Lessons from kindergarten apply here. It is important to build good relationships with people you are working with. A pleasant, professional demeanor and good interpersonal skills will boost your attempts to get your presentation on the calendar. Here are some practical tips that will help you schedule your presentation with different stakeholders.

The schedule keeper is your key resource for setting up a meeting with an elected official or key policy advisor. Call to schedule a meeting a week or two in advance. Be prepared for questions about what you would like to talk about, the group you represent, and who would be attending the meeting with you. Once your meeting is set up, you may want to fax or e-mail a brief fact sheet and a list of people who will be attending.

While most constituents want to meet personally with the elected official, it's often just as important to meet with the policy advisor or budget staff member who works in a particular issue area, like criminal justice. These individuals have the expertise in your area of concern and the necessary access to advise the elected official on the best course of action. Often the appointed staff forms a policy maker's opinion on any given matter. Thus, your ability to shape the staff's views on a subject may matter much more than a brief meeting with the elected official.

The support of justice professionals is imperative to the success of your integration efforts. After all, they are the ones who will be asked to adapt their way of thinking and working for the new system. Change is difficult. If they aren't sold on the idea of sharing information among their various agencies, then the project will be a long and hard uphill battle.

One good way to formally present your case to justice professionals is at professional organization or union meetings. This is where your champion from the justice system will be particularly beneficial. Ask your champion to approach the association or union leadership with the idea of integration and suggest having the business case presented at an upcoming meeting.

Justice professionals also receive publications from the various organizations to which they belong and these may be good outlets for presenting your case. For example, judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys belong to the State and American Bar Associations. Police and correctional officers may belong to unions and be part of the National Association of Police Organizations or the American Correctional Association.

As discussed in chapter 2, there are several groups in your community that meet regularly to discuss quality of life issues and current events. Some groups, like Neighborhood Watch, Crime Stoppers, and D.A.R.E., are natural audiences for justice initiatives like integration, and they often invite guest speakers to their meetings.

Contact the president or one of the leaders of the community organizations you wish to speak to, give them a brief overview of what your business case is all about, and tell them you'd like to speak at one of their meetings. These groups can help you market your business case in the community by participating in events and building the grassroots network. Give them an opportunity to be involved in the process, and they will be much more likely to invite you to address their membership. It's important to involve these groups on an ongoing basis-their support and encouragement will be needed throughout the project.

The most effective way to deliver your message to the widest possible public audience is through the news media. There are many ways to try to get your integration initiative into the press, including press advisories, press releases, letters to the editor, and press conferences.

Before you reach out to a local editor or news manager, there is one thing you should know about public relations. When you bring the news media into your project, there is no way to be sure that your publicity efforts will produce the message you're trying to get across to the public. There are ways, however, to improve your chances of success.

• Cover your bases . Reporters like to balance every story and some like to create tension, so they may go out to find a source that will contradict your business case. If you present integration as a win-win-win situation, then that leaves little room for opposition.
• Provide a list of sources . If a reporter is looking for a source with another perspective on integration, point them in the direction of a champion or respected community leader whom you know supports your initiative.
• Anticipate opposition . Reporters are accustomed to playing devil's advocate. Anticipate the questions and problems they will raise, like "Why aren't justice professionals already sharing this information?" or "With the projected budget deficit, where will the money come from?" Be ready to provide answers or solutions for each one.