Participating in Federal Public Policy: A Guide for the Voluntary Sector

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The Internet

The Internet and related tools are important vehicles for influencing public policy. The Internet can be used to disseminate your policy position broadly to the public, hear diverse views and to gain support and build consensus on policy issues. Additional Web tools include Web boards, list servs, e-mail newsletters, Web sites and online consultations. By observing the guidelines below, you can make the most of these communications tools.

Web sites

Description

A World Wide Web site contains key information about your organization's programs, services, positions on issues, announcements and documents. A Web site can also be used to elicit support, create action and to link related sites of similar interest. Web sites can provide an electronic forum for organizations to "talk" to each other, share ideas, collaborate on issues and build consensus.

Tips

• Keep it simple and easy to navigate using logical site organization.
• Keep site up-to-date so that it is a source of valid and reliable information. Add a footer to your Web site to indicate the last update.
• Provide links to affiliate organizations and related issues as well as links to alternate points of view.
• Provide an e-mail contact for your organization.
• Ask similar organizations to provide your Web address as a link from their site.
• Keep advertisements to a minimum.
• Ensure information is concise and to the point.
• Keep photographs and graphics to a minimum, as downloading on an older computer can be difficult and time consuming.
• Consider the audiences you are targeting when making decisions on elements such as language, font size, colours and format.
• Create an interactive site that connects users and information, chat rooms, bulletin boards, online consultations, Web boards and list servs.

Advantages

• Web sites present comprehensive information that reaches a very large audience.
• Sites are a low cost way of making large documents available to the public.
• The site can be used to make new contacts or networks.
• The site can mobilize and coordinate around an issue and can create interest in a policy issue.

Limitations

• The Web is not accessible by everyone.
• A poorly designed site can frustrate users.
• Dedicated resources are needed to maintain and update the site with new material.
• Web site can elicit large numbers of e-mails that may overburden staff resources.

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