| Latest News |
Advertise
Wolverhampton University Students Union has various student marketing and student advertising tools that can promote your services direct to our students.
For all our student
marketing & advertising opportunities click the media pack button.
► Social Networking Links
► Swine Flu Information
► SEARCH WOLVERHAMPTON
► WOLVERHAMPTON POLL
|
► How to write a manifesto
How to write a manifesto
What is a manifesto?
A manifesto is a document which explains who the candidate is, why they are standing for election and what they intend to do, should they get elected.
Why is it important to make your manifesto realistic?
As an elected Officer of the Students’ Union, you are held to account by both the Students’ Union Council and the student membership. Your manifesto is essentially a promise of what you will achieve in return for students’ votes. Therefore, if these promises are not achievable and/or you fail to achieve them, you are effectively breaking the promise you made to the student membership. If you do not adequately fulfill your role (i.e. your job description plus your manifesto pledges) you could be disciplined and ultimately removed from office! This is why it’s so important for candidates in elections to do everything they can to ensure their manifesto is achievable.
What can I do to make my manifesto realistic and achievable?
• Think about the time-frame you will have to achieve your manifesto points. You’ll only be in office for one year!
• Consider that you won’t have unlimited funds to spend on implementing your manifesto pledges. So if your manifesto relies on thousands and thousands of pounds, you will probably need to re-think!
• Talk to current officers and staff- they may be aware of things which could act as barriers to your manifesto points.
• Think about decision-making processes. Will things you want to do need approval from Union or University committees or will you be able to go ahead with them on your own? Will this affect the time you have to complete your manifesto pledge?
• Wording- choose your words carefully. Think about including words like lobby, campaign, develop and aim.
NUS Delegate positions
If you’re standing for the position of NUS Delegate, the content of your manifesto will need to be slightly different to that of Officer candidates. You’ll need to tell students your views on things (plus any experience you have) so they can decide if they think you will represent them well at the NUS National Conference. Although the motions that will be going to Conference haven’t been finalized yet, you can get an idea of the types of issues discussed at National Conferences at the webpage from last year’s Conference:
http://www.officeronline.co.uk/events/nationalevents/275868.aspx
A step by step guide to writing your Manifesto
1. Find out everything you can about the role you’re standing for, for instance, by looking at the role description.
2. Talk to staff and Officers in the Union about what kind of issues are relevant to the role and what’s happening (or about to happen) in those areas.
3. Talk to students to get their ideas and opinions on the area your role falls under. Have they got ideas for developments or changes? Can they identify things that don’t work well at the moment?
4. Consider any relevant experience or skills you have that is relevant to the position you’re standing for.
5. Write down some of your initial ideas for your manifesto.
6. Attend one of the ‘Preparing for nomination deadline’ drop-in sessions held by the Students’ Union or make a 1-2-1 appointment with the Democracy Support Officer (hazel.monger@wlv.ac.uk) to discuss your manifesto so far. This will help you identify the strengths and weaknesses within your manifesto, how relevant it is and whether it is realistic.
7. Re-draft your manifesto (making sure it doesn’t exceed 250 words) and get some of your student friends to check it for you. See if they’d vote for you based on what you’ve written.
8. Submit your manifesto.
A good manifesto should:
• Show that you have the right skills and experience for the job
• Make students feel inspired
• Give students confidence that you’d do a good job if elected
• Be interesting
• Be direct and to the point
• Show your passion for the area your role deals with
• Be relevant to the role you’re standing for
• Include all your major plans for what you’ll achieve during your year in office
Bookmark with:
Delicious
Digg
Facebook
reddit
StumbleUpon
|