Elevator Speech Draft

Elevator Speech
Audience: Diana Gale
Purpose: To outline strategies for developing a publicly supported waste­management policy “Seattle Waste Utility faces a challenging new mission: not only is the agency tasked with its previous responsibility of delivering waste management services, it is now tasked with developing waste management policy. With the approaching deadline to renew the contract with the King County landfill, the utility is faced with an opportunity to recommend a new long­term waste management policy. You have already accomplished a great deal by building SWU into an organization that can be effective in developing policy, but local organizations, politicians and members of the public have strong, competing perspectives about waste management in Seattle. In addition, confidence in SWU’s ability to recommend a policy is low. Under these conditions, it is best if SWU does not make a recommendation about a long­term waste management policy alone. Instead, you should engage key organizations and individuals whose support could strengthen SWU’s legitimacy. To determine a long­term waste disposal policy, we recommend that you pursue one of two participatory decision­making processes: the first includes the the public, along with local politicians and administrators. If time constraints allow, we feel that this is your best bet to increase SWU’s legitimacy and gain support and cooperation for the policy. The second exclusively includes local politicians and administrators. This second process would increase the utility’s legitimacy on a more limited level, but may be preferable if time constraints prevent you from pursuing the more inclusive process.”