MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCATES FOR CIVIL SERVANTS

Engaging with Public Policy Advocates is vital in many respects, since it is the job of most Public Policy Advocates to promote the interests of their organisations, clients and corporations in a way that builds positive working relationships with government, and it is important for government to consult with representatives of key stakeholders. In addition, often policy makers will need not just the formal input of various stakeholders through the official channels- pre budget consultations, standing committees and the like but more informal discussions about the impact that one or more policy options will have on specific businesses within a sector.

Good Public Policy Advocates or ‘Government Relations’ practitioners spend a lot of time explaining how the public policy process works, the role of each level of government and how various external forces shape government issue agendas. Public Policy Advocates also spend time identifying the objectives and drivers of different internal government agendas in order to shape coherent change strategies. These activities are pursued as a means to manage their clients’ or organizations’ expectations about the level of complexity generally involved in making public policy.

From the civil servant’s perspective, it is key to understand that Public Policy Advocates want something from you- background information about the governments’ intentions with respect to a particular sector, access to decision makers or face to face meeting with you or other senior civil servants in your department. With good Public Policy Advocates this activity is usually done with an eye to establishing a mutually beneficial dialogue on policy issues that are of concern to their clients or organizations.

Principles for Managing Public Policy Advocates Effectively

In order to make the most of the time you spend with Public Policy Advocates , here are a few basic rules.

Principle 1: Know who you are dealing with

First, determine is the Public Policy Advocate is registered. Those requesting meetings or otherwise trying to influence the work of policy makers need to be registered. It ensures transparency of activities and adds legitimacy to the process. It also ensures that you are dealing with those professionals who have taken the time to understand and act with the disclosure and requirements of their profession.

Principle 2: Require Public Policy Advocates to disclose the nature of their meeting requests

Inevitably Public Policy Advocates will request face-to-face meetings on any number of issues. In this context, make sure that they disclose the details of the meeting request, who will attend, the issue for discussion, background information on the subject matter and what they hope to achieve from the meeting. This will help you prepare and manage the Public Policy Advocate and his or her client or organization.

Principle 3: Conduct formal meetings only during office hours

This may seem strict or formal, but this will signal that you want useful, productive meetings that will accomplish specific objectives. Even introductory meetings where policy matters are discussed at a minimum level should be formally arranged and conducted. Another benefit of formalizing all interactions with Public Policy Advocates is that discussions can stay focused on the policy matter under review. Conducting meetings over dinner or lunch may introduce a degree of familiarity that could lead to information leaks or rumours that are distracting or worse.

Principle 4: Provide background briefings on a regular basis about the government agenda

It is key to making effective use of everyone’s time that Public Policy Advocates have the information resources to advise their clients and organisations about the government’s overall agenda and how it relates to specific sectors. Many external groups will not automatically understand the multitude of competing pressures on policy makers and what is a priority at any given moment. Keeping Public Policy Advocates informed will assist in minimizing pointless meetings and submissions on matters that are irrelevant to the government’s or department’s work plan.

Principle 5: Ensure that Public Policy Advocates have a basic knowledge of policy development

This may sound like you are being asked to do the job of a Public Policy Advocate , but the degree of knowledge about policy processes is very mixed among Public Policy Advocates. Providing a basic sketch of how things are done and the kind of research, analysis, and information requirements you have, will help to ensure that Public Policy Advocates don’t waste your time with demands that are unjustified from a public policy perspective. You may even get some research that helps the department with its own policy objectives as well.

Principle 6: Debrief Public Policy Advocates on the effectiveness of any meeting

Typically, Public Policy Advocates will call you after a meeting to discuss your perceptions of how things went. Be honest and straightforward. Don’t shy away from indicating if the meeting was not valuable, diverted from the agenda or was otherwise unhelpful. Many times Public Policy Advocates brief their clients on the agenda to follow and various issues for discussion. But sometimes their clients bring up a wide range of issues that no one is prepared for. If this is the outcome, let the Public Policy Advocate know that you expect a more focused discussion in the future. Public Policy Advocates  use this information to let their clients know how to be more effective in meeting with government officials.

Principle 7: Tell Public Policy Advocates that leakage of information is unacceptable

This may seem obvious or trivial, but sometimes Public Policy Advocates or their clients learn something in meetings that they feel compelled to share with trade associations, contacts or the media. Inform them up front that leakage of sensitive information to third parties will not be tolerated and could jeopardize their relationship with the department and government.

Principle 8: Remember that business organizations have limited policy capacity

It is important to keep in mind that most businesses have limited capacity for public policy debate. Even in businesses where working cooperatively with government is core to their business strategy, managing their relations with government is usually limited to defensive campaigns designed to prevent the government from moving in a certain direction. This means, too that businesses will continue to rely on Public Policy Advocates to assist them in navigating the public policy process.

Conclusion

Effectively managing relationships with Public Policy Advocates is one key element of a good public administration strategy. Since the success of a policy initiative is often dependent on anticipating the needs and concerns of stakeholders, working effectively with their representatives is also critical. Properly prepared, Public Policy Advocates  can also save public administration and policy makers from fruitless discussions with business and other interests. To achieve this objective Public Policy Advocates and public servants must respect and work with each other to ensure successful policy outcomes.