SUCCESSFULLY INFLUENCING PUBLIC POLICY

Whether it is monitoring government activities, advocating, lobbying or strategic partnering, those leaders who demonstrate they understand and can influence the public policy arena are better able to support those they serve. The process of influencing policy can be broken into four broad and interelated steps.

If you are a board member, chief executive officer or programme manager, following the four steps outlined here below will help you influence governments on the issue that are important to you and your organization.

Step 1: Know your issue, goals, supporters and opposition

The more you know about your issue and the clearer you are about what you want to achieve, the more effectively you will be able to make your case. To make a strong case for doing something about your issue, you must present your issue with statistics, information that show how many people are affected, how broad the impact is, how long it has been going on and what will happen if it is not addressed by public policy. It is also very useful to get to know who your supporters are and who you might approach as supporters. Contact them and tell them about the work your organisation is doing. Discuss how your goals may be similar to theirs and try to gain their support for your work. Getting to know your opposition can help you to understand their viewpoint. You don't have to agree with it, just understand it. This insight can help you to focus your argument and activities in the most effective ways. It can also show you what areas people with other points of view will focus on and help you direct your research so you'll have information to counter their position.

Step 2: Identify and engage stakeholders and develop networks- make connections between different people and different groups.

Once you have an understanding of how policy is made, and who makes policy related to your issue your next move is to advocate to get your issue on the agenda of the relevant policy makers. This is where your research, insight and commitment to your issue pay off. You can have an impact in policy development if you know your issue, present your ideas and evidence clearly, and are prepared with solutions. Any argument is more persuasive if they are many voices supporting it. Broad support is particularly important when you are trying to get your issue on a politician's agenda. If you can convince a politician that he or she will please many voters by acting on your issue, you are more likely to win over the politician. Building networks and involving groups and individuals who also have a stake in the issue can bring the "bigger voice" forward. Politicians may agree to a certain policy action but it may never be implemented. One big voice, including many stakeholders who are working on the same issue and advocating for the same cause, can be a factor in keeping an issue on the policy agenda. A united, consistent voice can help to make certain the issue remains in the spotlight.

Step 3: Know the policy process, policy tools and policy makers

The policy development process at the government level particularly at the EU level can be lengthy and complex. It helps to understand how an issue becomes a policy issue and what happens from there: Initiation is when an issue is brought to the attention of policy-makers and put onto the political agenda. Priority setting is when the issue is looked at in terms of the many competing issues that need to be acted on. Formulation is when policy goals are set and the policy direction is developed. Legitimation is when the research is done to determine what has been done in the past, what has been successful and what hasn't worked and the policy is written. Implementation is when the policy ios put into action. Finally Interpretation and Evaluation is when under ideal conditions the effectiveness and impact of the policy are monitored and evaluated, but this is the part of the policy process that often does not ocur.

Deciding which level of government to approach is a critical step. You need to locate the people who are responsible for developing policy on the issue you are interested in. It helps if he or she is interested in your issue and willing to move it forward on the policy agenda. But even if the policy maker is not initially sympathetic, it is your job to try and change his or her mind. Therefore, it's a good idea to establish and maintain good relations with the policy makers you deal with whether they agree with you or not. Influencing policy can sometimes take a long time, and in the long run you'll be more effective if you make as many friends and as few enemies as possible.

Step 4: Take action !

At this point, you've identified your issue, done your research and identified the relevant policy makers, stakeholders and potential partners. The next step is to develop an action plan.

• Why are you doing this?
• What's your long-term goal? It's always good to know where you're headed. If you lose sight of this, you can bogged down in details and become discouraged.
• What will you do now?
• What's the first task toward achieving your long-term goal? You need to break down a series of short-term activities that lead to the ultimate goal
• Who will do it?
• Who is the best person or persons to do this task? Perhaps you should retain a professional public policy advocate to help you.

Policy change happens when people keep working toward it. Every activity leads into the next and it is important to keep the cycle and momentum going forward. So after every action, take stock, celebrate your success and plan your next move.