Define the Issue and Set Campaign Goals

Launching a Campaign – Worksheets

Define The Issue and Set Campaign Goals

Building off of your “Pre-Training Brainstorming Worksheet,” begin to define the one issue you are going to focus on.

What is the one issue or problem you will focus on?

What is the preliminary solution for the problem you’ve identified?

Looking at this “fix” you’ve proposed, what are the short, medium, and long term goals you can pursue in the fulfillment of the final goal? You may want to refer to the “Goals and Timelines for Bike/Ped Committees” document in your packet.

Long Term Goals / Medium-Term Goals / Short Term Goals
E.g. Make specific improvements to specific roadways / E.g. Develop a bike/ped plan, develop a section of the town comprehensive plan, propose a specific project. / E.g. Meet regularly as a group, sit down with Town Planner to discuss bike/ped needs in town, conduct an audit, hold a bike rodeo.

Assess Resources

Think about your potential campaign and the group you plan to assemble. Who shares your vision, and will join you in pursuit of your goal? What strengths do you have as a person or a group that you can capitalize on? What weaknesses do you have as a person or a group that you’ll need help addressing? Are there organizations or offices you can approach for help? Are there opportunities that you can take advantage of to move forward? Are there threats that you’ll have to counter?

Strengths (internal)
E.g. You know a diverse set of people who are supportive, parents, seniors, health care professionals, and business owners. / Weaknesses (internal)
E.g. Potential committee members are very busy and have competing priorities.
Opportunities (external)
E.g. The Town is beginning the comprehensive plan process. / Threats (external)
E.g. Two town councilors are not supportive of improving roads for biking and walking.

Strategize and Target

In one sense, all your efforts up to now have been strategizing, as you identify Issues, Goals and Resources. But in this next step of the process, you will have to narrow down the list of people you need to enlist to make the campaign a success. The fundamental question here is: Who has the power to make the change you need to achieve your goal(s)?

Primary Agents of Change
Specific people who have the power to make the change you seek / Secondary Agents of Change
People who have influence on the primary agents
E.g. An undecided town councilor / E.g. A fellow Councilor, a friend of the Councilor, the Town Manager, etc.

Now, think about Public Audiences. These are the community groups that can be recruited as stakeholders with an interest in your campaign. Start by identifying just a few public audiences, so that you can tailor your message to reach just the segments of the public you need to address. Think in terms of geography (e.g. neighborhoods, towns) and constituencies (e.g. soccer moms, low-income people). Then start thinking about how you’ll make contact with this audience.

Public Audiences for Change (Identify two or three public audiences)
E.g. Parents with kids, seniors who walk/bike, neighbors seeking slower traffic on their roads.

Action Plan

What is your to-do list of actions or “tactics” that need to be taken to achieve your goals and campaign? What is the timeline for their completion? Complete this worksheet to come up with a list of concrete, specific actions you will pursue on a definite schedule.

Each Action Step proposed should:

●Address a primary or secondary agent of change, or some public audience

●Be fun, or at least not so daunting that we will alienate our base of supporters.

●Be achievable.

●Be realistic and acknowledges that we have the time, money, and people necessary to execute it.

TACTIC / ACTION / LEAD PERSON / DATE OF COMPLETION