Those organisations that get the most out their public affairs work are those who seek out the opportunities to get involved. It remains the case that too many expect government to come to them or believe that they have a right to be involved / consulted because of who they are. That is rarely the case and also runs the risk of exclusion because of simple error or oversight.
Coherent lists of who to involve, on what issues, do not exist in government. Aside from lists of statutory consultees for some issues, there may be some informal arrangements in place but when people leave or are replaced, either internally or amongst officials, knowledge of these arrangements can be lost. So efforts to engage need to be ongoing and continuous.
Just because a good set of relationships have been established with one group of officials does not mean that those relationships will last forever, they need to be worked at.
Organisations should also avoid a mentality of not straying far from home. For example, the departments they report to or that have responsibility for them, those that have the best relationships with government, and work across departments.
This offers the best opportunity for maintaining relationships and also reflects the nature of modern policy-making. Decisions very often cut across departments. The days of single department decisions, whilst not dead, are at least fading fast.
Developing the widest possible network of contacts and friends is especially helpful in times of financial constraint. For those with an income stream from Government, it can provide some protection against ongoing cuts.
Importantly, the wide network means that you have friends and allies if they are required. An organisation has people it can discuss issues with or who may be willing to argue their case. Again, the more these voices come from across Government, the better.
Turning that situation around, if an organisation needs to talk Government out of a policy, the more departments and officials disagree and the more difficult a policy becomes then the less likely it is to be pursued.
With the emphasis on developing links then that means looking for issues with which to engage with Government in a meaningful way. This requires a full and deep understanding not just of Government policies and what it wants to do but also of the organisation you represent.
That understanding has to include the ability to manage and minimise risk, manage reputations and deliver strategic advice to the organisation about where it needs to go. That is the real value for organisations in public affairs, it should not just be about relationships with stakeholders.
The golden rule is that those in public affairs need to seek out opportunities for engagement but that can only be done if you really understand your own organisation, or client, and have the opportunity to input strategically.