For too long, a core focus of public affairs has been that every campaign, every engagement, must include an ‘ask’. The belief being that to have any influence you have to be seeking something specific from the audience you are engaging with. That ‘ask’ could be a policy change, new legislation, a funding commitment, a regulatory amendment or something even more specific to the person you are meeting. But this belief has become too narrow for the complex, interconnected policy world we now operate in. We now need to think in terms of a ‘proposition’.
The truth is that effective public affairs is about much more than lobbying for a single decision. Our work today takes a huge variety of forms: it can be about raising the profile of an issue, building a coalition, repairing a reputation and so much more. Sometimes a campaign can be about listening and learning before acting – it helps provide the insight needed to develop an effective strategy.
The problem with the simple idea of an ‘ask’ is that it places too much weight on the audience alone. Let’s take the example of making an ‘ask’ of government. Focusing on an ‘ask’ assumes ministers or civil servants have the levers, the capacity, and the willingness to deliver the outcome you seek. In reality, securing change always depends on a wider set of stakeholders – business, charities, local government, communities etc. A campaign that focuses solely on persuading government will actually be less effective in persuading government because it understands that complexity only as well.
Instead of talking about an ‘ask’, we should talk about a ‘proposition’. A ‘proposition’ is broader, more collaborative, and more forward-looking. It sets out what you bring to the table and what you are willing to contribute, not just what you want others to do to improve the situation or solve the challenge.
Developing a ‘proposition’ is a recognition that partnerships need to be built in order to secure real, lasting impact and influence. That is a reflection that influence in today’s policy environment rarely sits with one organisation but is multi-centred.
A ‘proposition’ might include a new initiative or pilot that demonstrates commitment and offers government a practical way to engage. It could involve convening a network of stakeholders to generate solutions. It could be about reframing an issue alongside others, so that it is easier for policymakers to see why it matters and how it connects to their priorities and missions.
This would mark a shift away from public affairs being about making an ‘ask’ and focusing instead on enabling and convening a preferred outcome. That does not mean that it is no longer important to offer a solution. We still have to help government find a way through the problem, but it recognises that we are making ‘asks’ of ourselves and others as well.
Reframing our work around propositions also helps strengthen reputations. It shows that organisations are constructive partners rather than simply trying to seek self-interested changes. That they see themselves as part of the solution rather than demanding change of others. It demonstrates commitment.
Public affairs has always been about engagement, relationships and seeking to secure influence but these are more effectively achieved when organisations work together. Influence is not something that can simply be demanded, it has to be built.