Pinpointing your targets

Someone somewhere will have the power to make the change you want. You need to find that person. They are your principal target.

When working out who the person with the power is, make sure you choose the person lowest down in the hierarchy, who has the power to make the change you want. It’s no good always putting down the Prime Minister as your principal target!

Sometimes you’ll be able to meet your principal target directly to talk to them about your change. But you’ll probably need to persuade people who influence them too – the last thing you want is to persuade your principal target that your change is important and then have other people persuade them otherwise.

Therefore, meeting with your principal targets, ‘influencers’ are very important, you should use them to persuade the person with power to make the change.

 

One of the most important tasks in planning a campaign is drawing what’s called an influence tree.

First, write down one of your objectives. For example, increasing positive coverage of mental illness in a local newspaper. Write this at the top of a blank sheet of paper.

On the next line down, write the name of the person who has the power to make this change, your principal target. There might be more than one person — in this case, draw a separate influence tree for each person.

Then think about what or who will influence your principal target. Who do they listen to? What newspapers do they read? Do they care about their image in the local community – what would convince them that making this change will enhance their image?

Who your principal target is and what influences them will depend on what your aim is. At this stage, you may end up with a huge number of people and things which will influence this person. Don’t worry about having a long list at list stage – you can narrow it down later.

Do remember that power structures will change over time. So always talk to people locally at the time you’re planning your campaign and ask them who can
make your change.

The kind of people and bodies who might form your targets are listed below, together with the kind of campaigns which would target them.

Further examples of influence trees (23 kb)

General Practitioners (GPs)
If you are campaigning for a service which would not cost a great deal of money and would serve a specific population, you might want to approach GPs as GP practices can commission small-scale services.

Practice Managers
If one of your objectives is change a policy on appointments which penalised people who cancelled appointments at short notice, Practice Managers would have some of the power to do this.

Pharmacists
If you wanted a poster promoting mental health awareness put up in a chemist’s or leaflets destigmatising mental illness available, pharmacists would be the people to contact.

Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS)
If your aim is for people with mental illness to get more information on possible treatments, you could contact PALS or phone NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 to find your nearest PALS. 

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs)
If you want a new service in your area, your Primary Care Trusts are a possible target. PCTs decide what services will be provided by Mental Health Trusts, NHS trusts, GPs, dentists and pharmacies. The Mental Health Lead, the Board and the Professional Executive Committee are key targets here.

They are also responsible for ensuring that health and social care works together. Find the contact details of your local PCT

Mental Health Trusts
If one of your objectives is better conditions on inpatient wards, you should target decision makers in your local area.
Find the contact details of your local Mental Health Trust

NHS Trusts
If you want to improve communication between physical health and mental health wards in a hospital to ensure that people get medication for all health problems, you should target NHS Trusts as they decide policies and procedures for individual hospitals (within national and regional guidelines). Some NHS Trusts operate semi- independently from Government and are called Foundation Trusts.

Patient forums
If you want to influence local Trusts, patient forums are a good body to go to as they are invited to comment on local budgets and local decisions.

Local authorities/councils
If you’re campaigning for a change in local social care services, contact your local authority, especially the executive cabinet board, which devises budgets and strategies for the local community, or the Director of Social Services.
Find your local authority's details

Scrutiny/overview committee
If you want to protest over a service cut in a local council’s budget, Scrutiny and Overview committees are important as they review the council’s decisions and budget. Some have subcommittees on specific areas such as health.

Councillors
If you want funding from local government for a new service, councillors could influence the Executive Board of the Council. But they are unlikely to go against their own party in a vote.

Mayor
Local mayors are often very influential figures and may influence other people privately. Directly-elected Mayors in some cities have more power.

MPs
MPs do not have power to change things locally, but they often have a lot of influence. If you want to contact your MP and don’t know his or her name, telephone 020 7219 4272 or find your MP online (you will need to know your postcode). The address for all MPs is House of Commons, London SW1P 0AA.

MEPs
Members of the European Parliament, like MPs, do not have power over local decisions, but do have considerable influence. To find out who your MEP is and how to contact them, telephone 020 7227 4300 or find your MEP online.
The address for all MEPs is European Parliament, Wiertzstraat 1047, Brussels, Belgium.

Local celebrities/grandees
Having the support of a celebrity, whether famous nationally or locally will be influential and bring attention to your campaign.

Local employers/community leaders
Large local employers are often influential, as are people who have spearheaded local community projects.

Local charities
Quoting support from local charities will help you persuade others of the need for your change. People trust charities, so their views are influential.

Housing Associations
If you want a change to the support provided to people with severe mental illness living in council accommodation or policies on eviction, Housing Associations are often an important target as in some areas, social housing is managed, not directly by the local council, but by Housing Associations.

Local Government Ombudsman
If a local authority has made a decision, which contravenes its obligations in various pieces of legislation, the Local Government Ombudsman can investigate a complaint and hold the local authority in question to account.

Local newspapers: advertising
Regional and local papers rely on advertising revenue to stay afloat, so companies that advertise in local papers have some influence.

Newspaper Editor/News desks
The editor of your local paper will determine the overall editorial policy of the newspaper and each day’s paper. Much of the day-today decision making about stories is made by news desks and feature desks.

Individual Journalists
The best people for you to influence on your local newspapers are health and social care reporters. They are most likely to report on mental health issues. By putting yourself forward as a useful resource for mental health stories, you can help reporters by supplying them with story ideas. There is a relatively high level of turnover of staff in the local media, so it’s important to keep track of your key contacts.

Newspaper Sub-editors
If you want the language of future headlines to be less stigmatising, sub-editors would have some power to do this.

Local TV and radio stations
Local TV and radio stations are run along similar lines to newspapers, and your best source of influence will be the health reporter. Some local radio stations are independent. Many are local BBC stations.

Ofcom
Ofcom sets standards for the content of television and radio broadcasting. This means that viewers and listeners can complain to Ofcom if they are not happy with a programme.

For more details on how to complain, see Matchmaking: you and the media

Advertising Standards Authority
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent body set up by the advertising industry to police the rules laid down in the advertising codes.
Find out more about the ASA

NB Read more about how to use the local media in Matchmaking: you and the media.

Once you’ve worked out your targets, add them to the Campaign Planning matrix at the end of this guide.