Guidelines for a State Study or Update

Table of Contents

• Overview for Directing a State League Study
• Essentials of a State League Study: Chair and Committee
• Decisions When Conducting a State or Local League Study or Update
• The Role of the Local League in a State Study
• Guide for Discussion Leaders

With deep appreciation to National League and State and Local Leagues for the suggestions contained in this publication. After a 25-year accumulation of information about study, advocacy and board training, undoubtedly you will find one of your ideas here.

—Mary Ann Bradford, Editor

League of Women Voters of Kansas
618 S. Kansas Ave, Suite B1
Topeka, KS 66603
Phone & Fax: 785-234-5152
E-mail: lwvks@sbcglobal.net
Web page: http://www.lwvk.org

Overview for Directing a State League Study

One of the reasons for the League’s political effectiveness is its reputation for thorough study. As provided by the Bylaws, program is chosen by delegates at the State Convention. Their selection can include responsibility for investigation, deliberation and member agreement on a new issue as well as advocacy for continuing issues addressed in the League’s Public Policy Positions.

As soon as possible after the conclusion of the State Convention, the State Board of Directors appoints a chair or co-chairs to direct the study. The Chair may be an elected or appointed member of the board. In turn, the study chair solicits members for the state study committee in conjunction with the Board or State President. Committee members may be representatives of several or of all local Leagues, or all members may be selected from the chair’s local League. Work schedules, travel time and costs may place constraints on having a multi-League committee. Consideration should be given to inviting local or state “experts” to serve on or advise the state committee.

The state Board will approve:

• the committee’s schedule for completion of the study
• procedures for informing members through articles in state publications
• suggestions for topics and speakers for membership and public information meetings both statewide and locally
• the member agreement process (consensus or concurrence; local League or individual responses) and deadlines

During the early meetings of the study committee, efforts should be made to develop a mailing schedule for dissemination of study information, discussion questions, and the consensus questions or proposed concurrence position. Local Leagues should be encouraged to share with the state committee, on a regular basis, information they have obtained about local problems or programs. This sharing of information will allow the state committee to incorporate local information into state materials and present it to all local Leagues.

The state committee should be aware of the political sensitivity of the issue under study and of the attitudes of various statewide groups, state agencies and legislative leaders on the issue. Pro and con viewpoints must be sought to provide a broad-based and unbiased source of information for the membership. In this exploration, it is possible that opportunities for coalescing with other organizations will occur.

While keeping the state Board informed about the progress of the study, the study chair may ask board members for help and direction when needed. It might be advantageous to have a state board Reading Committee review articles before publication to assure that the contents lie within the nonpartisanship and principles of the League.

Essentials of a State League Study

The success of a state study is dependent upon the interest of League members throughout the state, the Board of Director’s selection of a knowledgeable and dedicated chair, and the quality of materials and instructions provided to local Leagues. The State Board and Study Chair must remember that the participation of the local Leagues is fundamental, and that their degree of participation often is directly related to the enthusiasm created by the types of resources distributed by the LWVK Study Committee.

Even though the proposed study as adopted by the delegates at state convention has indicated the scope, the time frame and the member agreement process for the study, there is considerable work to be accomplished by a state study committee. Such work should be coordinated by the state study chair.

Because of the need for ongoing communication between the LWVK Study Committee and the State Board, it is recommended that the State Chair or a Co-chair be a member of the state board. The chair will be required to undertake some responsibilities independently and others with the state committee. The State Board members should be apprised of committee plans, materials and forthcoming activities to be able to assist local Leagues.

State Study Chair

The State Study Chair is expected to form a state committee. Members of the committee may be representatives from each local League, a few local Leagues or only the chair’s local League. Work schedules, time restraints and finances for travel and resources will dictate to some extent the size and composition of the committee. In selecting committee members, consideration should be given to both experienced members and new members. Having an expert from a state, regional, or community agency or program can be beneficial.

As early as possible in the study process, a calendar must be developed and approved by the State Board. This should be distributed to the local Leagues so that the calendar can become a part of the local and state Leagues’ yearly schedule. The calendar should present the dates for distribution of materials and instructions, statewide programs and potential speakers (if possible), and for the submittal of member agreement responses to the state committee. The more information that can be contained in the calendar, and added to it, the easier it is for local Leagues to be prepared and to respond appropriately. Such details also keep the state committee on its schedule. Dates established by the committee should take into consideration the dates of the state board meetings where progress reports and approval are necessary, the beginning of the legislative session where the position may be used, and the State Convention where the public policy position will be finally adopted by delegates. As most local Leagues have additional commitments to national and local study and advocacy, the state study committee must allow gaps in time for these other League activities.

The State Study Chair is charged with the development and maintenance of a permanent file and/or notebook that delineates the entire study process, materials created or purchased for local Leagues, calendar of events, discussion questions and the member agreement process. The resultant public policy position and any explanatory information about the position should be included in the file. After the work of the committee is entirely completed, all the study memos, publications, directions and position should be placed in a red fiber expandable folder. The folder should be labeled and dated and taken to the State League Office in Topeka. A list of the committee members is helpful to subsequent committees seeking experience members or lobbyists.

State Study Committee

The State Study Committee under the leadership of the State Study Chair has duties to perform too. The committee members may wish to divide the various duties among themselves to lighten each one’s responsibilities and to take advantage of special skills of certain members.

A major obligation of the study committee is the collection and condensation of information about the issue under study. This activity will demand reading and scanning of books, magazines, professional publications, governmental documents, newsletters and audio, video and other print resources. Surveys, questionnaires or interviews may be used as information sources. Whenever such a technique is employed, care should be taken to obtain uniformity in information, especially when local Leagues are serving a questioners or interviewers. Some printed material may be copied as presented while other sources may need to be condensed to salient points. Remember that the League is always looking for both pro and con viewpoints and to uncover all aspects of the issue.

With some issues, the committee may decide that the development and sale of a League publication will best distribute information. In some instances, the use of the LWVK web page and e-mail may be preferred. A mix of methods can provide a broader base for education of the distribution to the membership and the public. The state committee should remember to include the LWVK Members-at-Large (MAL_ and the MAL Units in the study and member agreement.

As a part of the educational process, the committee should distribute a list of resources and bibliography for local League committees to use in their preparations and to share with their members. The better prepared the members become; the more effective will be the discussion of the issue and the provisions of the public policy position.

There is always some person in state government or the professional and business community who can offer information and answer questions of the state study committee. Finding such a person or people falls within the duties of the committee as does a written report on the findings of the interviews with these people

The use of THE LWVK VOTER to feature articles or special reports is another approach for informing members and the public. Chart, graphs, and pictures may be included.

One of the most critical efforts of the state study committee will be the formulation of discussion questions and the consensus/ concurrence questions. As the study progresses, the committee consistently must focus on the end product, a substantive public policy position for League lobbyists, leaders and members to use. Questions must be carefully crafted to cover the designated aspects of the issue and yet not lead members forcefully to any particular viewpoint. Usually, discussion questions introduce members to the various components of the issue, and in a sequential order, to permit them to form opinions based on factual information. Even Leaguers are sometimes filled with hearsay.

As many local Leagues have only one member meeting per month, it would facilitate the local Leagues’ schedules to have two or three sets of discussion questions. These could be used at various times during the course of the study while staying in sequence with the members’ acquisition of more and more information.

A simple majority of the local Leagues must participate in the study and hopefully a simple majority of the members of each League will participate in the member agreement. Depending on the member agreement process to be followed, consensus or concurrence questions will enhance the development of a position.

The consensus questions are those which concentrate on specific areas or components of the issue that need to be addressed by the members to allow the committee to develop a current and significant position. The consensus process for achieving member agreement is a difficult one for the study committee. In using the consensus process, the committee is obligated to use only the opinions or points on which there was agreement among the local Leagues. The study committee “massages” the ideas expressed by the members in response to the consensus questions and develops a public policy position based on those ideas. If a majority of the local Leagues did not respond to a consensus question, that idea cannot be placed in the position. The Board may “tweak” and then accept the position for formal adoption at the next State League Convention.

In the concurrence process, the study committee develops the public policy position or concurs with one already established by another League. Members discuss the concurrence questions which assist them in reviewing and selectively amending the proposed position. The Board accepts the position which is formally adopted at the next State Convention.

The committee must remember that a public policy position must be specific enough to provide intervening steps or processes to occur as action moves from the present situation to a future time. It should be general enough to allow the League to address special circumstances that may arise but are not definitively addressed within the position.

The state committee should utilize members of the LWVK Board of Directors to support their educational efforts with League members and the public. For example, the President as official spokesperson, the Editor of THE LWVK VOTER, the Public Relations director, and the Finance & Development director can all positively affect the work of the study committee and the worth of the study.

A well conducted state study can energize a local League, attract new members at the local and state level, develop leaders for future studies and lobbyists for advocacy, and enhance the relationship of the state League with the local Leagues. Those are results of which all League members can be proud.

RESOURCES

• Citizens Building Communities: The ABC’s of Public Dialogue, LWVEF, 2005, Pub #2070, $4.95 *
• Empowering Citizens-A Guide to Influencing Public Policy: LWVUS, 1996, Pub #1053, $5.00*
• In League, LWVUS, 1989, Pub. #275, Download from www.lwv.org
• Impact on Issues, 2004-2006: A Guide to Public Policy Positions, LWVUS, Pub. #386, $7.00*
• Meaningful Meetings: The Role of the Resource Committee: LWVUS, 1976, Pub. #319
• Study and Action 2005-2007, LWVK*

*Shipping and handling charges will be added.

Decisions When Conducting A State or Local League Study or Update

1. Define the scope of the study. Limit the coverage of information to the span of time available.
2. Analyze the problems and activities within the scope.
3. Assign responsibility to committee members and Board of Directors.
4. Carry out research and accumulate facts. Condense information.
5. Review the need for outside assistance.
6. Identify specific needs and successes within the scope of the study.
7. Set target dates and specific work to be accomplished.
8. Evaluate your results.
9. Select the best solutions. Confer with Board.
10. Prepare a course of action for member involvement and public awareness.

The Role of the Local League in a State Study

The success of a state study is dependent upon two factors:

• the quality of materials and the directions of the state study committee
• the dedication of the local League’s study committee in presenting the materials to their members

Both sets of committees are responsible for enkindling enthusiasm for the study process and the emerging member agreement. Without the active participation of local League members, a state study will not have the grassroots support that is so crucial for a well-founded public policy position. Ordinarily, the Chair of the local committee for a state study is selected by the local Board of Directors and will serve on that board.

The following are actions that should be conducted by the local Study Chair in conjunction with the local Board:

1. formation of a committee of experienced and new members as well as “community experts”
2. presentation of the state study committee’s plans for distribution of materials and questions and for the member agreement process
3. incorporation of the state study calendar into the local League’s calendar
4. maintenance of a permanent file/notebook for all study materials, memos or instructions, and copies of publications by the state and local Leagues’ study committees.

The local League’s study committee has certain responsibilities for maintaining records and educating members and the public about the issue under study. These are:

1. informing members of the scope and timeline for the study and the statewide focus
2. publishing a bibliography of texts, brochures and articles from state League or discovered on their own initiative to develop member understanding of the issue
3. interviewing community “experts” and sharing information with members
4. arranging for information and materials from the state committee to be presented in the local League VOTER or at meetings
5. forwarding information from interviews or committee investigations to the state committee
6. arranging for and training discussion leaders to facilitate members’ exchanges of ideas and to focus attention on member agreement
7. preparing the local League’s consensus or concurrence report for approval by the local Board before submittal to the state study chair

By dividing the committee work among the committee members, no one person will be overburdened. The study chair or the committee as a whole should review and approve information prepared for the members. Some members of the Board should review and approve information before presentation to the public.

As study is the first step to advocacy, and advocacy is one of the major purposes of the League of Women Voters, the local study committee should be proud of its involvement and achievements.

Guide for Discussion Leaders

The group discussion method is a conversation with a purpose—a group dialogue that strives for objectivity, sees merit in different points of view and seeks modification of conflicting views. The discussion method of group study is one in which each person has the responsibility to contribute to the content of the meeting. It is not an aimless conversation, a lecture in which one person presents all the information and ideas, or a debate in which someone tries to sway the group to a particular viewpoint.

Group discussion is a means to share ideas and broaden viewpoints, to share interest in the issue and to help identify its problems and solutions, to ask questions to clarify ideas, and to discuss the issue completely but without argument. The discussion questions or consensus/concurrence questions developed by the state or local study committee will be the focus of each discussion meeting.

The discussion leader is responsible for guiding the members in an orderly and productive manner through the discussion. The discussion leader is not the teacher for the group or the authority on the issue, but expedites the learning process by encouraging maximum individual participation and exchange of ideas and by channeling the conduct of the meeting so that it achieves the purpose for which it was intended.

By orienting the group to the discussion method and introducing them to one another, members understand their role and feel at ease. If possible, seating should be arranged to permit members to see one another.

A group needs to know that it shares with the discussion leader, the responsibility for a meaningful discussion and a successful experience. Encourage the members to keep these points in mind:

1. Come prepared for discussion by reading the materials in advance and by thinking how to express your ideas in a few words. Speak you mind freely but don’t monopolize the discussion. Limit your remarks to one or two minutes.
2. Listen thoughtfully to others. Try to understand the other person’s point of view.
3. If you find you are on the other side of the fence from the discussion, say so and tell why. Disagreement for the sake of disagreement is not the object of group discussion. Disagreement for the purpose of inquiry, interpretation and understanding is valuable.

Various techniques will aid the discussion leader in the process of eliciting ideas and opinions. These are a few examples:

1. Adhere strictly to the time schedule. Be business like but unhurried and relaxed.
2. Listen and be sensitive to the group. Do not stick slavishly to a plan but do not let the group stray from the point. Be prepared to change the direction of the discussion when a point has been adequately discussed.
3. Do not enter into the discussion. See that no one monopolizes the discussion and that only one person has the floor at a time. Give quiet members an opportunity to speak.
4. Be impartial. Group discussion must be group centered, not leader centered.
5. If you feel an important point is being neglected, mention it.
6. Summarize periodically. Stop occasionally to review the points that have been made.
7. Keep spirits high. Let everyone have a good time. Don’t let the discussion drag on or get boring.
8. At the end of discussion time, quickly summarize the conclusions in such a way that everyone will realize the important facts brought out in that discussion.

Discussion groups generally include people with varying degrees of knowledge about the issue, different abilities in expressing themselves, and lower levels of patience for people who hold an opposing viewpoint. Some special techniques will be required to keep the group on target.

In nearly every group there will be a person whose great store of knowledge seems to still all other voices. Acknowledge their expertise but continue to elicit views and opinions from other members.

The reticent member may need encouragement. Be careful not to embarrass such a person by asking for their thoughts before they are ready to speak. Watch their body language or facial expression that may indicate their readiness.

Be on the alert for irrelevant comments. Frequently a person tries to participate even though their point is not related to the subject. Once they realize their idea is not relevant, return to the previous topic under discussion.

The use of questioning can be critical in encouraging each member to examine his and her views through interchange with others. Asking a carefully prepared question can be helpful.

A good opening question should be:

• one that stimulates discussion, not one that asks for a statement of fact
• one to which you may expect more than one answer, and one that is short and well-phrased and easily understandable by the group

Direct the opening question to one person and wait for a response, if no response occurs, go to another person or rephrase the question.

When the situation indicates the need, ask a follow-up question which should be:

• one that arises from what has just been said
• one that does not change the topic but encourages more discussion of the same topic

Ask a change-of-topic question when you are satisfied that the group has adequately discussed the point. Such a question should be:

• one that changes the discussion to an aspect of the issue that has not been covered by the group
• one that might open the discussion to a different slant on the issue

The discussion leader serves as the motivator, traffic officer, and time keeper during the group’s meeting. His or her responsibility is to assist the members in reviewing the information that is elicited by the questions and in building a reservoir of information about the issue under study. A note taker can assist the leader by recording pertinent responses or concerns brought forth during the discussion. One or more members of the local study committee should be available to serve as resource persons and to provide more specific facts to broaden information or to respond to requests of the members.

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