In a previous blog post, I introduced you to AIHA’s new strategic plan (PDF), which covers the years 2022–24. Over the past several months, we have been broadly communicating the plan throughout the association. Our intent is for everyone in AIHA to become familiar with our organization’s overarching vision, values, and objectives.

Like the previous strategic plan, our new plan incorporates AIHA’s associated business entities: AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs LLC (AIHA LAP), AIHA Registry Programs LLC, AIHA Proficiency Analytical Testing Programs LLC (AIHA PAT), the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation, the AIHA Guideline Foundation, and the Product Stewardship Society. The plan, which identifies strategic goals within each domain and the strategies AIHA will employ to meet those goals, is built around five “domains,” or areas of focus: community, awareness, advancement and dissemination of knowledge, integrity of professional practice, and advocacy.

To date, I have written about the first four domains—community, awareness, advancement and dissemination of knowledge, and integrity of professional practice. The focus of this blog post is to highlight the fifth and final domain: advocacy.

DEFINING “SUCCESS”

For each domain, AIHA’s new plan notes a “success statement,” which embodies what we aspire to achieve in this area of practice. The success statement for advocacy is “AIHA will influence the actions of the public, government, and organizations to advance worker and community health and safety.”

Next, the plan lays out two strategic objectives:

1. As thought leaders, build awareness of the OEHS profession and the value of the professionals’ impact on businesses and communities to influence stakeholders, the public, and policymakers at all levels of government.
2. Empower AIHA members and the public to contact their policymakers in support of AIHA public policy positions and issues.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES

For each strategic objective, we’ve crafted a series of supporting strategy statements that explain how we intend to accomplish what we set out to do.

As part of the first strategic objective, which may be viewed as an externally focused goal statement, AIHA has established a top-line strategy to serve as a thought leader. To this end, we are collaborating with allied organizations, joining coalitions, and participating in events that help advance our public policy priorities. For example, AIHA has joined the Healthy Workplaces Coalition, the Rebuild America’s School Infrastructure Coalition, the Friends of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences coalition, and the High Performance Buildings Coalition. We also participated in the National Heat Health Information System’s first-ever national meeting, OSHA activities related to heat hazards, and other endeavors.

The second strategic objective related to advocacy is more internally focused. Under this objective, we provide ongoing training to both national and local section members on how to be effective grassroots advocates and opportunities for AIHA members to translate their technical expertise into public policy recommendations. Thus far in 2022, we have had 272 instances of volunteerism in which AIHA members have volunteered their time to help policymakers produce wiser public policies and more effective outreach to key stakeholders. This represents a significant increase in member engagement compared to just a year ago, demonstrating AIHA members’ keen interest in government relations. In the months to come, we will provide even more opportunities for engagement with policymakers and will support AIHA’s volunteers at every step to become effective advocates for OEHS.

For more information about AIHA’s government relations efforts, feel free to email Mark Ames, Director of Government Relations.