GRP Strategy Development Proposal for 2007/2008
Monday January 08, @12:08AM, by Eli Beckerman, John Andrews
Subject : Developing GRP Strategy
from the Platform, Membership, CDLC dept.
Summary :
BACKGROUND
The Green-Rainbow Party has been missing a coherent, long-term strategy for growing the party into a serious political alternative in Massachusetts. There is a need to develop a strategic action plan for 2007 and 2008 that will enable us to focus our limited resources on projects and efforts that will increase our active membership and proactively position the party to be a recognizable and essential force in the social-, economic-, and environmental-justice movements.

A coherent strategy will include agreement on the issues and tactics that will move us forward and make it possible for us to become the second party in Massachusetts, with room for self-evaluation and reassessment. A well-considered action strategy will focus the energies of the working committees, serving as the driving force in media and grassroots outreach, volunteer recruitment, candidate recruitment, coalition-building, fundraising, issue-development, etc. It will enable us to set out to grow the party – active members and registered GRP, local chapters, donors, public favorability and credibility – which are all necessary to have an impact on the things we believe are important.

SUMMARY
This proposal sets forth a set of activities that will lead to a strategic vision and action plan for 2007 and 2008. The plan will be submitted to the State Committee for revision and approval, and will then guide and focus the work of the working committees over the next year.
Text :
1. The GRP will host at an official strategy session in March towards developing a GRP Strategic Action Plan for 2007 and 2008.

A. The first strategy meeting will take place in a central location, on a weekend in March 2007. If a Strategic Action Plan is not developed, subsequent meetings can be held to finish the plan.

B. The Strategic Action Plan will include a list of key outreach issues and a list of proposed action initiatives. The plan will be submitted to the State Committee for their revision and approval. Once approved, the working committees of the GRP will be asked to take them into account in planning their efforts over the next year.

C. All GRP members will be eligible to vote on any decisions made, though ultimately the Plan will need State Committee approval.

D. Written comments from GRP members will be solicited in advance of the meeting, and will be distributed via e-mail and the website 2 weeks prior to the meeting.

2. The strategy meeting(s) will address the following questions:

A. What is the role of the GRP in Massachusetts politics given the new governor, the decline of the Republican Party, the continuing dismantling of democracy, and the issues facing us in 2007? What are the key points of contrast between the GRP and the Democratic and Republican Parties?

B. What are the key outreach issues for the GRP in 2007?

Some outreach issues are already under study by the Platform Committee. The Action Strategy should consider these along with other issues that may be suggested. Then the list should be prioritized and the key outreach issues identified. For each key issues, the policy position should be suggested and it the constituent group that will be reached by the issue should be identified. Compatibility and consistency among the issues should be assessed.

C. What are the initiatives - the vehicles for action?

Some possible initiatives are:

• Running candidates for municipal, state, or federal offices.
• Issue campaigns
• Public education campaigns
• Protests and direct action
• Promotion of legislation
• Promoting new local bylaws
• Local referenda (non-binding, binding)
• Statewide referenda
• Service projects

D. What is the balance between local, state, and national initiatives?
Which balance best achieves Party objectives?

3. The strategy meeting(s) will result in the following products:

A. The Action Strategy Meeting(s) will produce a list of key outreach issues. This will be accompanied by a list of other issues considered that did not qualify as “key”.

B. The Action Strategy Meeting(s) will produce a list of proposed action initiatives. These will be submitted to the State Committee for their revision and approval. Once approved, the working committees of the GRP will be asked to take them into account in planning their efforts over the next year.

Reply

• Re: GRP Strategy Development Proposal for 2007/2008
  Wednesday January 10, @12:53PM, by Merelice
  I like this proposal and have some comments and possibly friendly amendments.
  
  There are obvious parallels between this proposal and the one that Gary and I have posted. The most obvious include the call for a 2007-2008 strategy, the review of issues to determine priorities; the need to then focus on certain actions to carry out the issues. Both proposals also suggest that one criterion for making decisions be what distinguishes the GRP from other parties.
  
  This proposal refers a couple of times to the working committees for carrying out the Party's strategy. This seems somewhat limited. Would you accept expanding that to include Local Chapters, GRP candidates, caucuses, and any other groups that might be associated with the GRP?
  
  Regarding how the GRP is SUPPOSED to function: the AdCom answers to the StateCom, and the StateCom answers to the membership via the state convention. I am hoping we can have a state convention before summer and that the strategy program could benefit from the broader discussion and participation that the convention provides. We do have active members who are not on StateCom who would very much like to be part of this decision. Do you envision a way to reach them for the March meetings you are proposing?
  Reply
  
  
• Re: GRP Strategy Development Proposal for 2007/2008
  Thursday March 08, @02:16PM, by Jonathan Curtis
  Any Green Rainbow strategy should include our energy/environmental problem. The Green Rainbows should protest our consumption of fossil fuels and propose alternative ways of maintaining our high quality of life. Requiring all Green Rainbow meetings be in person requires a tremendous consumption of fossil fuels. The Internet enables an alternative way to discuss proposals.
  
  If the Green Rainbows wants to offer an alternative to the Massachusetts Democrats, we must act differently than the Massachusetts Democrats. The current Green Rainbow way of doing things shows that we are contributing to the energy/environmental problem rather than trying to solve the energy/environmental problem.
  Reply