Public affairs campaigns often face a number of significant challenges. From identifying the right people to engage with, through to ensuring that a workable and feasible solution can be developed. The biggest challenge in public affairs though remains dealing with a lack of joined-up government.
It is infrequent that a problem can be solved with reference to only one government department. Instead a range of stakeholders, ministers, advisers and officials need to be engaged. It is also rarely solely within the gift of one government department to give the go-ahead to the proposed solution.
Take for example, corporate responsibility. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are currently working on the government’s approach with the aim of publishing a framework later this year. It has, however, become clear that the range of ways of reporting demanded by different government departments on similar issues is wide. This makes the position for businesses confusing and imposes additional costs. For those officials charged with making sense of corporate responsibility it massively adds to the complication.
The Cabinet Office was at one point making significant headway in encouraging a joined-up approach. It remains the case that its achievement needs leadership from the very top of government.
However, a more siloed, compartmentalised and narrow departmental view of the world has re-emerged. It may be that financial austerity is at the heart of this change in direction. Once again, Ministers are deemed to have done a ‘good job’ if they have protected their departments from cuts. Although in the case of Eric Pickles at Communities and Local Government, success seems to be measured in an ability to inflict the biggest cuts.
Also with officials coming under increasing pressure to deliver what Ministers want in terms of policy, they too have little incentive to think more laterally across departments. This is particularly true at the start, ideas and policies need to spring almost fully formed from departments so that credit can be gained. Ideas inevitably have to be at a more developed stage before any views are taken from others. The sponsoring department cannot be seen as being weak.
Very few of the challenging and complicated issues that those in public affairs have to deal do not fall into such neat categories. They often move across departmental boundaries. So it is up to us to work out methods of joining government up.
Sometimes this can complicate a matter and if you are not careful it simply removes any incentive from government to deal with the problem. However, if you remove the conflict from between departments and provide them with the will to work together, by clearly demonstrating the benefits, then the chances of securing a successful outcome are multiplied.
You need to show that you have considered the wider implications, explaining whether it is a matter of concern and/or how to overcome it. In essence, you are showing a wider and deeper understanding of the issue and empathising with the position officials find themselves in. At the end of the day, they will need to have similar conversations across government and if you are not prepared to help with their thinking then there is no reason they should do your job for them.
If the complete package can be presented to Ministers then, again, it becomes more feasible and increases the chances of a successful outcome.
So whilst the lack of joined-up government is a problem it is one that a good public affairs campaign can help to solve.