CHES - Certified Health Education Specialist Advocacy for Health Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A health education specialist is working to reduce childhood obesity in a community with a high density of fast-food restaurants near schools. To raise awareness and pressure local officials to consider zoning changes, the specialist writes an opinion piece for the local newspaper and helps community members share their stories with television news outlets. This is an example of which type of advocacy?
- Policy analysis
- Grassroots lobbying
- Legislative advocacy
- Media advocacy (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Media advocacy
Media advocacy is the strategic use of mass media, including news outlets and opinion pieces, to support community organizing and advance a healthy public policy. This scenario describes using media to frame the public health problem and advocate for a policy solution (zoning changes).
Question 2: Which of the following best distinguishes legislative advocacy from lobbying?
- Lobbying involves attempts to influence a specific piece of legislation, whereas legislative advocacy is a broader term that can include educating lawmakers on an issue without referencing a specific bill. (Correct answer)
- Advocacy is prohibited for non-profit organizations, but lobbying is permitted.
- Lobbying focuses on influencing public opinion, while advocacy focuses only on elected officials.
- Only paid professionals can engage in lobbying, while anyone can participate in advocacy.
Correct answer: Lobbying involves attempts to influence a specific piece of legislation, whereas legislative advocacy is a broader term that can include educating lawmakers on an issue without referencing a specific bill.
Lobbying specifically refers to activities that attempt to influence a vote on a particular piece of legislation. Legislative advocacy is a more general term that encompasses a wider range of activities, including educating officials about a health issue, building relationships, and providing information, which may or may not be tied to a specific bill.
Question 3: When crafting an effective advocacy message to present to a policymaker, which of the following elements is most critical to include?
- A detailed history of all previous legislative attempts.
- A comprehensive list of all organizations in the coalition.
- A clear 'ask' that specifies the action you want the policymaker to take. (Correct answer)
- A complex statistical analysis of the health problem.
Correct answer: A clear 'ask' that specifies the action you want the policymaker to take.
An effective advocacy message must be actionable. While data and showing support are important, the message will be ineffective if the policymaker does not know what specific action you are requesting. A clear 'ask' (e.g., 'vote yes on Bill X,' 'co-sponsor this legislation') is the most critical element.
Question 4: A CHES employed by a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is asked to support a local campaign to pass a new city ordinance. The CHES spends a significant portion of their work hours organizing community members to call city council members and urge them to vote 'yes.' Which of the following is the most important consideration for the CHES and their organization?
- Obtaining written consent from city council members before contacting them.
- Verifying that all community members contacted are registered voters.
- Ensuring the time and resources spent do not constitute a 'substantial part' of the organization's activities, in compliance with IRS lobbying regulations. (Correct answer)
- Guaranteeing that the campaign messaging is approved by the national branch of the non-profit.
Correct answer: Ensuring the time and resources spent do not constitute a 'substantial part' of the organization's activities, in compliance with IRS lobbying regulations.
Under IRS regulations, 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from allowing a 'substantial part' of their activities to be attempts to influence legislation (lobbying). Violating this rule can jeopardize the organization's tax-exempt status. Therefore, tracking the time and resources dedicated to lobbying is a critical legal and financial consideration.
Question 5: A health education specialist prepares a concise, one-page document that summarizes a critical public health issue, provides key data, and offers a specific policy recommendation. This document is intended to be given to a legislator during a brief meeting. What is this advocacy tool commonly called?
- A white paper
- A legislative brief or leave-behind (Correct answer)
- A press release
- A policy analysis
Correct answer: A legislative brief or leave-behind
This type of document is commonly referred to as a legislative brief, fact sheet, or 'leave-behind.' It is designed to be a concise summary of the key points and the specific 'ask' that a policymaker can reference after a meeting.
Question 6: When developing a comprehensive advocacy plan, which of the following is a critical first step?
- Mobilizing community members for a rally.
- Selecting communication channels.
- Identifying the root causes of the problem and defining the advocacy goal. (Correct answer)
- Drafting the specific policy language.
Correct answer: Identifying the root causes of the problem and defining the advocacy goal.
Before any tactics (like rallies or selecting channels) are chosen, a sound advocacy plan must start with a thorough analysis of the problem to identify its root causes. This analysis informs the development of a clear, overarching goal that will guide all subsequent strategies and activities.
CHES - Certified Health Education Specialist Advocacy for Health Questions and Answers
A health education specialist is working to reduce childhood obesity in a community with a high density of fast-food restaurants near schools.
To raise awareness and pressure local officials to consider zoning changes, the specialist writes an opinion piece for the local newspaper and helps community members share their stories with television news outlets.
This is an example of which type of advocacy?