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Clarifying Roles

In addition to organizational capacity, funding status may define the role you play in informing policy development, implementation, and evaluation (Appendix B: Anti-lobbying Restrictions for CDC Grantees).

Organizations can play a significant role in informing policy through the following activities:

  • Assess and analyze policies that impact injury and violence prevention;
  • Convene interested groups to educate them on evidence-based or promising policy strategies to address injury and violence prevention;  
  • If requested, provide decision-makers with information on the benefits of evidence-based strategies and rigorous evaluation;
  • Work with other agencies within local government to support and implement policy;
  • Educate the public about the public health consequences of TDV;
  • Educate the public about best practices or success stories that have worked; and  
  • Evaluate the impact of policies.

Consider establishing a community advisory board consisting of school, community, and youth representatives. Your advisory board and other partners play important roles in facilitating policy strategies. For example, they may have different skills that can be useful or they may be able contribute needed resources (e.g., expertise, materials, funding, meeting space, data, and access to stakeholder groups). Likewise, they may be able to take on policy activities and coalition-building responsibilities.

There are a number of ways your organization can work with a community advisory board and other partners inform policy. Organizations can ensure that members of a community advisory board and other partners and stakeholders understand the impact of TDV in the community, existing policy efforts, and the evidence for prevention strategy options.

See Useful Tools and Resources for resources on coalition building, mobilizing action for partnerships and planning (MAPP), the Community Toolkit, and the focused conversation method.


This Guide and website are provided for informational purposes only. Note that certain restrictions apply to the use of CDC funds for impermissible lobbying. For more information concerning such restrictions see the CDC Anti-Lobbying Guidelines.