to facilitate outcomes. ! • Communicating: Must be able to communicate with concerned citizens, agency heads, community leaders, public officials, and other persons who can help resolve specific issues. ! " A PRELIMARY CHALLENGE: READING THE CONTEXT OF AGENCIES AND COMMUNITIES! • Must be aware of both opportunities and constraints as they help groups of clients in agencies or groups of community residents. ! • Some things to be aware of are:!

services, reporting mechanisms, and a general statement about the programs purpose. ! ‣ Agencies that are gov funded have multiple sets of adopted policies. ! ‣ Informal: Organizational culture, competition and collaboration from outside agencies, and values and preferences of staff. ! ‣ Both have the power to shape staff actions and choices at many points in their work. ! ‣ Establish agency’s general philosophy and help guide practices related to the

organizations purpose. ! ‣ Service delivery policies, ethical practice policies, human resource policies, worker safety protocols, etc. ! ‣ Written policy provides a power system of check and balance for all stake holders within the organization. ! ‣ A typical request for proposals from a foundation requires the organization seeking funds must agree to certain policies regarding how they can use or disperse the funds, who can be on the project, and what types of activities the organization can engage. ! ‣ Shape agencies priorities by distributing resources to programs. ! budgets.! ‣ The board of directors make important policy decisions.!

• Constructive Organizations:!

• Aggressive or defensive organization: !

expression and interpretation of specific policies. ! • The policy context of communities:!

variety of ethnicities and if a area is low income or a mix of social class, if the area is integrated or racially segregated.! ‣ Describe the extent of poverty.! ‣ SW can use this data to inform their policy reform initiatives.! • Can be used negatively to control the social class and ethnic makeup of neighborhoods.!

• Exclusionary zoning may maintain high housing costs, which excludes low income and “undesirable” groups from a community.!

groups that meet the social welfare needs of their residents. ! ‣ Areas that suffer high rates of high school dropouts, gang violence, drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness, often devoid the prevention and treatment services that would alleviate these social programs. ! major factor shaping the policies of communities. ! ‣ Engaged citizens are more likely to secure needed services, ensure safety, and promote a high quality of life within a community. ! school principals, elderly residents, politicians. ! • Resources on Key Informant Interviews!

‣ Zoom! ‣ Face to face! ‣ Comm leaders! ‣ Local business owners !

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