Join INFORMS advocacy efforts as a trusted decision-making resource

The energy and engagement of INFORMS members around our advocacy activities has been tremendous. The nearly 100 members who have participated in the initiative have been able to elevate their expertise and research to the media and policymakers. These members have been helping to educate federal agencies and Congress about the value of operations research and analytics to decision-making and program performance. In turn, this has positioned INFORMS and our entire community as a trusted resource to decision-makers on a diverse range of emerging policy issues. The same has also been true in our work with the media. As INFORMS President Steve Graves writes in this month’s issue of OR/MS Today (see page 8), since launching the advocacy initiative in 2018, the combined team of consultants, staff and members have held more than 300 briefings with the policy community, and our team has successfully helped members appear in more than 1,000 stories across all types of news outlets. 

For those who have yet to engage, or for those who want to learn more about the advocacy initiative or how to do more, we have a few new and exciting opportunities ahead, including:   

• Connecting with INFORMS advocacy at the Annual Meeting: The INFORMS advocacy team will be on the ground in Anaheim, Calif., at the 2021 Annual Meeting and available to learn more about your work to identify areas of engagement. Some of our impactful member engagements started as a conversation at an Annual Meeting. A simple informal meeting will help us align your work with the work we are doing with the federal government and media. Once we better know your areas of expertise, and answer questions about your own goals, we can help build a strategy to ensure you have the appropriate platform to get started. If you would like to connect with our team when you are at the Annual Meeting, email Ashley Smith at [email protected].  

• Advocacy Webinar: After the Annual Meeting, we will be releasing a webinar titled, “Engagement 101: How to Build Your Own Platform with the Media and Policymakers.” The webinar will include an introduction to the INFORMS advocacy program and an overview of how individual INFORMS members can better connect with the media and key decision-makers. Our team of experts will provide the tools necessary to elevate your work throughout the policy ecosystem while also educating others about the power of operations research and analytics. This webinar will include best practices, actions to avoid, and the key elements of engaging with the media and government.      

• Advocacy Engagement Toolkit: Many INFORMS members have engaged with the media and policy community on their own, which is great. We will be releasing a toolkit that will help members understand the basics and best practices to engage on their own. This will provide the tools necessary to, for example, engage with your member of Congress, connect with reporters, and ensure your work is noticed by policymakers and the media.    

• Insider’s View of Washington, D.C.: There is so much happening in Washington, D.C., it is hard to keep up even if you are glued to the news. INFORMS will host a webinar in the coming weeks about what is happening in Congress and the Biden administration, what to expect for the remainder of this year and throughout 2022, and what emerging issues are likely to appear. This webinar is aimed at providing INFORMS members with a better understand of the D.C. landscape and how the dominant issues fit within today’s policy agenda. If you are interested in engaging and want to know what D.C. is doing that may align with your work, look out for this webinar.  

We greatly appreciate all the INFORMS members who have already engaged with Washington, D.C. The advocacy team is trying to open additional avenues for more members to connect with us and engage in D.C. (at a level you feel most comfortable). Please leverage the opportunities outlined above if you have an interest in joining these efforts, learning more, elevating your own work, and educating policymakers on operations research and analytics. Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions.