Stuart Thomson, senior public affairs adviser at City Law firm Bircham Dyson Bell, offers his recommendations for successful lobbying
1 Get involved
The growth of public affairs has seen it move away from its roots in political lobbying and toward communicating with those audiences that can influence the policy and regulations that affect your organisation. The profession is now less about trading on contacts and links with government, and more about building and protecting an organisation’s reputation. So public affairs is not just about politics; it’s also about policy development, the media and community engagement at all levels. A successful public affairs strategy should include the development of good relationships with politicians, civil servants and others from an early stage. If you get involved only once the decision has been made or the legislation has been passed, you will be too late.
2 Build your contacts
Get to know all those who affect your organisation, such as politicians, civil servants, media, think tanks, regulators – not forgetting more traditional stakeholders. Your local MP, councillors and those involved in public bodies, such as Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), can all offer help and support.
3 Monitor developments
Monitoring is at the heart of public affairs. You need to have a comprehensive political monitoring system in place giving you information about proceedings in Parliament, comments by politicians, news reports and consultations. This ensures you know what is going on and helps you decide whether you need to take action.
4 Know the process
Every legislative body, from Cardiff, Westminster and Edinburgh to Brussels, has its own way of working and uses its own special language full of select committees, report stages, all-party groups, rapporteurs and secretariats. If you want to get involved, you have to understand the process and know when to step in.
5 Get the level right
Too many organisations start by going straight to the top; this rarely achieves results. The first question a minister will ask is, ‘Have you spoken to my officials about this?’ If the answer is ‘no’, you might as well pack up and go home. Speaking to officials can often solve a problem quickly and easily; you don’t always need an all-singing, all-dancing campaign.
6 Build and support your argument
You may have an interesting and important point to make but if you have no evidence to back it up, you will not succeed. You may need to think about commissioning research or polling data to help build your case. Too many groups worry about working together, especially in a commercial setting, but alliances, such as through trade bodies, can get a result.
7 Know your opponents
Never assume your version of events will be accepted by all. You will have opponents among your competitors, or in government. Think through their arguments in advance, and have answers to them. There is nothing worse than sitting in front of a minister and not being able to answer his or her questions.
8 Offer solutions
Successful lobbying campaigns not only highlight problems, but also provide realistic solutions. If there is an issue to be addressed you need to offer a viable means of solving it. If legislation does not quite work, ensure you have an amendment drafted and ready to go.
9 Tailored messages
Never forget that your audience will include politicians from different parties; take care not to get caught in an unexpected political fight. Going straight to the opposition may not be the best way of persuading the government about the merits of your case.
10 Exert more pressure
If contact with the government and civil servants does not prove fruitful, you may have to involve others. Getting the media involved can help to pile extra pressure on the government – a front-page story has a wonderful way of concentrating the mind. But remember the media’s agenda may not be the same as yours, and once you set a story running it can be difficult to control. Likewise, working with opposition parties can heighten the political significance of your issue but may not always prove beneficial. Grassroots campaigns, often run by motivated and vociferous minorities, can make politicians sit up and take notice. Public affairs is often about motivating and mobilising your previously silent friends.
CorpComms, March 2007