Visuals and handouts:
V:4-1 Case Studies
V:4-2 Targeting Issues
V:4-3 Targeting Parent Supporters
V:4-4 Targeting Opponents
V:4-5 Identifying Supporters
V:4-6 Types of Structures
V:4-7 Types of Mobilization Tactics
V:4-8 Strategies Should Relate
V:4-9 Barriers to Parent Involvement
V:4-10 Stages of Group Dynamics
V:4-11 Model of Group Development
V:4-12 Retaining Parent Involvement
HO: 4-1 Handbook
Other materials needed:
easels, newsprint, magic markers, masking tape
Formation of Case Study Work Groups
a. Refer participants to the four Parent Issue Case Studies handout.
- Trainer or participant volunteer read each of the case studies out loud.b. Ask participants to self-select one of the case studies on which they would like to work.
c. Ask the participants to cluster together by case study of interest and then ask them to form small work groups with one group at each table. (If one "cluster" is too large, divide the "cluster" into two or more groups.)
Optional: The participants may choose to write up their own situation as a case study. This is especially valuable if the participants have come in teams. The Workbook HO:4-1 exercises, when completed, are a good start as an action plan. Recommend that they choose this option if they came in teams.
Drop and discuss V:4-1 Case Studies
Parent Issue #1 Billboards
Parent Issue #2 Drug-Free Zones
Parent Issue #3 Crack House
Parent Issue #4 The County Fair
d. Discuss the various roles that work groups need to fill and request that each work group begins by identifying the individuals who can serve these roles: facilitator, presenter, recorder, and timekeeper.
Note: Emphasize this step of identifying the participants who will take these roles.
NOTE: newsprint roles in advance and keep posted during work group sessions.
e. Refer participants to the "Worksheets for Targeting/Organizing/Mobilizing."
Inform participants that these worksheets will serve as a guide for their work group. They do not need to answer all of the questions in every section.
NOTE: The challenge for participants is to tease out from these work sessions the key points and learning that they can apply to their organizing of parents and parent organizations.
Situations seldom repeat themselves and tactics can seldom be used in precisely the same way twice. Therefore, trainers should be careful not to suggest a cookbook, but encourage participants to ask the right questions in order to develop their own plan for organizing parents and parent organizations.
Set-up: Explain that the next 2 hours is spent looking
at 3 major processes
A. Targeting Issues, Supporters, and Opponents (40 minutes)
1. Mini-lecture
Trainer: Before putting the participants to work in their self-selected groups, quickly make the below points:
Drop and discuss V:4-2 Targeting Issues
a. Targeting Issues
1. Convert private troubles into public issues.Drop and discuss V:4-3 Targeting Supporters
2. Select an issue about which parents can get excited.
3. Define what change you want to see occur.
4. Select an issue that is winnable.
b. Targeting Supporters
1. Assess who is most affected by this issue.
2. Assess who has the potential to help you create the desired change.
Drop and discuss V:4-4 Targeting Opponents
c. Targeting Opponents
2. Small Work Group ( HO: 4-1 Q. 1-8)
a. Instruct the work groups to consider, discuss, and complete questions #1 - 8 on their worksheets pertaining to "targeting" issues, supporters, and opponents in regards to the case study they self-selected.
b. Trainers should move from table to table to make sure that participants
are clear about their assignment and to help the work groups target/zero
in on:
a. Facilitate discussion with large group (all participants) on "targeting" issues, supporters, and opponents.
NOTE: Elicit points from the participants that were discussed in their work groups. Use the miniteach trainer notes to emphasize any points that were not noted by the work groups.
b. Compare and contrast findings among the work groups working on different
case studies.
a. Organizing Parent Supporters: Trainer very briefly emphasize the below points before returning participants to their work groups:
1. Parents often get involved for personal reasons and they get involved when they can make a difference.2. Organizers need to find out what will motivate these potential supporters and then make sure these needs are satisfied.
3. Organizers need to develop messages that meet the needs and match the perspectives of their potential supporters.
b. Organizers need to find and use different ways to identify supporters,
such as:
Drop and discuss V:4-5 Identifying Supporters
- one-on-one meetings
- petition drives
- direct mail
- rallies
- canvassing
- ad campaigns
- community meetings
- others
2. Small Group Work: (H0: 4-1 Q. 9-11)
Instruct the work groups to consider, discuss, and complete questions #9 - 11 on their worksheet pertaining to organizing parent supporters.
3. Large Group Process:
Facilitate a large group discussion. Elicit input from all of the work groups to highlight different and common approaches suggested for each case study.
Note: Solicit examples of these activities
C. Organizing Parent Organizations (40 minutes)
1. Mini-lecture:
Note: Make the transition by asking a question about organizing parent organizations, such as, "How many of you have tried to start a parent organization?"
Trainer very briefly emphasize the below points before returning participants to their work groups.
a. Parents need a group -- an organization -- to demonstrate their power.
b. The organizational structure should meet the needs of the supporters and the scope of the group's action.
c. Organizers should use different types of structures to achieve goals, such as
Drop and discuss V:4-6 Types of Structures
- task committee
- steering committee
- block group
- neighborhood association
- coalition
- partnership
- others
d. Organizations are perceptions. No one can see an organization.
e. It is up to the group (the parents) to develop, manage, and take responsibility for its image. This "image" may influence the group's choice of strategies and its ability to achieve its desired outcome.
2. Small Work Group (HO: 4-1 Q. 12-14)
a. Distribute an assortment of colored markers and newsprint to each table.
b. Instruct the work groups to consider, discuss, and complete questions 12 - 14 on their worksheet pertaining to organizing parenting organizations as it relates to their case study.
c. Instead of writing responses to questions 12 - 14, instruct the participants to draw pictures to illustrate their answers.
Note: Use pictures as the report out method for variety and interest.
3. Large Group Process:
Facilitate a large group discussion. Ask each table/group to display their drawing and to discuss some of their group's discussion about organizing parenting organizations. Elicit or note what is common and what is unique in the drawings in regards to the case studies.
Note: Due to time restraints, large group report outs and sharing should be tightly facilitated and structured to allow maximum discussions in the smaller groups focusing on their self-selected case study.
D. Mobilization of the Larger Community (40 minutes)
1. Mini-lecture:
Drop and discuss V:4-7 Types of Mobilization Tactics
Note: Stress some of the key points below. Do not feel that you must cover every point. Select those items that have not been addressed, facilitate a lively and interactive dialogue with the participants -- but adhere to the time restraints.
a. Introduction to Mobilizing Parenting Organizations
1. MOBILIZATION is about using parent supporters whom you have organized to influence the opponents you have identified.Note: Stay ahead of the opposition. Use the best skills and knowledge of the group, but don't go beyond that skills and knowledge base until you have trained yourself to higher levels.2. Timing is everything -- impact is greatly diminished if supporters enter the process too late or too early.
3. MOBILIZATION must be seen as a process, with each strategy building on the next as a way to accomplish a well-defined goal and vision.
4. An effective campaign requires public support -- therefore, the organizer must design actions with the general public in mind.
5. The organizer must be concerned about the image of the parent organization as well as the image of the opposing organization.
6. Never go outside the experiences of your parenting group -- but whenever possible, go outside the experiences of the opposition.
7. Make the opposition live up to its rules and rhetoric.
8. Good strategies are ones that parents will enjoy and feel comfortable using.
9. To win, one must "keep the heat on" -- but do not let things drag on too long.
10. Always be ready to move with the flow of events -- be flexible; don't wait until all the resources are lined up. Most of the time, "you need to do what you can with what you have."
b. Types of MOBILIZATION Strategies
• Use of PERSUASION Strategies
PERSUASION involves problem solving and education. Information is assembled, alternatives are examined, and mutually satisfying solutions are selected.
PERSUASION strategies are used when there are shared objectives between two groups, when disagreements are modest, and when misunderstanding can be mediated with improved communication and/or by referring to a common interest.
• Use of NEGOTIATION Strategies
NEGOTIATION strategies are used when one cannot or choose not to persuade.
NEGOTIATION requires that one make a demand, back it up with arguments, and then make a concession or trade.
NEGOTIATION reflects power relationships more than it alters them.
• Use of DIRECT ACTION Strategies
DIRECT ACTION strategies are used to increase public awareness, to threaten and embarrass an opponent, and to provide "glue" for your mobilization effort.
DIRECT ACTION can be used to define extremes, can create bargaining power, can dramatize a point of view, and can help to transform the complexities of issues and associated relationships so that new patterns emerge -- good vs. evil.
Examples of DIRECT ACTIONS are protests (marches, teach-ins, petitions,
etc.), non-cooperation (strikes, boycotts, absenteeism, etc.), and interventions
(sit-ins, phone-ins, stand-ins, etc.).
c. Selection of MOBILIZATION Strategies
1. The greater the commitment by the parenting group, the greater the risks the group will be willing to take to achieve its desire goals.2. Always start with low-risk strategies first.
3. Pick actions that are both enjoyable and winnable.
4. Strategies/actions should fit the parent group's style, history, and culture.
5. Strategies should be linked together so that they build on each other.
Drop and discuss V:4-8 Strategies Should Relate To:
6. Selected strategies should relate to:
- the substance of the issue
- the desired change -- goal of the parent organization
- the culture and history of the community and organization
- the perception and organizational composition of the parent group
- the available resources
- the relationship between the supporters and the opposition
2. Small Work Group (HO: 4-1 Q. 15-25)
a. Instruct the work groups to consider, discuss, and complete questions 15 - 25 on their worksheet pertaining to "mobilizing by persuasion, negotiation, and direct action." Urge the work groups to consider all three "types" of mobilization strategies in relationship to their self-selected case study.
Note: Trainer should display the three types of mobilizing strategies on newsprint or transparency.
Option 1: if time is short, have the small groups choose just one of the strategies & work through the questions on that strategy.
3. Preparation of Role Play:
After adequate time has been given the work groups to discuss and respond to questions 15 - 25, ask the work groups to prepare a role play based on their case study of one of the mobilization tactics discussed. Allow each group to self-select which mobilization tactic they wish to role play.
Give each group 10 minutes to prepare for role play
4. Large Group Presentations:
Give 5 minutes for each group to do the role play
Note: May be a good place to break for lunch.
B. Elicit from the participants (a) potential barriers and (b) ways to avoid or eliminate the barriers to parents participating. Some barriers are:
Drop and discuss V:4-9 Barriers to Parent Involvement
F. Model of Group Development (15 minutes)
Drop and discuss V:4-10 Stages of Group Dynamics
1. Introduction: Like anyone becoming a part of an organization, parents may go through various stages of comfort and discomfort as they adjust the norms and culture of the organization.
There are many different models of group development. Remember Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing? We are just going to give you one here, but there is another one in the handouts which we also like to use with parent groups.
We will use the Gibbs Model here.
Drop and discuss V:4-11 Model of Group Development
2. The Gibbs, Drexler and Weisbord Model of Group Development is but one model that may help the parent organizer to understand transitions that parents may experience throughout their involvement with a parent organization.
While there are "stages" to the Gibbs, et al model, we suggest that it is a fluid model or that every parent will go through every stage at a definite period.
Gibb's model states that when an individual becomes a part of an organization,
they may go through four unresolved states and four resolved stages of
"growth." As a part of a "group" or "organization," the individual
may ask themselves four key questions:
Note: The italicized words in the test are the exact words used in the graph V:4-10.
2. Some retention factors that keep parents involved are:
Drop and discuss V:4-12 Retaining Parent Involvement
• A Warm and Supportive Environment
• Feeling Involved, Valued, and Empowered
• Having Fun
• A Personal Need Is Being Met
• Opportunity to Establish Friendships
• Opportunity to Professionally Network
• Opportunity to Participate at One's Own Comfort Level
Optional: Ask "why have you stayed involved in this training?"
Thank the participants for their hard work in a long morning.
Explain that in the afternoon we will be looking at Resource Development and Evaluation, and end up with a plan of action.
Announce that the session will start promptly at 1:00 p.m.
At this point give each participant 6 index cards and ask them to print
their name, address, phone number, fax and e-mail number on each, during
the break. This will facilitate the afternoon session, Module 5.