TIPS FOR PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCATES
Submitted by christian on Wed, 06/03/2015 - 11:28
- Define the Issue. People may not need to know your long-term goals. Get right to the point about what you need and why it is good public policy that the person would want to support.
- Know the players. Which arguments will work with which people.
- Know the committees. Note whether they have clear or shared jurisdictions and what their different prejudices or constituencies are. Note that the arguments that work in the first committee may not be very powerful in the second.
- Know the public policy rationale behind current policy.
- Prepare materials. One-pagers.
- Involve the client. (What can they do that the hired lobbyist cannot? How can this be helpful? How can it be harmful?)
- Go outside when necessary. (Do all organizations have the resources to do this?)
- Anticipate the opposition. (Is it your responsibility to tell your allies about who will be opposed?)
- Be solicitous of your allies. Don’t waste their time.
- Know the rules of parliamentary procedure.
- Build coalitions. ( Lobby other lobbyists to join you.)
- Pay attention to political parties.
- Observe basic courtesies.
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