Advocacy and Governing 2.0 - Governing 2.0 American Style

It is no longer groundbreaking for politicians to ask voters to go to their campaign site to provide input on the issues of the day – but for the President to do so it marks an exciting and transformative step in changing the way we are governed.

Many of us who helped elect candidates in 2006 had expectations that the technology-driven online applications we helped pioneer – such as video, blogs and social networking – would play a major role in governing.

They did not. However, they did reassert themselves in new and innovative ways in the 2008 presidential election.

Now we are embarking on a four-year, two-way conversation. With more than 10 million e-mail addresses, the President will be speaking directly to the American people through a medium that will enable them to take specific actions to help pass his agenda in Congress.

But Obama is going much further. The transition website, Change.gov, is seeking real, substantive input on issues like those surrounding energy and the environment – and thousands of replies have already been generated. Several of the users have engaged further by commenting on other environment related questions posted on the site.

The President has already signaled his intentions to engage in a two-way dialogue by shifting the traditional presidential weekly radio address to a weekly “YouTube” address. The significance of the shift is monumental because it can facilitate an interactive dialogue.

Governing 2.0 is much more than technology or online applications. With a community organizer now the most powerful person on earth, the rules of engagement have changed. It is the beginning of a fundamental restructuring of how we are governed – a citizen’s movement that at its core will ask, push, even demand that elected officials get things done. It will provide an unprecedented opportunity for environmental advocacy groups to create awareness on a grander, more diverse stage.

The implications of Governing 2.0 for environmental organizations advocating and lobbying on behalf of their members’ interests are game-changing. Advocacy groups and associations urgently need to consider how they can harness the power of Governing 2.0 to achieve their organizational objectives and mission.

Here are some basic steps for planning, launching and succeeding with your environmental organization’s Governing 2.0 initiatives.

• Go to where your supporters live. Social media networks have expanded beyond college campuses and teen chat rooms. Networks like Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube are highly customizable communications and organizing platforms. We now have a political class that will be tuned in hour-by-hour to these media.
• Integrate your messaging across media platforms. As communications opportunities proliferate and new tools like social media networks grow in importance, it is essential for your messaging be broad enough so it may be integrated across multiple platforms.

• Solicit, enroll and engage supporters in two-way conservations. We would expect other officials to follow Obama’s lead and solicit input. Engaging an active, informed membership in these conversations can yield a huge impact. This is particularly so when fused with phone calls, email, letters to the editor and other more traditional tools.
• Invite officials into the dialogue you establish. This means soliciting input from your membership, then getting your government targets engaged in your dialogue on your terms.
• Increase the frequency of your online communications. Recognize that timeliness and importance should determine the frequency and tone of your online communications with supporters. Consistency is also key here, as supporters adjust their own routines to become more in sync with their organization.
• Use the power of communicating visually with images and words. Expectations for quality online video communications are now commonplace as users and supporters rely more and more on visual image story-telling to convey messages and compel actions. This is especially applicable to environmental organizations, as many issues are often best communicated through visual methods.

Getting the jump on Governing 2.0 can pay huge dividends to environmental advocacy groups seeking to influence the new administration, and Washington in general. Investments in these activities will pay larger dividends than investments in traditional lobbying and government relations. If environmental advocacy groups are to remain effective in this new era of politics, they must progress their current tactics and management styles in a way that will be conducive to such change.

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