In order to evaluate the efficiency of your trade association’s public policy advocacy, the following seven categories are considered: 1. Location-Resources-Mandate;  2. Infrastructure and Legislative Monitoring;  3. Networks;  4. Interaction between the Secretariat and the Members; 5. Communication;  6. Influence-Public Policy Advocacy and 7. Public Policy Advocacy Structure.  There are a total of 63 questions.

Even if the position taken by public policy advocates is based on excellent research, as it often is, the equally-necessary work of translating this research into relevant, constructive and realistic policy options is not often done – in part because governments themselves are hardly ever entirely open about the parameters of decision making, even if they know themselves. Everyone, to some extent, is fumbling in the dark.

As of July 13 2013, our website (aalep.eu)  is currently ranked #18,823,895 in the World among over 30 million websites based on Alexa Traffic Ranking.

What is remarkable, however, is that we’ve attained a traffic rank of 3,245 among users in Belgium, where 94% of our audience is located. And among Brussels users the site is relatively popular since it is ranked 652.

Public Policy Advocacy is any effort to in influence public policy by providing information, speaking to decision makers, demonstrating benefits for policy change and other such activities that encourage the adoption of the desired policy change. Public Policy Advocacy requires organization, information, preparation and communication. Public Policy Advocates research and analyze proposed laws, rules, policies or regulations; monitor developments; attend hearings; furnish periodic updates; educate policymakers, staff, and colleagues, and work with other interested parties.

Public policy advocacy plays a vital role in promoting effective representative government. By providing focused expertise and analysis to help public officials make informed decisions public policy advocates sustain and advance the policy process. The most basic function of the public policy advocate is to educate by providing information, and it is axiomatic that legislators benefit when they can consider information from a broad range of interested parties.

Meeting with and communicating with government officials usually represent only a small portion of a public policy advocate’s time. A far greater portion of time is generally devoted to other aspects of preparation: researching and analyzing legislation or regulatory proposals, monitoring and reporting on developments, attending parliamentary or regulatory hearings, working with coalitions interested in the same issues, developing strategy and evaluating tactics, and communicating with clients about the implications of various policies, proposals, and developments.

Communication is strategic when it is completely consistent with a corporation’s mission, vision, values and is able to enhance the strategic positioning and competitiveness of the organisation. The most important concept to understand in relation to communication strategy is that communication should be seen from the audience’s perspective. Strategic communication must be clear, true, repeated, consistent and delivered with passion.

AALEP Consulting services are based on a four-step approach that includes 1. Intelligence Gathering 2. Analysis 3. Strategic Planning and 4. Advocacy. In order to manage policy change effectively, accurate and timely predictive intelligence is a necessity. Through our extensive network of contacts with the EU institutions, we are able to follow what’s going on first hand, providing monitoring and intelligence gathering for clients eager to stay ahead of EU legislation and policy developments.

There are 3 prime associations that represent medicine practitioners. The Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) and  the European Association of Senior Hospital Physicians (AEMH). All three pursue general objectives: Exchange of information, study of the conditions influencing medical practice, study of health care systems, competency of medicine practitioners, defense of medical ethics, pre-and post graduate medical training of doctors, high standards of continuing medical education (CME), improvement of health care.

The Council of European Dentists (CED) represents over 340,000 dentists across Europe. The association is composed of 32 national dental associations from 30 European countries.

The association's objective is to develop and execute policy and strategy in order to: