Choosing the right tool

An advocacy starter kit

Choosing the right tool for your advocacy is important in order to best grab the attention of your targeted audience and get your message across most effectively. Politicians and policy makers are extremely busy and are approached on a wide range of worthy issues every day. Choosing a tool that can succinctly convey why you are passionate about your issue and why they should be too is important for ensuring that your advocacy connects.

Some of the most common advocacy tools include:  

• Letters or e-mails
• Phone calls 
• Presentations
• Briefing notes
• Meetings 

Letters or emails

Letters or emails are the most common ways to communicate directly with politicians and policy makers. They are a timely option to clearly articulate your position on an issue and present recommendations for positive change. When politicians or policy makers receive multiple letters on the same topic it raises its profile as an issue of concern and can help to change policy and practice.   

A few guidelines:

• Introduce yourself
  • Politicians give greater weight to letters received from constituents, as those are the voices they are elected to represent. So be sure to introduce yourself as someone within their riding if applicable.
  • The voices of experts are also given greater weight by politicians and policy makers so identify your role and expertise.
• If you are writing on behalf of a group or coalition, include this information and how many people you represent.  
• Try to keep it to one page. Short letters have the greatest impact and are most likely to be fully read.
• If there is additional information you feel needs to be shared such a study or position statement, you can use hyperlinks or attach a PDF to your email.
• If you are writing about a particular piece of legislation or policy, cite it by name.
• Make your position clear and say exactly what you think should happen and why.
• Whenever possible, include real-world examples that reinforce and personalize your message. Statistics can be useful, but stories always connect much more strongly.
• When possible, cite other groups also supporting your viewpoint.
• End by offering to meet to discuss the issue in more detail.
• Include your name, address and contact information.

Sending your letter: Letters are typically sent by email. To find your MP’s contact information click here. To find contact information for federal public servants visit Government Electronic Directory Services. Letters can also be mailed postage-free to any member of Parliament at:

House of Commons

Ottawa, ON

Canada

K1A 0A6

Phone calls

Calling a politician or policy maker can sometimes be an effective tool, especially if your advocacy is time sensitive. When you call the office of a politician or high-level bureaucrat you should expect to speak to a staff member who may pass along your message, or who may connect you to a Constituency Assistant or Policy Assistant who is working on your issue.  

Tips for calling a legislator or policy maker:

• Introduce yourself and identify any relevant roles or expertise.
• If you are calling about a particular policy or legislation, identify it by name.
• Briefly state your position and the action you would like to see taken.  
• Avoid jargon, acronyms or insider language.
• Ask for their views on the issue.
• Stress any points of commonality or agreement and respectfully consider any points of disagreement.
• Remember that advocacy is not about getting everyone to think the way you do. Desired changes in policy or practice can be made even when people have different motivations.
• Don’t argue if the person on the other end of the phone doesn’t agree or hasn’t yet decided.
• If there are points of agreement, ask for an actionable commitment.
• If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so, and then get back to them with the correct information.
• Offer to be a source of information on the topic and provide your contact information.
• Follow-up with a note or email restating your position, and thanking them for their time.

The presentation

Physicians are often called to present as expert witnesses when policy proposals are up for debate. These advocacy opportunities can be at the municipal level (e.g. city council or school board), the provincial/territorial level (legislative assembly committees), or at the federal level (House of Commons or Senate committees). Given their knowledge and expertise, the voices of physicians can be powerful in shaping the development of policy and practice in these forums. In these situations, you are typically given 5-10 minutes to present on a specific issue followed by a period of Q&A. Given the short time frame and the different view points that are likely around the table, it is important to think carefully about your key messages so that you can communicate them as clearly as possible, while appealing to as many decision-makers as possible. Story telling is key to a memorable and convincing presentation, while a few powerful statistics can reinforce your position and help you respond to any probing follow-up questions. Your presentation may be one of several, so it is important to get to the point quickly, and make your message memorable. 

Presentation tips: 

• Briefly introduce yourself including your credentials and any group or coalition you belong to.
• Identify the topic you came to talk about, why it is important to you, and why it should be important to your audience.
• Focus on no more than three key messages to keep your presentation clear and succinct.
• Include a personal example from your practice to illustrate your point (while maintaining confidentiality).
• Clearly sum up your recommendations.
• Be prepared to answer follow-up questions. If you don’t know an answer say so, and use that as an opportunity to follow-up with the information requested at a later date. 

The briefing note

Briefing notes are 1-2 page documents that can be quickly read to educate your audience about an issue. They can be useful in a wide variety of settings, but are most often sent in advance of a meeting so the politician or policy maker you are meeting with can be fully prepared to discuss your issue, or are left behind after a meeting or presentation to provide a synopsis of your points and recommendations. Most advocacy is directed at very busy people so a briefing note that presents a compelling argument in a quick and easy to digest format can be a powerful advocacy tool.   

A good briefing note: 

• Clearly identifies the facts, including key statistics, figures or comparisons.
• Anticipates and responds to common questions or alternative view points.
• Informs, persuades or educates.
• Avoids using jargon, acronyms or insider language.
• Is attention grabbing and easy to read. Consider using bullet points, charts or pictures.
• Makes an argument for a particular course of action with clear recommendations.

The CPS has briefing notes available for member use on pharmacare, mental health and button batteries. 

The meeting

Meeting with a politician can be one of the most effective ways to increase their awareness and support for your advocacy issue. Meetings offer an opportunity to explain your views, to hear theirs, and to encourage them to take action. Some politicians might be willing to meet with you based on their portfolio and/or their own personal interest in an issue. For example, if you are advocating around youth mental health, you can request a meeting with Ministers or Critics for Mental Health. Another effective strategy for securing a meeting with a politician is to reach out to your local representatives. MPs or MPPs are elected to represent the interests of their constituents and are much more likely to meet with individuals within their own ridings. 

Securing a meeting with your representative:

• You can find your local MP and their contact information on the website for the House of Commons. Every province/territory has similar websites where you can find the contact information and portfolios of your local representatives.
• Call or email your representative’s constituency office to request a meeting. Your request should clearly state who you are and why the issue you wish to speak about should be of importance to them. If applicable, indicate that you are a constituent and include your full contact information and mailing address.
• Be flexible. Propose at least three different meeting times and be prepared for last minute scheduling changes.
• Remember that they are extremely busy and get many similar requests about important issues every day. If you are struggling to secure a meeting with your representative, try meeting with their Policy Advisors or Chiefs of Staff instead, or consider coordinating a joint meeting with other organizations or influential members of your community.

Making the most out of your meeting:

• Let the MP/MPP’s office know the names and titles of everyone who will be attending the meeting and send ahead a 1-2-page briefing note.
• Prepare your speaking points and key messages. If others will be in the meeting with you, plan in advance who will speak to which points and in what order. Include a specific example or story of people who are being impacted by your issue whenever possible. These can be very compelling and tend to be remembered much longer than abstract problems or statistics.
• Speak in plain language, avoiding jargon or acronyms.
• Remember you will likely only have 30 minutes to identify your problem, present a solution and discussion what action you would like your representative to take.
• Know your audience. What is their background? Do they hold any specific portfolios or sit on any committees? What issues have they spoken about recently or are they already working on? Has their party made any relevant commitments that could reinforce why they should take action on their issue? Securing and holding a successful meeting is always easier when you an start from existing common ground.
• If your meeting is being held online, test out your technology ahead of time to make sure you will not have any issues connecting or being heard.
• If you are meeting in person, arrive early (especially if you may need to go through security to enter the building). Bring copies of your briefing note and your business card with you to leave behind.
• If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so and offer to get the information for them.
• End the meeting with a specific next step identified. Ask if you can take a picture together (or a screenshot if meeting virtually) and post it to social media to publicly thank them for the meeting.
• Follow up after the meeting with any additional information they may have requested. This is also an opportunity to thank them for their time, remind them of any commitments they may have made, and leave the door open for further discussion.