Importance Of Evaluation Of Advocacy Strategy In Public Health

Difference between Leadership and Management

It is important to note that both leadership and management are important for the smooth functioning of a healthcare organization (1). Leadership refers to the process of social influence that maximizes others’ efforts toward the attainment of an organizational goal while management refers to the organization and coordination of organizational activities to accomplish defined goals or objectives. The primary difference between leadership and management involves the structure of authority (2). Being a manager involves having subordinates while leadership may not require any subordinate (3). The traits of a leader include vision, integrity, honesty, inspiration, effective communication skills, ability to challenge, and motivation (4). On the other hand, the traits of a manager include an increased focus on employees, process management, and the ability to direct (5). A leader innovates or invents whereas a manager organizes (6). A leader invents new ideas and kick-starts organizational transition or shift to a forward-thinking stage. In contrary, a manager generally maintains what has already been established. Lastly, a leader inspires trust while a manager banks on control (7).

Public health advocacy refers to educating, mobilizing, and organizing for system change in the health of the population. It plays an important role in healthcare by identifying future and current threats in healthcare by influencing, legislating, and changing the environment to establish circumstances in which effective and optimal health is obtained. Public health advocacy enhances health and protects the health rights of individuals (8). It is carried out to enhance or improve community health through improved health programs and policies. In the same vein, Public health advocacy is a significant element of and attempts to establish healthier environment. It ensures access to quality care and advocacy to decrease economic, social, and health inequalities (9).

Subsequently, Public health advocacy transforms and improves schools and neighborhoods to become places which ensures and advocates the wellbeing and health of everybody in the society. It makes optimum social and physical health, a reality for all individuals. Public health advocacy works to mitigate chronic disorders through conducting research on strategies which aim to prevent the occurrences of chronic diseases (10). It constructs advocacy campaigns through a well-established framework to educate the public on prevention and some of the common symptoms of chronic diseases so that the patients can report to the doctors in case any of the symptoms are noticed (11). Public health advocacy also educates the public on the importance of physical activity and nutritious dietary habits. This plays a great role in the maintenance of better health and increases the well-being of the public (12). Lastly, Public health advocacy prevents the contraction of airborne diseases such as tuberculosis through imparting awareness and provision of basic services (13).

Lobbying refers to an attempt to influence a public official or healthcare official on an issue (13). On the other hand, advocacy argues in favor of an idea or cause. This can include numerous public welfare issues which impact the community such as minority rights, environmental protection, cultural acceptance, gender equality and many more. An example of an advocacy includes notifying the Congress members about how a policy impacts the constituents, using social media to obtain views about an issue, or meeting a government employee to elucidate how a certain issue or problem is impacting a specific environment, organization, or group of people (14). In contrary an example of lobbying involves asking members of the Congress to introduce, amend, or vote against a certain legislation (15). 

Importance of Public Health Advocacy

First, evaluation strengthens advocacy and supports sustainability. It provides information which can aid grantees to make their work efficient. Secondly, evaluation helps to spread what works. For example, it can help the funders to discover the furtive ingredients of implementing an effective program. An example of this would be: Factors that make an institution successful (16). Advocacy evaluation increases the constituents’ awareness about the need of a policy. It also helps the advocates to understand the magnitude to which the advocacy effort has contributed towards the advancement of a policy or goal. It enables the evaluators to learn what works better, what does not work, and what works in order to attain improved future efforts and advocacy (17). Lastly, evaluation of advocacy strategy helps the evaluators to assess whether direct services or a program has been successful. In other words, it assesses the outcomes or progress of the advocacy, for example, changes in a public policy (18). 

McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth aims at minimizing alcohol consumption amongst the youth. It also takes appropriate actions which are effective and efficient in preventing harmful drinking. I secured a job at the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth after completing my post graduation in Masters of Public Health. As a part of a group along with two colleagues, we are tasked with ensuring the complete removal of alcohol-based advertisements that appear on televisions during telecasting of live Australian sports events. 

A number of steps will be required to embark upon this project. I will discuss a strategy with my colleagues about the development of an appropriate and accurate strategy on how to remove alcohol advertising that appears on television especially during live Australian sporting events. The McCusker Centre will also be required to prepare the relevant documentation that supports the removal of the advertisements. The documentation should be legal and will aid in possible emergence of lawsuits (19).

Another step will be to coordinate with the relevant authorities that are tasked with the responsibility of preventing telecasting of alcohol-related advertisements during live sports events. One of the key strategies to incorporate in this step is to ensure constant communication with the relevant organizations tasked with regulating advertisements (20). The McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth needs to ensure that there are counter strategies to minimize alcohol-related advertisements on live sports events. One useful technique is to make sure that there is a balance on broadcast information relating to liquor consumption. There should be a requirement that Alcohol advertisements be accompanied by various messages concerning health risks and effects (21). Subsequently, television channels must be immediately instructed to stop alcohol promoting campaigns especially during sports programs. The strategy will ensure that there is no delay in reducing negative influence, especially amongst the youth. Monitoring will be helpful to determine the effective implementation of the proposed strategies (22). 

Work outcomes and team dynamics may be affected following the implementation of the suggested strategies. Teammates in any given project have diverse personalities. Therefore, there are different factors which are either psychological or unconscious that affects a team’s performance. The nature and complexity of the task beforehand may impact on the work outcome (23). For instance, the fear of failure in implementing the removal of alcohol-related advertisements during live sports events might make the team members worried. Nevertheless, my colleagues ought to understand that the success of this project is for the enhancement of the health of the society. Therefore, it is our task to ensure that the youth are not positively influenced with the perception that alcohol is a fundamental component of social acceptance or that refusal indicates weakness. It is important to note that the prosperity of this project will help in promoting well-being as well as the health of the youth (24).

Difference between Lobbying and Advocacy

The relationship between my colleagues will affect work outcomes and team dynamics. The challenges faced during the course of the work may be severe creating an inconvenient and unsuitable working environment. In the same token, this may lead to discouragement of fulfilling the work objectives of ensuring that there are no alcohol-based advertisements telecasted during live sports events (25). Mistrust may also develop affecting the team’s work outcomes. On the contrary, we can initiate several techniques to improve performance as well as team dynamics. As a team, it is imperative that we respect the ideas and proposals of each other (26). Appreciating that we have diverse professional and cultural backgrounds as well as skills is paramount in attaining success in this project. To achieve improved team dynamics and work outcomes we should assign specific roles amongst ourselves. We ought to work passionately and enjoy our work. Additionally, this will ensure attainment of better work outcomes. Finally, individual performance ought to be appreciated to enhance performance and improve team dynamics (27). 

The elements of an action plan are significant and aid in achieving the objectives of any project. An appropriate action plan ought to be specific in regards to its objectives. The goals of the project have to be clearly stated as well as explicit. In this case, the objective will be to ensure complete removal of all advertisements which are aired on live sports activities that encourage alcohol intake among the youth (28). Establishing a specific objective makes sure that an organization only concentrates on doing what it can achieve. The developed action plan needs to be measurable. It is important to note that the results attained need to be assessable. Furthermore, outcomes have to be on the requirements of the society as well as the provision of tangible rewards. For instance, in our case, we need to evaluate whether there is a reduction in the use of alcohol among young people (29). In light of this, the public will have confidence in the activities of the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth. The trust will make the organization ensure that there is accountability in its undertakings.

Another element of an action plan is that it has to be realistic. The people tasked with implementing a project have to constantly believe that it is achievable. Nevertheless, this will rely on the availability of critical resources. In this scenario, we have all the evidence which supports the removal of all alcohol-related advertisements that are aired during live sports activities (30). An action plan for implementing a project is realistic in the sense that the people executing it have to in themselves. In the same token, it has to be time-specific. A project should have deadlines for completing each stage. Therefore, we should ensure that there is a foreseeable future in our project. There should also be agreement when executing an action plan. People tasked with a project ought to cooperate. Collaboration will ensure efficiency by saving energy, time and resources (31). 

Reasons why Evaluation of Advocacy Strategy is Important

There are various individual strategies which I can implement that are feasible and relevant to this issue. First, it is vital to encourage televisions to air advertisements that will educate on the negative effects of alcohol. Conventionally, alcohol use causes heart damage, type 2 diabetes, liver failure, respiratory infections, ulcers, nerve damage amongst other ailments (32). Therefore, education on the health complication caused by alcohol will discourage its usage in social gatherings that have many young people. Older siblings and parents, therefore, will not avail alcohol in such social settings (33).

Another helpful strategy to use to ensure decreased alcohol consumption is to advocate for an increase in its cost. Advertisements that reveal raised liquor cost will significantly discourage most youth from its abuse. The price of alcohol is an imperative factor in regulating the number of young people that consume it. An increase in the price of liquor can be done by utilizing volumetric taxation and setting a minimum price to control the sale of cheap alcohol. Typically, most people below the age of 18 years do not work and therefore have no income. They only depend on money from their parents and guardians. Controlling the amount of money given to young people will considerably diminish the use of alcohol (34).

Advocating for the strengthening of the laws that control alcohol use will be vital. Laws can be modified by introducing strict trading hour restrictions. Moreover, it would also be essential to regulate areas from being saturated with liquor shops or outlets. All advertisements should not use personalities like sportswomen and sportsmen that appeal to the young people and hence, become highly influential. It is important to note that this will reduce alcohol availability, particularly to the youth (35). 

There are various challenges that will arise when trying to implement the project. It seems to be a collective responsibility to regulate alcohol use among young adults. Conversely, some alcohol-selling companies are after making profits devoid of putting people’s health into consideration. Despite removing alcohol-based advertisements, young people may receive liquor from their parents or older siblings (36).

Advocating the increase in alcohol price may have significant challenges. There may be rebellion and subsequent lawsuits from companies who are engaged in manufacturing as well as selling of alcohol. Similarly, an increase in prices will have negative consequences in regards to the youth. Young people who are alcohol dependent will resort to other social vices. Some of the societal evils include stealing money from relatives or friends to purchase liquor. Additionally, others will start utilizing other drugs which are less expensive than alcohol (37).

Insufficient experience to handle the issue with regards to the sports advertisement is another challenge. The situation may lead to inefficiency in the execution of the appropriate strategies. Moreover, being unaware of the suitable techniques to apply in this scenario may pose another problem. Inadequate or lack of cooperation from the other two colleagues might make the implementation of the proposed strategies unsuccessful (38). Subsequently, sometimes the measures to counteract or curtail activities by businesses or individuals, including alcohol-related marketing practices which facilitate or promote underage drinking may be considered unlawful. Such scenarios lead to various lawsuits that lead to resource wastage (39). Time is also consumed during litigation making some stakeholders to give up on championing for the removal of alcohol to advertisements during live sports events. Finally, the limited budget allocated to handle the issue is a challenge. Insufficient funds make it impossible to smoothly run activities, therefore, making work more difficult (40).

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