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Resource Tool Kit

How Tos: Implementing, Sustaining, and Evaluating Your Program

Developed by the Federal Highway Administration, this Resource Tool Kit is a comprehensive guide to planning and implementing the It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air transportation and air quality public education initiative. It is designed to help you assess the air quality and transportation issues in your community, define your goals, analyze your target audience, choose the best approach to outreach and education, and evaluate your overall effort.

You may wish to use this kit as a step-by-step guide to implementing your public outreach program or simply as a source of ideas. Either way, it will be helpful to review the entire kit prior to embarking on your campaign. You may then choose to incorporate all of the suggested activities and materials in your effort or select those that are appropriate in scope and most relevant to your needs.

While communities across the country implement the It All Adds Up initiative, the look and feel of each program is unique, influenced by the community's size, structure, and requirements. The plan is flexible enough to fit into any established organizational structure, affording you the opportunity to make the initiative distinctly your own.

The Resource Tool Kit includes the following chapters:

Where Do I Start?

Assess the current air quality and/or traffic congestion problem in your community, your organization's capabilities, existing programs, resources, and potential partners.

Who Am I Trying to Reach?

Understand It All Adds Up's target audience, key messages, and the tone that's proven to elicit a positive response!

How Well Do I Understand My Community?

Conduct a sound assessment prior to implementing your program. Analyze the issues and target audience and choose appropriate channels of communication to ensure your program achieves its objectives.

Building a Coalition: Who Can I Ask For Help?

Learn how to gain the support and strength of allies for yourprogram with tips for establishing and maintaining an effective community coalition.

How Do I Develop the Road Map?

Use this step-by-step guide to develop an overall communications plan that will serve as the blueprint for your initiative. Set goals and objectives; identify target audience(s), communication channels, and key partners; determine suitable messages and materials; and establish evaluation measures, staffing, timeline, and budget.

Marketing Materials and Placement Tips

Get acquainted with the free It All Adds Up materials and learn how to use them in your local public education efforts. Gain access to free, quality video and audio dubs of advertisements you can use as paid or public service announcements, as well as dozens of print and Web materials, outdoor and transit ads, and more.

Media Outreach

Discover a variety of communications and outreach techniques and tips for effectively publicizing your program to the local press. Sample media materials are included that can be adapted for your community as needed, including a press release, media advisory, PSA pitch letter, fact sheet, op-ed, and a news article.

Press Release

Writing and Placing an "Op-Ed"

Media Advisory

Writing and Placing a PSA "Pitch Letter"

Fact Sheet

Planning and Holding a Press Conference

Tips on Editorial Board Meetings

Guest Opinion Article

Broadcaster Lists

City Association of Broadcasters

State Association of Broadcasters

Community Outreach

Increase the visibility of the transportation and air quality program in your community. Get ideas for reaching the public, working with the media, and producing various promotional items.

Evaluation

Understand the key methodologies and recommendations for conducting an effective program evaluation on a local level. Sample survey questions allow you to establish baseline data and track progress toward meeting your transportation and air quality goals.

Transportation and Air Quality Facts

Gather the necessary facts and data to help support key messages in the It All Adds Up initiative. Citations for this information are included for your reference.

Research

Review a detailed summary of the series of moderated discussion groups and formative focus groups that shaped the development of the It All Adds Up initiative.

Summary Report of the Initiative's "First Five Years"

Consider the evaluation and summary of the "First Five Years" of the initiative. Results indicated the value of flexible and diverse material development and use as reflected in demonstration communities' creative individual approaches.