Political Savvy for Illinois Parks and Recreation

Desktop Education for Parks and Recreation

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• Sign in with:– Your Agency Name and

the number of people watching/attending the

webinar from your agency today

– What is the name of the person who will be inputting answers into the webinar application

Please complete your Pre-Webinar assignment before we

begin. 1

POLITICAL SAVVY:

Or, how to win friends and influence people AND benefit your parks and recreation department!

Presented by Rosemary Cameron

Make and Take

Rosemary Cameron

Public Affairs Consultant

Who’s talking?

Let’s get started!

YES or NO?

Did you do your Pre-Webinar Assignment?

• In your chat box, please share the name of your Illinois General Assembly members (House of Representatives and Senate).

• Did you have to look their names up?

Let’s Review--Pre-Webinar Assignment

TRUE or FALSE“Most or all of the people in our group knew the name of their General Assembly Members without having to look them up.

In your chat box…Please type the names of some of your State Representatives and Senators.

Pre-Webinar Assignment—Part Two

Click in your FEEDBACK BOX

Let’s take a look at your

Make and Take Handout

• Use the template to plan your department’s/district’s Government/Legislative Outreach strategy.

• Fill in the blanks with specific activities that meet your local situation.

• Word version is included in your e-mails from IPRA & iLinc.

• Parks and Recreation departments/districts operate within a broader political context—what does that mean?

• Who are your key external stakeholders?• Parks and Recreation departments/districts

possess key strategic positioning strengths—what are they?

• How to get started—low hanging fruit!

Here’s what we’ll be focusing on:

Think about it like marketing….

Parks and Recreation departments/districts operate

in a political environment, impacted by decisions made by State Legislators and the

Governor.

What the Legislature givith, the Legislature can take away!

– Open Space Lands Acquisition & Development Act (OSLAND)-70% increase in funding this year!! Do I hear “election year”?

– Park & Recreational Facility Construction Grants (PARC).

– Local referendums for parks capital funding.

“Super Board”

State House MemberState House Member State SenatorState Senator

City CouncilBd. of Sup.

Bd. of Directors

City CouncilBd. of Sup.

Bd. of Directors

Park & Rec CommissionPark & Rec Commission

CityCounty

Special Dist.

CityCounty

Special Dist.City Mgr./County Mgr.City Mgr./County Mgr.

Park & Rec Dir./Gen. Mgr.Park & Rec Dir./Gen. Mgr.

Staff--You!Staff--You!

Think about other key strategic stakeholders.

• Chamber of Commerce

• Service Clubs

• Other community organizations

• Environmental organizations

• Hospitals and health care organizations

• County Board Members

What are we missing?Take ONE minute to discuss and share in your chat box.

• Share some examples of some other strategic stakeholder groups or individuals that you believe are important to your parks and recreation agency.

• Are any of you currently reaching out to these types of organizations or individuals?

Let’s circle back to the

general public.We’re not forgetting them!

The residents of your city/township/county/special

district will always be your priority and your top stakeholders.

And, let’s not forget your internal stakeholders!

• City Council/Trustees/Board Members/Board of Directors

• City/County/General Manager and staff

• Parks and Recreation Commission

• Volunteers

Moving forward to action…

There are two distinct tracks for action:

General awareness of 1. Recreation and Park Department/District and

its many benefits.

2. Advocacy on behalf of parks and recreation related legislation and issues.

The Make and Take is all about tactics.

Let’s take a minute to talk about how you can build out the Legislative/Government Relations Outreach Plan Template to fit your Department/Agency’s needs and staff resources…

Let’s talk tactics for Track 1

• You might consider General Awareness part of your overall “branding” efforts or just plain good communications.

• But, it’s really a systematic and ongoing effort to communicate with priority stakeholders as well as state legislators.

Expand your mailing list• Include State Legislators, their district

office staff and strategic stakeholders in all communications such as program guides, newsletters, invitations.

• Don’t forget volunteers—

make them feel like

“insiders”.

Encourage more informal visits

• Invite Legislators and their staff to tour and facility or visit a program…..lunch at the Senior Center is always a good idea!

Request a speech• Invite your Legislator to be a speaker at a

dedication or special event (Elgin Veterans Memorial Park).

• Make the invitation early.

• Provide key

messages.

Use social media

• Connect to your legislators through social media…..they are there!

Strategic Community Outreach

Volunteer to speak at community, environmental and service organizations and network while you’re there!

Tack 2--Advocacy

• Starts with relationship building.

• Move over time to taking positions on legislation and actively advocating.

Meet with your Legislators in person

• Schedule an annual meeting—district office may be easiest location

• Always bring printed information on your department/agency

Get to know your Legislator’s staff

• Schedule annual meetings with district staff and Capitol staff

• Always bring printed information on your department/agency—highlight accomplishments, summarize challenges

Hold an informal event for Legislative staff

• Include other State or Federal agency staff you work with regularly

• Make it casual and fun• Say “thanks” for their hard work!

Get familiar with the IAPD/IPRA legislative program

• Review IAPD/IPRA Joint Legislative Committee platform

• Review bills being supported and opposed • Understand how a bill becomes a law and

more about state and federal legislative process:

• http://www.ilparks.org/?page=pub_pol_links

Get involved—become an advocate!

• IAPD has a day to day presence in the Capitol in Springfield

• But, our individual involvement is needed to influence the General Assembly with 118 House Members and 58 Senators

• All the information you need is at:• http://www.ilparks.org/?

page=communication_tips, click on “Advocacy”

Parks and Recreation has what it takes!

• Parks and Recreation offers Legislators just what they need and want----

1. Positive, upbeat programs

2. Big events with lots of

people (voters)

3. Great photo ops

Questions?

Contact Rosemary:

ROSEMARY CAMERON PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONSULTINGrlcameron@comcast.net

415-218-5180