Public Policy, Advocacy, and Communications: Harris School Hosts Executive Education Session
The Harris School held an executive education course last month on public policy, advocacy, and communications for national, state, and local organizations. The day-long session taught by Ron Gibbs, president of National and International Public Affairs Consulting and a lecturer at the Harris School, was designed to help senior-level staff develop public policy, communications, and advocacy strategies. The program stressed the importance of assessing an organization's capacity and resources to effectively bring about policy change.
Attendees learned about developing messages and communications strategies, assessed their organizations' power base and access to policymakers, and examined the changing role of media. The interactive session included several guest speakers and case studies of public policy campaigns, including for the construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and the failure of the Clinton health care reform.
One such speaker, Eric Sedler of ASK Public Affairs Strategies (a firm founded by presidential senior advisor David Axelrod), discussed the success of Barack Obama's internet strategy and grassroots effort during the presidential campaign. The discussion also covered political and leadership changes in Washington now that the new administration is firmly in office. Gibbs stressed that after any national election, not just this most recent and historic one, a new administration brings economic, social, and political changes.
Gibbs emphasized that a successful campaign, "[Is] not necessarily about partisanship. It's about developing the right strategy and understanding the current political environment. Success is not based upon the merits of the policy issue."
Mario Polizzi, director of executive education, noted that Gibbs was a perfect match for this course, since he has a wealth of experience in public policy, public relations, and implementing successful public affairs strategies. In fact, among his accomplishments, Gibbs helped build a national coalition of support to establish the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
"Given all the changes in Washington-with the economy, competition for resources, and just being heard-this type of course is more relevant than ever," said Polizzi.
This course is just one of many programs offered by the Harris School to help working professionals keep abreast of changes in their fields. The portfolio of programs ranges from one-day sessions to longer courses tailored to a specific organization's professional development needs.
Participants came from a range of organizations-government, private, and nonprofit-and that was one appeal for attendees. "[One] great thing about the seminar was that there were a great mix of people from various industries and backgrounds present, so that really helped to provide different perspectives during the question-and-answer periods," said Toni Williams, associate director of public relations at the Alzheimer's Association's national office.
For Sandra Matthews, vice president of external relations at Illinois Action for Children, projects from Gibb's career were a highlight. "His real time life experiences in the field were the best case studies for personifying many of the strategies he presented," she said.
"Framing issues and creating the right and precise messaging is crucial to any successful advocacy campaign," she continued. "I knew that this program would provide an excellent presentation of information on communications and public policy and advocacy strategies."
Contact Information
Eleanor Cartelli
Associate Director of Publications
Phone: 773-834-4752
Email: cartelli@uchicago.edu
