Year in Review: SIOP Advocacy Scores Big Wins in Profile Raising and Visibility
The past year of SIOP advocacy and government relations have yielded some incredible opportunities to raise the profile of I-O psychology and ensure SIOP is an active participant in major policy conversations. The success stories below reflect only some of SIOP’s advocacy work this past year, and the SIOP GREAT team continues to find new avenues to engage policymakers and agency officials.
Through sustained engagement and conversations with Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), SIOP signed a Memorandum of Understand (MOU) with the DOJ Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office, making SIOP one of the first scientific societies to officially collaborate with COPS. Through the initiative SIOP will collaborate with COPS on issues relating to law enforcement recruitment and selection, retention, productivity, training, morale, and other areas of I-O expertise. SIOP has already conducted a “lunch and learn” for COPS Office staff to highlight how I-O research and practice are applied to law enforcement and policing, participated in COPS newsletter articles and a podcast, and worked with the agency to make plans for additional engagement with COPS Office program managers and grantees. The MOU is a prime example of how SIOP advocacy creates new opportunities to ensure I-O expertise is considered in policy and federally-supported activities.
SIOP has also continued a productive relationship with the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. The Select Committee, which is responsible for making improvements to a number of personnel, policy, and technological challenges facing Congress, has welcomed engagement and input from I-O experts on how to improve recruitment, retention, morale, and productivity of staff, as well as address issues of incivility and competition between the Members of Congress themselves. This year, SIOP leveraged the relationship built with the Select Committee to invite Committee Chairman Derek Kilmer to the SIOP annual conference in Seattle, WA. While at the conference, Chairman Kilmer participated on a panel session discussing the work of the Select Committee, where SIOP panelists and audience members alike had the opportunity ask questions of the Chairman and provide I-O based recommendations to inform the Committee’s work. Following the success of the panel, the Select Committee invited Dr. Steven Rogelberg to testify at a congressional hearing on “Pathways to Congressional Service.” As the Select Committee plans to wind down at the end of the year, SIOP will continue to pursue opportunities to inform conversations around improving the federal workplace.
Finally, SIOP has also been working to build the bench of I-O psychologist practitioners, academics, and students that are trained and ready to advocate on SIOP priorities through the new Advocacy Academy. The inaugural Academy cohort has been participating in a series of monthly webinars starting in June that provide an insider look into how Congress operates and passes legislation, deep dives into science policy, and best practices for successful advocacy. In 2023, the Academy participants will begin preparing and planning for virtual meetings with congressional offices, where they can apply these skills and advocate for issues of importance to the field of I-O psychology. SIOP members interested in participating in the Advocacy Academy should look for additional details on the second cohort in May 2023.
Publication Type
Washington InfO
Topic
Advocacy