TASKS TO EXPECT FROM AN EFFECTIVE GRP

GRP stands for Government Relations Professional. The work of a GRP involves three key aspects:

1. Monitoring: Continuous and close attention to the law and the rule-making processes at the local, national, European and international level providing the client the most up-to-date information potentially affecting their business environment.

2. Advocating: Thorough knowledge and effective utilization of persuasion skills in dealing with elected or appointed decision-makers such as legislators, administrators and other high-level government staff. A GRP should have the ability to understand and be rhetorically creative with highly technical information. GRPs gather, interpret and disseminate a client's expertise, technical information and arguments in a persuasive manner in order to educate and inform policy-makers. It's not only a matter of personal access but flawless dominance of the art of persuasion by controlling public appeal, displaying full understanding of the substantive matter, and convincing of his or moral competence.

3. Strategize: GRPs should coordinate, design and implement strategies based on an articulated roadmap to meet the client's ultimate goals.

These are challenging times but also times of great opportunities for corporations. Governments all over the world at all levels will continue to make decisions that can potentially affect business. Participation in that process is not only a business imperative but a right. Deciding on who speaks on your corporation's behalf is an important endeavour.

Government relations is not just another word for lobbying. It is much more. It is a key part of the political process. Working with any government, representing a client's ideas or a company at local, national, European or international level takes skill and understanding. And it takes time- time to built relationships; time to nurture those relationships; time to study and develop legislation- time that many companies do not have.

Hiring a government relations consultant can save you time and you can take advantage of years of relationship building and knowledge of the government's inner working. But make certain that the GRP has a demonstrated experience and core competencies:

• Ability to absorb rapidly a wide range of complex regulatory and business issues;
• Ability to distil complex ideas quickly in order to articulate these to relevant audiences;
• Attention to detail and quality of execution;
• Ability to develop good working relationships across the business;
• Ability to work successfully with people at different levels and from different cultures and nationalities.