INTEREST REPRESENTATION DOES NOT DO JUSTICE TO WHAT WE DO

Interest representatives" is a catch-all term covering interest groups, pressure groups, lobby groups, advocacy groups etc. The EU talks about "interest representatives" and "representing interests" because these are neutral terms, in keeping with its positive approach to the activity of representing interests. It uses them in preference to "lobbyist" and "lobbying" which for some people carry negative connotations.
For the EU, the term "interest representation" relates to activities carried out with the objective of influencing the policy formulation and decision-making processes of the European institutions. The EU wanted the definition to be broad enough to cover any kind of entity – European and international associations linked to any line of business or branch of society, private companies, firms of solicitors, public affairs consultants, non-governmental organisations, charities and think tanks.

We submit, however, that using the term 'Interest Representative' or 'Interest Representation' does not reflect what it is we do. Interest Representation should be further defined in terms of Public Policy Development and Public Policy Advocacy.

Public Policy Development

Public Policy development relates to the process and substance of ex­ploring, designing, and creating options for government action or policy. Often included is consideration of the means of policy engagement by stakeholders.

Public Policy Advocacy

Public-policy advocacy is about the approach, strategies, and tactics employed by exter­nal interests to influence decisions of government, including the adoption, modification, or rejection) of specific policy-policy options. It, too, often involves means of policy engagement by stakeholders. Interest Representation means direct representation to public of­ficials in an attempt to influence a decision of government, but it is but one dimension – albeit a central one – of Public Policy Advocacy.

Policy Development and Policy Advocacy are distinct but closely related functions, and there are certain skills associated with each. For example, an individual experienced in policy development  would probably have a more refined analytical capacity with re­spect to both qualitative and quantitative research, thinking through, conjuring, writing about, and explaining critical economic and social data, along with the details of a par­ticular measure and how it can be implemented. A Public Policy Advocate is usually more concerned with how the idea or measure created by policy-development specialists (be they clients, employers, or colleagues) might be most effectively promoted, advanced, or sold to policy advisors and decision-makers in government.

We’re not just Interest Representatives, we’re Public Policy Advocates!