1. Development And Use Of
An Issue Brief As A Tool
For Public Policy Change
Cassandra Greisen, MPA
October 7, 2015
Global Alcohol Policy Conference

2. Acknowledgment
Ø Michael Sparks, president of Sparks
Initiatives, Inc.
Ø My colleagues at Johns Hopkins

3. Overview
Ø Describe 10 steps to influence policy and issue briefs
as a tool for translating research into practice
Ø Review components for a strong issue brief
Ø Show how to use an issue brief as a catalyst for public
policy change
Ø Discuss barriers and challenges to the development
of an issue brief

5. 10 steps to
policy change
1. Develop a policy action statement
2. Engage enforcement
3. Collect data to establish a legal basis
4. Make your case
5. Draft policy language
6. Use media advocacy
7. Mobilize support and provide community
education
8. Get the policy adopted
9. Ensure enforcement of the policy
10. Evaluate campaign effectiveness

6. Establish target audience
• Community members/organizations
• Business community
• Education community
• Neighborhood associations
• City/County leadership
• Enforcement
• Policy makers/other decision makers

7. Issue brief components
Ø Problem statement
Ø Data to highlight problem
Ø Level of action
Ø Introducing policy solution
Ø Why it matters
Ø Call to action

8. Data collection: Quantitative
• Enforcement
▫ Calls for service
– Calculate cost of calls, local data are best
• Health Department
▫ Epi data
– Prevalence of alcohol use, binge use, alcohol
problems, etc.
▫ GIS mapping

9. Data collection: Qualitative
• Enforcement
▫ Interviews/quotations
• Community
▫ Interviews/quotations
▫ Documentation, e.g.
photos
Multiple police calls for service distract
enforcement from other emergencies in the
community,” said Joseph Cannon, president
of the National Liquor Law Enforcement
Association. “These calls, while time
consuming, are necessary as they impact
the public safety of the entire community
from fights, noise and excessive trash to
impaired driving.

10. Large off-campus house party in area
residential neighborhood

11. Dumpsters on fire in neighborhood
following an off-campus house party

12. Litter in lawn following an off-campus
residential house party

13. University student passed out in
residential lawn

14. Social host ordinances

15. Background
• Excessive drinking among U.S. college students continues to be a
significant public health problem.
• An estimated 1,825 college students (ages 18 and 24) die because of
alcohol use every year; hundreds of thousands are injured or
assaulted.
• 75% of college students report obtaining their alcohol through social,
rather than commercial, sources.
• The majority of excessive drinking by college students occurs in
social settings, such as house parties.
• Communities across the U.S. are looking to implement social host
ordinances to address the Availability of alcohol in social settings.
• Social host laws hold individuals who control the property
accountable for drinking that occurs there.

16. University of Maryland, Eastern Shore
Issue Brief

17. University of Maryland,
Eastern Shore
Issue Brief

18. University of Maryland,
Eastern Shore
Issue Brief

19. University of Maryland,
Eastern Shore
Issue Brief

20. University of Maryland,
Eastern Shore
Issue Brief

21. Universities in Baltimore
County, Maryland
Action Alert

23. Overcoming barriers
• Data collection
▫ Specific and local
▫ Cooperation
• Knowing your audience
• Making a clear “ask”
• Funds/capacity for production
• Dissemination

24. Progress to date
• Baltimore City passed in June
▫ Used twice
▫ Off-campus residential
parties are down
▫ Residential neighborhood
complaints are down

26. Contact information
Cassandra Greisen
cgreisen@jhu.edu