Frameworks Institute Field Building Resources
Why Field Building?
Our mission is to build the communications capacity of the nonprofit sector. The FrameWorks Institute engages in a variety of technical assistance and curricula to advance field building throughout the country. Our advocacy curricula are designed to engage coalitions of social policy advocates, analysts and experts in a series of communications sessions based on FrameWorks' approach to communications for social change.
The FrameWorks Approach
FrameWorks Institute recently asked one of its founding board members, Michael Pertschuk, to reflect on his half-century of work as an advocacy strategist. The following are excerpts from that interview.
Michael Pertschuk is a veteran consumer advocate, author and former government official. He served as consumer counsel, chief counsel and staff director to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, from 1965 to 1976. Pertschuk was chairman of the Federal Trade Commission from 1977 to 1981 and a commissioner of the FTC until 1984. He also co-founded and co-directed the Advocacy Institute. Pertschuk is the author of numerous books about advocacy, including analyses of the tactics used to combat the tobacco industry and establish the international tobacco control movement.
It is our belief and our experience that diverse coalitions can be galvanized by the research; people will learn new communications strategies and messages if they understand why the old ones don't work. In addition to pursuing a unique research approach, we take seriously the challenge of explaining what works, why it works, and how to do it. Our history of successful work with coalitions on youth and children's issues, health, and the environment attests to our ability to move the message into the field.
FrameWorks stresses multi-method, multi-disciplinary communications research with an emphasis on empirical testing. This critical combination underscores all the work we undertake on social issues. The technical assistance we provide stresses strategy and message applications first, using the research to explain these tactics. It is this ability to translate the research into clear message directives that has made our reputation among practical, front-line advocates on numerous issues.
Field Building Strategies
We view field building as the essential next step to any research investigation. These activities allow us to inform the work of those on the ground who are eager to move policy using strategic and sustainable techniques. We strongly believe that this kind of unified research and resulting messaging will yield far greater value than the piecemeal approach that supports issues advocates currently.
Examples of a variety of engagement opportunities can be found below, but we should note that, from these elements, we work collaboratively to construct a curriculum that will best serve the needs and capacity of the specific coalitions with whom we work. All technical assistance engagements are "immersion experiences," where we seek to immerse the coalitions in Strategic Frame Analysis™ and the advantages it affords as a way to frame effective communications to advance public engagement and support in social issues.
Field Building Technical Assistance
To discuss organizational needs as they relate to field building, email us at info@frameworksinstitute.org.
