Self-study Module: Step 6

Steps for Choosing Effective Outreach Techniques

Introduction

1. Describe the environmental concern or opportunity.

2. Identify preliminary target audience(s).

3. Determine specific actions citizens need to take to accomplish your management goal.

4. Collect audience information relevant to the environmental practices and specific behaviors.

5. Assess potential for adoption of single behaviors and the environmental practice.

6. Select single behaviors for intervention focus.

7. Select intervention technique(s).

Track Your Progress Worksheet, PDF or DOC file  

Step 6. Select recommended behavior(s)

 

In Step 6, you and your outreach team are making a very important decision. You are selecting one or more behaviors for the focus of your outreach initiative. This is where the rubber hits the road, so to speak. The quality of the thinking that you invested in the decision-making process will make a difference in whether you are able to achieve your short term goals.

At this point in the process it may help a to review any notes you’ve made on the Track Your Progress Worksheet, and to create or review your Logic Model for the outreach initiative.

Double check:

♦ Have you accurately described the situation you want to address?

♦ Do you have a team in place that includes experts, potential participants, and stakeholders?

♦ Have you identified one or more audiences who can make a difference in this situation?

♦ Have you identified one or more behaviors that experts agree would make a difference to the situation?

♦ Have you described a measurable outcome that you hope to achieve in the short-term?

♦ Have you analyzed the components of each preferred behavior – to make sure the team understands what it would take to carry out the behavior, and to provide a foundation for investigating audience capabilities and interests?

♦ Have you collected enough information about the potential audience to be able to ascertain the likelihood that they will be motivated and able to accomplish the preferred behavior?

When you are completely prepared, you and your team can use results from Step 5 to select single behaviors with potential for adoption. Select only those that have potential for adoption. Revise your problem statement and target audience selection, if necessary. Revise your choice of preferred behavior if none of the options are likely to be adopted.

Before you develop your outreach strategy in Step 7, confirm the likelihood that performing the selected behavior will accomplish the environmental practice and confirm your audience’s capability to perform the selected behaviors. Pilot test your recommendation.