INFORMS Advocacy helps more than just policymakers

At INFORMS, the focus of our advocacy efforts over the past several years have centered on elevating the work and expertise of INFORMS members and, in doing so, elevating operations research (O.R.) and analytics as a solution to save lives, save money and solve problems. Much of our work has focused on the policy ecosystem that surrounds the federal government in Washington, D.C., but in addition to participating in briefings with policymakers and others, there are other ways that you can work with INFORMS to expand your reach and impact.

There are five relatively simple ways that INFORMS members can elevate their work, develop a brand and become a leading resource to news media.

Develop a social media presence. Social media, especially Twitter and LinkedIn, have become important ways to share information and facilitate conversations engaging people around topical issues that connect with your research, work and expertise. But, in homage to one of my favorite movies, just because you create it, doesn’t mean people will come. The best social media accounts and personalities are tended to with a regular cadence of activity, commentary and insight that make others want to hear what you have to say.

Create a blog. A personal blog is an informal way to present your work and provide analysis and thought leadership on issues related to your areas of expertise. Blogs, too, require maintenance, but they do not require the regularity that social media posting would require. Consistency in timing is important as is innovative content that will capture the attention of a diverse group of readers. 

Connect with local reporters. Reporters are always looking for individuals to contribute their expertise and comments for stories they are working on. Building a relationship with the reporter(s) that focus on the issues that intersect with your areas of expertise is an easy way to quickly become a resource and increase your media presence. It also provides a much wider platform for discussing your research. Anytime you are mentioned or quoted in the press, it becomes great content to cross post on your social media channels. If a reporter includes you in their story, please be sure to send it us so that we can share it with the broader INFORMS community and others.

Draft thought leadership op-eds. News publications are always looking for interesting opinion editorials from leading experts on topical issues that would be appealing to their wide audience. These generally need to be 700 words, must have a clear opinion or direction (not simply reporting a news item), and should not include any technical details or analysis; though referencing research is encouraged to back up your opinion, it shouldn’t overtake the piece. This avenue is meant to showcase an opinion or specific thought. Op-eds are a great platform for profile elevation and can also become good content for your social media channels. At INFORMS, we would be happy to work with you throughout the drafting and placement process of your op-eds.

Develop a website. While personal websites do not necessarily drive much organic traffic, they do provide an effective way to keep your bio, research and writing in one central location. It helps to validate the work you do and is a good place for reporters, policymakers and others interested in your work to better understand who you are and what you do. While many INFORMS members have websites, they seem to often be constructed for like-minded audiences. Think about what you want your website to convey about your work and expertise to reporters, business leaders and others who lack your technical expertise, but who could benefit from what you know or what you do. This should be formal, but also allow visitors to get to know you.

Each of these also contribute to the ongoing successful work INFORMS is doing to connect our members with the policy community and beyond. If you’d like to see examples of what some of your peers are doing in these areas, please reach out to me or Ashley Smith, INFORMS Public Relations Specialist at [email protected]. We are always happy to partner with you on communications efforts or serve as a resource on how to strengthen your efforts in sharing your expertise and expanding your impact. 

Reaching Beyond INFORMS

As part of our ongoing work to help INFORMS members increase their impact, we often work with other professional associations and societies to share ideas and support opportunities to advance O.R., analytics and data science. One such opportunity is through the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) program [1].

Professionals from a wide variety of scientific backgrounds are valued by the federal government. With assignments in federal agencies, on Capitol Hill and in the judicial branch, Science & Technology Policy Fellows are on the front line of vital issues that impact society. The STPF program is a unique and valuable opportunity for outstanding scientists and engineers to learn first-hand about policymaking while contributing an analytical mindset to the federal government.

Fellows serve year-long assignments in a class of close to 300 fellows who represent a broad range of backgrounds, disciplines and career stages. Fellows broaden their career paths while working with policymakers, administrators and thought leaders. After the fellowship, they become members of a strong corps of 3,000+ alumni fellows who are accomplished STEM leaders in academia, government, industry and the nonprofit arena. The STPF program offers a tremendous opportunity to further infuse the importance and impact of O.R. and analytics into the public sector. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1. You can learn about stipend, benefits and more at http://www.stpf-aaas.org [2]. 

Finally, among the thousands of presentations that will be available to those attending the Virtual 2020 INFORMS Annual Meeting will be several focused on the intersection of the O.R. and analytics community and insights into several important policy areas following the 2020 U.S. elections. For more information on these sessions please visit: http://meetings2.informs.org/wordpress/annual2020/schedule/.

As always, if you have any questions about INFORMS advocacy and outreach activities, or if you would like to lend your expertise to our efforts, feel free to contact me at [email protected].

References

1. https://www.aaas.org/programs/science-technology-policy-fellowships/become-st-policy-fellow#:~:text=AAAS%20Science%20%26%20Technology%20Policy%20Fellowships,to%20the%20federal%20policymaking%20process
2. www.stpf-aaas.org?utm_campaign=stpf-2020&utm_medium=email&utm_source=partnersocieties&utm_term=informs&utm_content=textlink