Guidelines For GuerrillasGuidelines For Guerrillas

Presented by:

Mary AlexanderCurtis JohnsonAdriana PereiraLiesje SandlerLisa St. Andre

Jorge Urby

Guideline 1: Confront the Guideline 1: Confront the issue directly with the person issue directly with the person

involvedinvolved Before launching into Guerilla activity attempt to

address the problem with relevant parties: Follows Code of Ethics III Demonstrate Personal Integrity (pg20).

Example: Nevada Wetlands • Felt that Bureaucracies would never change from the inside

and that attack from the outside was the only way. Example: Department of Labor

• Al Zuck confronted his supervisor who was causing the Guerilla activity directly. The Supervisor’s indifference to his opinion is what caused the activity.

Guideline 2: Talk to your Guideline 2: Talk to your SupervisorSupervisor

Try to come to a solution with the supervisor. However it often seems that the supervisor is part

of the problem: Conflicting with Code of Ethics IV Promote Ethical Organizations (pg21).

Example: Hoosier Forest• Ferguson discussed issues with his supervisor however his

supervisor was part of the problem.

Example: Seattle EPA • In this case the supervisor was the problem. Therefore other

action might be more appropriate.

Guideline 3: Go over your Guideline 3: Go over your Supervisor’s HeadSupervisor’s Head

Can be construed as Guerilla activity if proper chain of command is not being followed.

Ethical in situations where direct supervisor is the issue or where they are not addressing the issues.

Example: Job Corps• When Kelly was not getting the support and attention he

needed he went directly to the President.

Example: County Planning• Lewis was being threatened by her direct supervisor, a

county councilman, so she went directly to his boss – the citizens to sway their decision in her favor.

Guideline 4: Contact Guideline 4: Contact HeadquartersHeadquarters

Going directly to the top of the reporting chain. Ethically would be considered guerilla activity if

the supervisor and their boss were not approached or were approached but did not act.

Example: National Health Insurance Company• Insurance staff filed a complaint about a senior

manager that was bullying them. The complaint went all the way to the CEO. The senior manager ended up getting fired.

Guideline 5: File a LawsuitGuideline 5: File a Lawsuit

Guerilla actionEthically appropriate in some cases

depending on circumstances.Example: Hoosier Forest

• Ferguson filed lawsuit against the Forest Service when his guerilla actions got him removed from service without retirement pay that was due to him.

“How to Take Down the MAN and KEEP your Job!”

Covert Coalition Building 101Covert Coalition Building 101

Guideline 6: Obey Superiors Guideline 6: Obey Superiors in Public, Disobey in Privatein Public, Disobey in Private

Team unity and continuityAnonymity Quote:

• “They can do it to you in ways that you’ll never know…if they are giving their best effort it’s hard to tell.”

Guideline 7: Cultivate Media Guideline 7: Cultivate Media RelationshipsRelationships

Whatever the media says, must be the truthBuilds outside support for agencyCripples Administration Example: Nevada Wetlands

• Drafted Press Releases for NYT, USA Today• Inviting reporters to tour the refuge

Guideline 8: Create Guideline 8: Create Documentaries, Studies, Documentaries, Studies,

Scientific Papers, etc.Scientific Papers, etc.Backup for when you act upLends to the institutional knowledge of

subject matterExample: St. Claire County Planning Dept.

• Developed fact sheets for potential supporters

Guideline 9: Cultivate Positive Guideline 9: Cultivate Positive Relationships with Interest Relationships with Interest

GroupsGroupsGrassroots activismAppearance of solidarity and impartialitySolidifies a foundation for the causeExample: Nevada Wetlands

• “Can’t advocate for change of a bureaucracy when you ARE the bureaucracy”

Guideline 10: Forge Links with Guideline 10: Forge Links with Outside Interest GroupsOutside Interest Groups

Spreads influence Gives impression of interconnectivity Extends network of influenceExample:

Guideline 11: Build Public-Guideline 11: Build Public-Private PartnershipsPrivate Partnerships

Seek private funds to finance public priorities; guerrillas could use this tactic to keep alive programs they’ve been ordered to shut down.

Appropriate Use: Seeking private funds to save programs that were cut purely for budgetary reasons.

Inappropriate Use: Seeking private funds to save programs that have been cut as part of a legitimate policy.

Guideline 12: Form Guideline 12: Form partnerships among all levels partnerships among all levels

of governmentof government Establishing links with government representatives at different levels

(e.g. between local and state governments, or state and national governments).

Appropriate Use: National level leaders (President and members of Congress) formed partnerships with governors and mayors to push for legislation that would affect all levels (economic stimulus bill).

Inappropriate Use: Lower-level government representatives forming partnerships with state and national leaders in hopes of having those leaders push for local-level policy changes in a way that erodes states’ rights under the Constitution.

Guideline 13: Ghostwrite Guideline 13: Ghostwrite Letters/Studies/ReportsLetters/Studies/Reports

Bureaucrat who disagrees with his/her agency’s policy writes letters reports for an interest group without using his/her name.

Appropriate Use: Writing reports and letters based on solid and truthful information.

-Positive: Interest groups will be disseminating good quality information-Negative: The information may be automatically rejected as unfounded if coming from an interest group

Inappropriate Use: Writing reports or letters based on shaky information/unconfirmed suspicions; taking advantage of the interest group to publicize a theory; sharing confidential information that is not in the public interest about the agency or employees.

Guideline 14: Lobby for Guideline 14: Lobby for your cause your cause

Pushing legislators or government executives for funding, legislation, regulations, etc.

Appropriate Use: Spreading the word to family, friends, networks to push for laws, funding, regulations, etc. Making use of known contacts to get the word out (Nevada Four).

Inappropriate Use: Using position as a person working in the agency to do an end-run around managers by directly lobbying the government

Guideline 15: Testify before a Guideline 15: Testify before a legislative bodylegislative body

Speaking at congressional hearings, etc. to present your expert opinion on a proposed rule or regulation, or about the goings-on in an agency.

Appropriate Use: Blowing the whistle on corrupt or dangerous practices; honestly presenting your own agency’s position to the legislature.

Inappropriate Use: Appearing as a witness on behalf of your agency and deliberately misrepresenting the agency’s position in favor of your own.

Guideline 21: Fail to implement Guideline 21: Fail to implement orders you think are unfairorders you think are unfair

Appropriate action depending on what the situation is and what is defined as “unfair”. Is the order legally binding? Does it involve discrimination or life and death? Where one sits in the organization hierarchy is key also.

Not appropriate action in the military. Hierarchy and rank rule how orders are given and acted upon. Chain of command is essential to mission accomplishment.

Example: Street Level Bureaucrat (Lipsky)– Discretionary judgment of front line staff – teachers, social

workers, and policemen.

Guideline 22: Use a National Guideline 22: Use a National Academy of Sciences review Academy of Sciences review

panel to force attentionpanel to force attention Appropriate action when difficulty focusing agency on

important scientific information critical to policy development/implementation.

Communication is essential and management should be apprised of such actions; building coalitions is key.

Example: NASA– Sean O’Keefe used formal groups such as the National

Science Foundation and the congressionally mandated NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Committee during Columbia Accident Investigation.

Guideline 23: File a complaint Guideline 23: File a complaint with Office of Inspector Generalwith Office of Inspector General

Appropriate action when management does not further one’s complaint up the chain of command. All other avenues should be exhausted to communicate the issue to leadership.

Not appropriate action if employee does not have all of the information available and has not tried to speak to a supervisor.

Example: Medical malpractice – Navy heart surgeon operating while legally blind in one eye

during 1980s.

Example: Sexual harassment– Visible senior level inappropriate comments to a subordinate in

the workplace.

Guideline 24: Hold clandestine Guideline 24: Hold clandestine meetings to plot unified strategymeetings to plot unified strategy Appropriate action if all other forms of communication have been exhausted;

to also be cognizant of the Federal Employee Oath:

– I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God (5 U.S.C. §3331)

Example: Senior leader abuse of power– Abusive leadership which ran staff into ground – senior officers

surrounding person held clandestine meetings; “Where are my strawberries?” (Caine Mutiny 1954)

Guideline 25: Tie your cause Guideline 25: Tie your cause to a national or regional crisis, to a national or regional crisis,

cause or movementcause or movement Appropriate action to ensure the national cause or crisis is best resolved

with the participation of your agency.

Not appropriate if going outside of the organization mission and congressionally mandated charter; Appropriation Law.

Example: Tsunami and humanitarian mission– U.S. Military partnered with nations and other agencies to

assist with medical crisis of the tsunami disaster. Example: Breast cancer awareness

– Military medical mission more proactive on women’s issues.