October 2024: AESA State Examiner

Outlined below are 7 key steps to forging, and importantly, sustaining strategic partnerships that can help advance success in local, regional and state advocacy campaigns.

Step 1: Conduct Research

To find aligned organizations, ESAs can:

• Use community resource inventories or directories.
• Check with local libraries, chambers of commerce, and government offices.
• Employ the "snowball technique" by asking known allies to suggest other potential partners.

Map out various community sectors (e.g., businesses, nonprofits, higher education) and identify relevant organizations within each.

Step 2:  Identify Potential Partners

When seeking advocacy partners, consider organizations that share your ESA’s or state network’s commitment to public education and have complementary strengths. Potential allies may include:

• Teacher unions and professional associations.
• Parent-teacher organizations.
• Civil rights and community groups.
• Business and industry associations.
• Higher education institutions.
• Youth-serving nonprofits.

Look for partners with a track record of education advocacy and a strong presence in your community, region or state.

Step 3:  Assess Mutual Benefits and Risks

Evaluate how a potential partnership could benefit both parties:

• Create an "Allies' Risks vs. Benefits Table" to analyze what each organization may gain or lose by collaborating.
• Consider non-monetary factors like prestige, time commitments, and alignment with organizational identity.

This can be an important early step in charting a path toward successful, impactful partnerships.

Step 4:  Criteria for Selecting Partners

To ensure alignment with your advocacy goals, evaluate potential partners using these criteria:

• Shared values and vision: Do they have a similar outlook on public education?
• Complementary expertise: Can they bring unique skills or resources to the table?
• Credibility and influence: Are they respected voices in education policy discussions?
• Capacity for collaboration: Do they have the staff and resources to actively participate?
• Track record of success: Have they achieved measurable advocacy wins in the past?

These criteria serve as examples and should be customized to meet each individual ESA or statewide network’s context.

Step 4:  Build Trust and Communication

Once potential partners are identified spend time building the relationship particularly if it’s a new or cross-sector partnership:

• Invest time in building rapport through open communication and transparency
• Establish regular communication channels to keep all stakeholders informed and engaged
• Consider face-to-face meetings and joint problem-solving activities to strengthen relationships

Step 5:  Explore Different Partnership Models

Strategic partnerships for advocacy can take various forms:

• Collaborative programs to develop and implement educational initiatives
• Resource sharing to provide comprehensive support
• Joint advocacy and awareness campaigns
• Mentorship networks
• Coordinated fundraising efforts

Step 6:  Formalize the Partnership

To ensure clarity and alignment consider creating a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to define objectives, strategies, and resource allocation:

• Develop a clear “purpose and fit” statement for each potential partnership
• Negotiate agreements that outline roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes

This does not need to be a legal agreement but is an important step in creating joint ownership in a shared vision and plan and provides partnership “guard rails.”

Step 7:  Sustain Effective Partnerships

Once you've identified promising partners, follow these steps to establish strong working relationships and sustain their operational effectiveness:

• Establish clear goals: Define shared advocacy priorities and desired outcomes.
• Define success: Being clear about what is actionable and doable given the circumstances and articulating it on the front end is important.
• Designate point people: Assign staff to manage communication and coordinate efforts.
• Share resources: Pool information, research, and connections to maximize impact.
• Develop a joint strategy: Create a coordinated plan for messaging and outreach.
• Meet regularly: Schedule check-ins to assess progress and adjust tactics as needed.
• Measure Impact: Data collection will not only indicate whether the partnership is meeting intended outcomes but can fuel future advocacy efforts.

Ultimately, well-planned and intentional, strategic alliances can enhance your ESA or statewide network advocacy efforts in several ways:

• Expanded reach: Partners can help disseminate messages to broader audiences.
• Diverse perspectives: Collaborators bring varied expertise to strengthen policy proposals.
• Resource sharing: Pool funding, staff time, and other assets for more robust campaigns.
• Increased credibility: A united front of multiple organizations carries more weight with policymakers.

Conclusion

By strategically aligning with complementary organizations, ESAs can significantly amplify their advocacy impact. Remember to choose partners carefully, establish clear expectations, and leverage each other's strengths. Together, we can create a more powerful voice for K-12 public education.

Educational Service Agencies play a critical role in supporting schools and districts, yet their unique needs and challenges often require tailored advocacy approaches. The recently released AESA Advocacy Guide recognizes the distinct position of ESAs and offers targeted strategies to help you navigate the complex landscape of education policy and funding.

Key Features of the toolkit include:

• Audience Analysis
• Message Development
• Channels & Content
• Advocacy Tactics

Advocacy is essential for ensuring that ESAs receive the support and recognition they deserve. With this specialized Advocacy Guide, you’re equipped to lead impactful advocacy efforts that can make a real difference. Download your copy today and take the first step towards stronger, more effective advocacy for your ESA.

AESA offers three levels of workshops designed to enhance your understanding and effectiveness in state-level advocacy: the Three-Day Workshop, the One-Day Workshop, and Customized Presentations.

Three-Day Workshop

Objective: This in-depth, three-day workshop covers the essential aspects of state advocacy and lobbying, providing participants with the knowledge and skills needed to engage effectively in the state legislative and policy-making process.

Day 1: Understanding the State Legislative Landscape

Day 2: Navigating State Policy and Rulemaking

Day 3: Advocacy in Action

One Day Workshop

Objective: This condensed one-day workshop covers the essential aspects of state advocacy and lobbying, providing participants with a comprehensive overview of the state legislative process, budgeting, rule-making, and effective advocacy strategies.

All workshop sessions include specific learning objectives to ensure participants gain valuable insights in the available timeframe.

Customized Workshops and Presentations

You can rely on AESA to provide highly qualified, experienced speakers for presentations at your local or regional events. This approximately one-hour legislative update presentation will cover state politics, finance, and education policy with an added emphasis on effective advocacy embedded throughout. It can be customized as appropriate to a state’s unique issues.

Please contact Joan Wade, AESA Executive Director, for more information.