promoting public services

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Promoting

Public Service


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Promoting Public Services

As we move through this legislative session, do we have the public on

our side? How about the media? or the politicians?

Would it be helpful to have the public and others on our side? Thatswhat this presentation is about: using new research, strategies and

tools to move people to support public services.


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At the 2006 AFSCME Convention, part of the 21st Century

resolution, was commitment to project a bold new image for our

union. At the 2008 Convention, we continued to build our We

Fight, We Win! campaign by introducing this promoting public

service education that will help us get the public on our side.

Were going to start out today with a question.


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GOVERNMENT

What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say this word?

Responses are often negative. And thats in a room where all of

us have jobs that are supported by government funding.

And guess what? The reaction you had is shared by most people.


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Interviews conducted for the Talking about Government project

of Public Works: the Dmos Center for the Public Sector.

These interviews were part of a research process undertaken by

an organization called Dmos to understand HOW Americans

THINK ABOUT government.

Well talk more about what they learned in a few minutes.

After smiles, laughter, loss of words, people responded with these

comments:

They do what they do. They need improvement. Its probably

just a lot of red tape. It is what it is. Its pathetic. I feel pretty

helpless. Theres a lot we dont know. it seems like its such

a mess now - I dont know - I just dont give it much thought. I

stay out of the politics; I do my job; I collect my pay check; and

stay out of the mess.


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We dont want to feed the monster. We want to feed

the private sector and starve the public sector.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sacramento Bee, January 19, 2005

Anti-Government Rhetoric

We all know who this is. His agenda is summarized by the

quote above: Starve public services and the workers who

provide themmeaning all of us.

In our own state, during this budget crisis, the governor and

some legislators are going after out contracts, our rights,

and our jobs.

There has been an organized, anti-government movement

for at least the last 40 years. And we didnt do a very good

job of responding to it.

But lets face it. The problem is much bigger than the

politicians who oppose public services. Its them - but its

also the American public. --- And its US.

We just saw that many of us in this room and I include

myself often react negatively when we hear the word

government.


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?Why does it matter?Why does it matter what people think and feel about government?

Is the prevailing attitude toward government a problem for you?

In my experience, it matters a whole lot what people think AND

feel about government because that affects what the decision-

makers do when negotiating our contracts or voting on budgets.

Everyone in this room has one thing in common: we all provide

government services.


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Become AdvocatesBecome Advocates

for Government and Public Servicesfor Government and Public Services

If the stories and attitudes about government are

overwhelmingly negative, then the services we provide

and our jobs are vulnerable.

So the goal here today is to help you be an effective

advocate for government. Because if we are not advocates

for government and the services it provides, who will be?

So - we re going to talk about HOW to do this. Were going

to identify a better way to talk about government - a way

that gets the public to come over to our side.

And we will also look at examples of how we unintentionally

play into anti-government attitudes and contribute to the

problem.


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Have I got a

deal foryou!

Does that mean were here to learn how to sell government? No

way.

This is not about

Convincing people to like government as it currently exists.

Or promoting satisfaction with government.

Or spinning the role of government.


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and the role it plays.

The value of Government

We are going to look at a way to focus on the value of government

and the role it plays in our country, and well talk more about that

in a few minutes.


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The Little Engine

That Could

Communications is Storytelling

Chicken Little

This slide is used with permission of the FrameWorks Institute.

This is about changing hearts and minds. We have to DO MOREthan play with words we must overcome some deeply held

negative attitudes.

We have to tell an inspired story about the value of the work we

do and what it means to the public.

So lets talk about stories.

[Click to bring up Chicken Little image.] Heres a picture from

the childrens story Chicken Little. What kind of story is this?Its a story about crisis the sky is falling!

[Click to bring up the Little Engine image.] Now what kind of

story is this? Its a story about aspiration - its a story about belief

- not desperation.


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Two Dominant Images - Both Problematic

Vivid images of

bickering politicians

Blurry images of

everything else,including what we

do

One of the things the researchers were trying to uncover was the

dominant image that is called up when we talk to people about

government or public services.

What they found can be best visualized using this image of an iceberg.

Theres what people see above the surface theres 10% thats vivid

and highly visible. And then theres the larger part of govenment that is

only dimly perceived.

[Click]

What people see above the surface is bickering politicians. And theyre

disgusted with it.Its political theatre and they are mere spectators. They understand that

we need elected officials, but they feel has nothing to do with them.

[Click]

BELOW THE SURFACE is a vast, bureaucratic blob. They cant really

describe what it does, but they believe its wasteful and inefficient.

As a result of this belief, theyre susceptible to messages such as

government cant do anything right, it wastes our hard earned tax dollars,

the private sector can do it better. Sound familiar to anyone here?


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Our Job: Sharpen the Focus

Public Structures

and systems we

have built

But the research also showed that people do have other images of

government of the public parks where they hike, fish and play, or the

school their kids attend, but these are often secondary, submerged

beneath the negative images.

We know that the 90% of the iceberg thats beneath the surface is not

a blob. After all, its us! It is a complex and important structure that

includes all of the public services we provide. In this country, we havebuilt these public structures over many years structures such as

public safety, assistance to vulnerable populations, consumer

protection, roads and transit, and set aside public areas that we can

all enjoy.

And when we paint a concrete picture of these structures and

services, we build support for government and the work we do. So our

job is to make what is below the surface more visible to bring it into

focus.

Based on the research that Dmos did, the iceberg represents two

challenges we face. People have two dominant images of government

: bickering politicians and a vast bureaucratic blob.

These dominant images block out anything positive.


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Thinking Like a

Consumer: Whats in it for me?

Whats it going to cost

me?

Now lets turn to the third challenge that emerged from the research. Thatchallenge is the consumer mind set.

We are a consumer-driven society. Buying and consuming is whatwe do.

Researchers say that we are increasingly viewing our interactionswith all institutions and even with each other through a whats in it

for me lens.

If I am looking at government from a consumer perspective, I amlikely to feel that it

Takes my money and gives it to others through taxes. Its a drag on the economy and business. And it provides services that are for someone else, not me.

When we think about government as a consumer, we forget aboutthe broader public good and our collective responsibility for it.


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Government:

is people coming

together for the

common good

does the things we cant

do as individuals

Thinking Like a Citizen

But a hopeful finding from the research is that people are also

capable of thinking like citizens. Its not our first instinct, but it is in

our civic DNA.

When people are thinking like citizens, they see government as

something that

Brings people together for the common good.

Does the things we cant do as individuals.

Creates opportunity.

Protects and empowers people and communities.

And is a tool for solving problems.

We all have both of these mindsets within us: the consumer

mindset and the citizen mindset. It is our job to make sure that we

are talking about public services in ways that brings citizen-

thinking to the fore as a balance to consumer thinking. This is

good news, because it means that we dont have to changepeoples minds we just have to tap into values and ways of

thinking that everyone has within them.


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3 Speak to the public interestPRINCIPLES Talk about valuesHighlight the unique roleof public services1.2.3.So now were back to our three principles.

Can you remember what they were?

[Click to bring in the three principles.]

These principles will help us get past the obstacles weve just

talked about:

The consumer mindset,

The dominant image of bickering politicians,

And the confusion about the vast bureaucratic blob.


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PRINCIPLE #1

Speak to the public interest,

not self-interest

Principle #1 is to speak to the public interest, not our self interest.

When were in a fight like a contract or budget campaign, were

used to talking about ourselves and what we have to gain or lose.

Public Interest rises above and apart from private interests. So

what is the public interest in the services we provide? How doesour work benefit the community?

The stories we tell cannot just be the story of the great things we

do as workers. They have to be about the great things our work

does for the community.


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PRINCIPLE #2

Talk about values

Principle #2 is to talk about values. What do I mean by values? Im

talking about the core beliefs - those beliefs that guide us in the

world. So for me, its a belief that we are all connected and that wehave a shared responsibility - and at times a shared sacrifice - thatwe are a community that leaves no one behind.

What are some of the values that you hold as a member of your

community? And how do they relate to the services you provide

and the people who use them?

[poll the audience]

Now let me ask you one more question: arent we as state

workers integral to building and sustaining communities based on

these values?

Our work really is about the communities we serve and live in and

the values we share. And we have to make these values explicit in

our messages, because values are very influential in shaping

opinions and reactions. People see the world through the lens of

their values, so if we can start with shared values, our messagewill be more likely to reach people to speak to their heads and

their hearts.

The Dmos research showed that when people remember the

values that underpin government and public services, they are

more supportive. Thats why we want to talk about values

when we talk about public services. And its a lot harder to

contract out values than services.


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PRINCIPLE #3

Highlight the unique role of

public services in promoting the

common good.

Principle #3 is to highlight the unique role of public services in

promoting the common good.

This is a big deal. We have to do more than talk about why the services

we provide are so important. We also have to talk about why they need

be performed by government.

Why is what you do - or the service you provide - a uniquely public

role? Why should it be a government service?

Government does things we cant do for ourselves - In our communities

we may know people who cannot care for themselves, we may be

experiencing growth and need a fair process to make decisions about

roads and utilities, and we need public safety nets that protect our

families and our environment.

This is how we pool our resources. And the process established to

accomplish this is a democratic process - one that allows for public

involvement, shared leadership and respect for all.


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Become AdvocatesBecome Advocates

for Government and Public Servicesfor Government and Public Services

So, as you carry on or begin the roles of editors and

reporters for your locals, I hope you will be mindful of our

need to outspoken advocates for government.


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3 1. PUBLIC INTEREST:How does our work benefit thecommunity?1. VALUES:What values does our worksupport?3. UNIQUE ROLE:Whats the unique role thatthese public services play inpromoting the common good?PRINCIPLES


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Example:

Funding Schools

What we usually say:

We should make sure our

schools are well-funded

after all, its cheaper to

build a new school than a

new jail.

A better message:

When people get the

education they need, we

have a stronger economy

and a better community to

raise a family. Thats what

public schools are for.

So lets look at an example using these principles.

On the left side of this slide is a perfectly reasonable message

one that I might have written myself.

Whats wrong with this message, based on what we just covered?

How can we break out of the consumer mindset?

How can we incorporate our values?

How can we point out the need for education to be a public

service, not a private one?

So lets look at a better message. [Click to bring in the rightcolumn.]

Why is this more likely to succeed?

[Note that presenters may want to replace this or supplement this

with a sector-specific example.]


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Example:

Privatization EffortsKeep Public Employees Operating Akrons Sewer System

Giving college scholarships to students graduating from Akron high schools isa good idea. But selling the city sewer system out from under the members ofLocal 1360 to pay for it is a bad idea. We need to stop this selling off of thecitys facilities and services and the jobs that go with them.

Those who favor water privatization argue that switching from publicly ownedand operated utilities to private sector firms will lead to greater economicefficiency, stabilized rates, reduced public debt and improved budgetarymanagement.

But there is little evidence to support these claims. Privatization schemesthroughout the country have a track record of skyrocketing prices,deteriorating service and a loss of local control.

Our roads and bridges are falling apart. It is time to increase the funding andstaffing of these departments.

Heres another example. This is a tougher one, because its about

cuts to our benefits. I find that it is harder to stick to the three

principles when someone is coming after us directly.


about cuts to health care benefits again, one I might have

written myself. Whats wrong with this message, based on whatwe just covered? [Wait for response]

How can we make this message more effective?


Why is this more likely to succeed? [Wait for response]

This is an example of taking the opportunity to talk about what

everyone deserves not just what we deserve.


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Example:

Privatization EffortsKeep the Public In Charge - and Akrons Sewer System Accountable

For generations, Akron has built and maintained a public sewer systemthat has served our community well by protecting the publics health &the environment. Public ownership is necessary to provide the longrange commitment that keeps the citizens of Akron in charge of thisimportant public service, its operation and its costs.

Each and every day we rely on our public structures to ensure that safedrinking water is here for our communities today and far into the future.

This essential resource that we all depend on must be managed andprotected for the common good. This is not an appropriate public assetfor the private sector to control.

Our communities, businesses and families succeed when we have roadsand bridges we can count on. This is why it is so important to provideadequate support for our transportation and public works departments.

Heres another example. This is a tougher one, because its about

cuts to our benefits. I find that it is harder to stick to the three

principles when someone is coming after us directly.


about cuts to health care benefits again, one I might have

written myself. Whats wrong with this message, based on whatwe just covered? [Wait for response]

How can we make this message more effective?


Why is this more likely to succeed? [Wait for response]

This is an example of taking the opportunity to talk about what

everyone deserves not just what we deserve.


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Funding Yakima Valley School

Public Interest - vulnerable populations,our sense of shared responsibility.

Values - opportunity, quality of life,

Unique Role - No refusal, experienced

care and resources


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promoting public services

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