Assessment Questions
Introduction
Responses to the assessment questions that follow are designed to help determine: 1) what will be needed for the organizations in a given state to successfully plan and run a proactive legislative, administrative or ballot initiative-focused campaign; 2) the gaps between what is needed, on the one hand, and the resources and capacity available to the groups on the other; and 3) whether such a legislative, administrative or ballot initiative campaign is feasible and desirable to undertake at this time.
The needs of this campaign will be driven largely by the current external climate for transportation policy reform and the state of play for the issue in the state policy making arena. Potential gaps will be identified through comparisons between those needs and the capacities, expertise, experience and other resources that the groups and their allies can bring to the campaign. The feasibility of the campaign and its likelihood of success will largely be a function of how closely available resources correspond with the needs identified for a winning venture.
The climate for reform and other external variables
1. Your goals and expectations
What are your goals for this campaign? Are they clearly articulated and fully understand and agreed to by all campaign participants? Have you prioritized your ‘asks’? In the final analysis, what would you consider to be a victory for this campaign?
Do you have other goals associated with the campaign (e.g., leveraging the initiative to pave the way for a future, larger effort)? Do you think your goals for this campaign will help you build long-term political power, increased organizational capacity, and add additional resources? Please explain.
2. Recent history
What is the recent history, if any, of efforts to advance similar legislative/administrative/ballot proposals in the state? (Describe the nature of the proposals, the advocacy effort, the outcome of the effort, reasons for success or failure of the effort, and other lessons learned. Please note any relevant changes to the external environment and internal capacities of reformers between that time and the present. )
What is the status of the champions you may have developed in the legislature and in the executive branch during past efforts? Are they committed to future work with you and your allies on transportation policy issues?
Did you build a coalition during these efforts? If so, what is the status of that coalition? How many members are there, what is their commitment level and are they willing to participate in a new campaign?
3. The status of the issue and other political considerations
How might the upcoming gubernatorial and state legislative elections in November 2010 affect the pursuit of your campaign goals? For example, will you be able to leverage the election to obtain commitments from elected officials? Will the threat of a different governor-elect or remaining incumbent make a difference in the political calculus for your campaign?
If pursuing a legislative route:
What would be the likely vehicle for your legislation (e.g., would it be decided in committee or in floor votes; would it be buried in omnibus legislation or be a stand-alone bill?)
Suppose you push for legislation and lose. What impact would that have on moving transportation-related legislation in the future?
Have you mobilized any legislative champions? If so, who has been mobilized so far? How much influence do they wield in the legislature? Where do (will) the key committee chairs and members (likely) stand on the issue? What will it take to move potential key swing members of the legislature?
How much outreach to legislators has been undertaken on behalf of the campaign? How would you describe your legislative support so far? Please be specific.
How much will your legislative policy cost taxpayers? Has cost become – or is it likely to become – a significant tissue for legislators, news media and the public?
To what degree will this issue likely be played out in the back rooms of the legislature vs. be able to be made a visible, publicly debated issue, to which external pressure can be applied to move policy makers? (One of the things we need to understand is whether an inside game, outside game, or combination of the two will be most-appropriate.) Please explain, keeping in mind the key legislators that will have to be influenced and what is likely to move them.
If pursuing an administrative route:
What department oversees the rule-making or other decision-making process required to achieve your campaign goal? Who is the key decision-maker within that department? Do you have a relationship with that person? If not, do you know anyone who can help you begin a relationship with that person?
Are there certain administrative procedures that must be adhered to in order to create this change? If so, what are they and can you provide input into that process?
If pursuing a ballot measure:
What is the process for getting an initiative onto the ballot? Can you bundle it with other things or must it stand separate?
How would you describe the level of awareness and support among the general public for the desired policy reform and a potential campaign? (If the issue isn’t public yet, how would you describe the awareness and support for this type of issue?) If people are in favor of your proposal, what must you do to ensure that they vote for it? If people are undecided or in opposition, what must you do to reach out and change their minds?
In all cases:
Who has power on this issue currently? Have opposition interests emerged? If so, how much impact are they likely to have on the climate for reform? How well organized, -financed and -connected are they? Do you know if they have a campaign under development? If opposition hasn’t emerged yet, who would you expect to oppose you? What types of tactics (e.g., messaging, paid ads, campaign contributions, sympathetic spokespersons) have they employed in previous legislative battles? Please discuss traditional and nontraditional opposition interests. Is there any way of diffusing their opposition before it becomes a problem?
In which geographic areas of the state will grassroots and grass tops pressure be needed most? Explain.
Have news media (e.g., editorial boards, reporters, producers, bloggers) shown much interest in this issue or related issues? Has coverage been favorable or unfavorable? Has coverage varied across key geographic areas with respect to extent and favorability?
Have you briefed the Governor’s staff (may be more relevant for legislative campaigns)? If so, how did they respond? (Are you looking to them for help even if the Governor appears to be in political trouble? Please explain.)
Has rigorous economic, environmental, and/or equity analysis of your policy proposals been undertaken? Are key state-level institutions, such as universities and think tanks, engaged on your issues?
What is the status of the public current debate (i.e., are the issues part of the public conversation)? How are the issues being framed by legislators? To what extent are you and your supporters, as opposed to your opposition, shaping, the terms of debate? How complex is this issue?
Resources and capacity
1. General
Please describe your organization’s previous work on state legislative, administrative or ballot measure issues. What roles have you previous played in those policy issue campaigns?
How much experience do staff members who will be working on this project have working on: 1) state legislative issues, including lobbying, and organizing public pressure; 2) administrative issues; 3) ballot measures; 4) state transportation issues; 5) specific type of transportation issue that will be addressed in this campaign?
Does your organization have a reputation as a player at the state capital on transportation policy issues? How would most state policy makers or their staff characterize your organization and its work (e.g., think tank, inside-lobbying group, external-pressure or watchdog organization with limited direct ties to legislators, etc.) Please discuss.
2. Coalition-building and grassroots/grass-tops mobilization
Who are your likely organizational allies (i.e., both traditional and non-traditional allied organizations)? What are the prospects for alliances with business groups? What are their current levels of engagement in the issue? (Have you begun mobilizing them yet for this campaign?) Are they likely to be paper-coalition partners or become actively involved? Please be specific with each. Also, how much and what type of clout (e.g., campaign contributor, large grassroots operation) do they have with key policy makers? To what extent are they willing to use that clout for this issue?
How well are you connected to influencers who can affect how legislators or administrators think about your issue and what they are likely to do (e.g., campaign contributors, friends, political associates, labor leaders, business leaders, et al.)? Do your prospective allies have connections to supplement and/or intensify yours? Would they likely be willing to expend the political capital to engage those influencers?
Are you a membership-based organization? Do you have email lists of supporters and activists? If so how large are those lists? In what parts of the state do you, and your prospective allies, have your strongest (and weakest) grassroots and grass-tops mobilization capacities? How do these assets align with the districts of key legislators? Do you know what percentage of your grassroots activists take action when you send email requests?
Please describe your grassroots and grass-tops operations. Do you have a staff person (or persons) dedicated to grassroots organizing and grass-tops mobilization? If so, how much experience do they have? Are they adept at Internet-based organizing? Will your allies help with grassroots mobilization?
3. Lobbying
How well-known are you in the state capitol? How strong are your connections with key committee members and the legislative leadership? (Please be specific about access AND influence.)
How would you characterize your likely champions? Will they ‘fall on their swords’ for you; potentially cave if opponents exert enough pressure; or not be willing to stick out their necks on behalf of your issue in the first place?
How much direct lobbying time (in FTEs) will staff be able to devote to this project? Who will be leading the lobbying effort and who will play supportive roles? How much experience do they have? How much lobbying effort can you count on your allies to provide?
4. Media outreach, messaging and materials development
Who will conduct outreach to news media for your organization? What are their other responsibilities? How much experience do they have working with news media?
How extensive are your contacts with news media in your state? Do reporters consider your organization to be a go-to source on state transportation issues? Do you have good contacts with reporters in key legislative districts? Please provide examples of media coverage (e.g., editorials, news articles, op-eds, columns, letters to the editor) during the past year of transportation issues in your state. Did your organization play a role in any of these?
Who are your likely spokespersons from outside of your group? To what extent will you be able to mobilize nontraditional spokespersons outside of the transportation policy, environmental and smart growth communities (e.g., local officials and community leaders from affected jurisdictions, business and labor leaders, developers, academics, et al.)? Are they willing to stand up with you at events, author op-eds and LTEs, participate in editorial board meetings?
Have you or your allies tested possible messages to be used in this campaign through opinion surveys or focus groups? If so, please provide a summary of that research. What messages have worked (and have not worked) recently with target audiences for the issues that will be raised in this campaign?
Do you plan to develop and release newsworthy research reports to media outlets in the state? If so, please describe them. What other newsworthy events do you anticipate generating or leveraging?
What mechanisms do you intend to put in place to monitor and counter your opponents’ messaging?
What materials have you and your allies developed thus far to support this advocacy effort? Is there credible research and data available to help make the case for the legislative initiative? Do you plan to conduct additional research? Please provide samples of these materials.
5. Other capacity- and performance-related questions
Will you have access to resources to bolster staff and/or run paid ads, increase field capacity, conduct field events, expand your lobbying team if needed?
How much total staff time will you be able to dedicate to the campaign? What additional staff time do you expect your allies will provide?
Have you developed a detailed plan for winning that includes goals, strategy, tactics, and timelines for activities? If you haven’t developed a comprehensive plan, do you have an overall campaign strategy? If so, please describe it.
How will the campaign be governed and structured? Who will be in charge? Who will speak for the campaign? Who will have the authority to make rapid-response decisions as opposition develops and legislation starts moving? How will other major responsibilities be allocated? How will accountability of partners and coalition members be ensured?