INTERNATIONAL LOBBYING AND KEY TOPICS TO BE COVERED

Overview

1. History of lobbying
2. Lobbying Concepts and Definitions: theories on the term’s current meaning
3. Democratic legitimization of lobbying
4. Rationale for lobbying: Types of lobbying programs
5. Ethics of lobbying and its regulation
6. Communication of interests in the political system
7. Communication and political drivers in the political decision-making process
8. Communication between politics and business
9. Functions of lobbying for business: Insider status and outsider status as a place of corporation in contextual environment
10. Policy shaping and legislation changing as an ultimate objective of lobbying
11. Government relations and lobbying: issues of correlation
12. Profile raising: Meaning and content
13. Contact program and its characteristics: Key decision makers and key opinion formers in contact building program
14. Information management and strategy consulting as an essential part of lobbying
15. Events and promoting company interests as an instrument in Government Relations
16. Pressure groups, charities, trade unions and smaller professional bodies as subjects of lobbying activities
17. Ways of engaging with public affairs stakeholders
18. Favorability grid in ranking stakeholders
19. Social and political environment of the corporation
20. Timing in mechanics of lobbying
21. Golden rules of lobbying

Lobbying in the EU

1. A brief history of the European Union
2. The political system of the EU and its characteristics
3. European Council as the highest body in the EU hierarchy, The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, The European Council, The Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers), The European Commission, The European Parliament, The Court of Justice of the EU and other institutions as objects of lobbying
4. Specific features of lobbying a 28 state Europe

Lobbying in the United States

1. The political system of the USA: Brief introduction
2. Lobbying in the USA: Structure, trends and controls
3. Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act
4. Lobbying in the USA and EU: Comparative Analysis

Lobbying in Asia

1. Overall picture of lobbying in Asia
2. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as an object and coordination of lobbying activities
3. Guanxi as basic personalized networks of influence in Asia
4. Corruption and side deals in business network
5. Culture in Asia
6. The absence of Western style liberal democracy as a particularity in the region
7. Lobbying in China (including Hong Kong)
8. Lobbying in India
9. Lobbying in Japan

Lobbying in the Middle East

1. Overall picture of lobbying in the Middle East
2. Combination of cronyism mixed with obligation as a key feature of lobbying in the Middle East
3. System of political patronage
4. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) as key players on the political market
5. Lobbying in Egypt
6. Lobbying in Iran
7. Lobbying in Saudi Arabia
8. Lobbying in the United Arab Emirates
9. Lobbying in Israel

International Lobbying Required Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge

1. Knowledge of basic methods of data collection and analysis, selection of necessary regulatory and enforcement regulations and their implementation.
2. Knowledge of public authorities structures in different countries; concepts and definitions regarding lobbying and government relations activities
3. Knowledge of specific features of public administration in different jurisdictions; ways of interaction of politics and interest; the role of lobbying as the basis of communication between politics and business.
4. Knowledge of rationale of lobbying; functions of lobbying for business; ethics of lobbying and its regulation; democratic legitimization of lobbying.

Skills and Abilities

1. Optimal and effective prioritizing; ability to apply innovative algorithm of managerial decision-making in  crisis situations.
2. Understanding the essence of laws, bylaws and different legal acts; forms and ways of power distribution in different countries to identify key decision-makers and key opinion formers in political processes.
3. Behaving appropriately while communicating somebody’s interests to apply different types of lobbying programs.
4. Ability to perform different types of lobbying programs, namely profile raising; contact program; information management and strategy consulting; events and promoting company interests; lobbying as political crisis management; policy shaping and legislation changing.