Most lobbyists think good political communication is a good position paper, meeting with an official/political, or a briefing event.
Good political communication is much more than that.
Lobbyists who have worked on election campaigns are unlikely to be so myopic. But that is a rare breed in Brussels. Many policy expert lobbyists are of the school that all that is needed is a turgidly dense 44-page position paper, legible only to an inner circle of policy nerds for that issue, and a roundtable for 20 fellow policy obsessives (who are not making the political decision/holding the pen).
A good political communications team are worth its weight in gold. They are a rare resource.
They’ll be the team that can take your idea, and get it onto the policy/political agenda, and into a law.
It will be built on the back of a sound public policy, evidence and solutions.
There are about 5 people I know who can help you tap values and take your communications to a new level.
Good communication takes resources (time, money), and it can only support a good case. If your case is weak or full of holes, great communication won’t help you.
And, if you don’t have real financial resources and a long-term time horizon (it can take a year or more to land), there is no point starting. You’ll be wasting your scarce resources.
Below are some practical examples of great communications work that I personally know moved the political/policy needle.
Public reframing
Gaddafi’s Empire Of Tuna Fish And Hotels In Uganda - Forbes Africa
Celebrity Endorsement
Focused audience
Showing scrutiny (during Inter-Service Consultation)
Friends and Family
Policy Peers
Mainstream TV
Opinion Forming class: Books and Documentaries
The trick is to harness these events during the few windows of opportunity, for the perception (maybe the illusion) of public interest, or elite policy community interest, will move the needle.
If you don’t have the flight plan of the law or policy you are working on, let alone the window of opportunity, the chance of success is between zero and very low. And, you’ll need a robust case, supported by evidence, practical solutions, and political support.
__________________________________________________
A Road Map for an OLP file, modelled on the CLP file.
Loading...
Reload document 
Open in new tab