2. Government Relations
• One of the most delicate stakeholders companies
have to interface with is –GOVERNMENT
• The network of legislators,regulators,elected
officials, and appointed representatives that
constrain, control, tax, review, delay, authorise
punish, and otherwise maintain oversight of the
activities of the private sector
3. Harris and Moss (2001)describe
GR as
• The management of the often complex
external relations between the organisation
and an array of governmental and non –
governmental stakeholder groups
4. Government Relations(GR)
describes
• The set of professionals who have
specialised in this area in recent years, a
"field that is often referred to as “Public
Affairs” because of its focus on widespread
public interest
5. The key to managing government
relations (GR) during industry
transformation is educating our
various stakeholders (including
elected and non-elected officials)
on major aspects of our business:
understanding the competitive
environment (domestic and global),
changing customer needs and
behaviour, the impact of
technology, the underlying costs of
doing business and the regulatory
framework.
6. A fundamental principle of good
GR is to "build relationships early"
- to build a foundation of trust and
integrity/credibility that's there
when higher levels of engagement
on more serious issues is required.
When possible, framing our agenda
from the perspective of the
government's agenda (and its need
to satisfy multiple stakeholders) is
helpful for building trust and
leveraging.
7. Managing Govt. relations
Best Practices in Govt. Relations:
1. Shoot straight (truth)
2. Be consistent
3. Know you issues
4. Know your audience
5. Know what you have to ask.
6. Offer solutions
7. Listen
8. Be adaptive
9. Believe your own policies.
10.Play the rules.
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8. Managing Govt. Relations
Ways of establishing govt. Relations:
1.Official letters.
2.Demi-official letters (among Govt. officials
at personal level)
3.Govt. Letters..
4.Letters to authorities.
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9. Managing Govt. Relations:
Government relations by the Corporates is important to
maintain and manage the image and reputation. A
Government relation includes all forms of lobbying that
have an ultimate goal of influencing public policy.
Lobbying is the practice of convincing one’s position to
the govt. official with the hopes of influencing
legislation, regulation, or govt. action .
Lobbying can be in the form of meeting with govt.
members, phone or written communication ( via letter,
email or fax)
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10. Managing Govt. Relations:
Government relations by the Corporates is important to
maintain and manage the image and reputation. A
Government relation includes all forms of lobbying that
have an ultimate goal of influencing public policy.
Lobbying is the practice of convincing one’s position to
the govt. official with the hopes of influencing
legislation, regulation, or govt. action .
Lobbying can be in the form of meeting with govt.
members, phone or written communication ( via letter,
email or fax)
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11. • To most people Govt.relations and PR are
synonymous with lobbying
• In practice GR plays an important function for
many companies ,not only through
lobbying(secretive behind the scenes activity
through which companies and foreign governments
try to manipulate the political agenda to their
advantage using illicit means such as purchasing of
favours)but through regulatory function
12. Profiling the GR specialist
• Three set of skills that the GR specialist
should possess
• Scientific Abilities
• Technical knowledge about industry topics
• Descriptive and analytical capabilities
• An ability to put things in perspective
• A critical way of thinking
13. • Scientific preparatory skills
• Knowledge of political developments
• Firm understanding of the organisation and its
strength and weakness
• Pragmatic efficiency
• Specific skills needed in the field
• Ability to make connection between preparatory
work and fieldwork
• Diplomatic skills
• Curiosity for developments in related area
• Strong involvement with the companies multiple
stakeholders
14. Effectiveness of GR
• Partly can be measured through goal
acheivement-
• success in getting a law passed that is
favourable to the company,
• In getting a threatening regulation
eliminated
• A subsidy cancelled
• A burdensome law changed
• However ,a non-event( a measure not
taken,a law not passed) can also be
important in itself
15. • Success is often expressed in economic terms- the
revenues gained for the company, or cost burden
removed
• It can also be described in reputational terms-the
effects of GRs activities on the company's reputation
with government representatives
• As GR specialist convey information and set out to
influence key government agents, they get to
introduce and personalise the company to a wide
range of powerful stakeholders
16. • Like all stakeholders ,regulators and legislators need
to understand and appreciate the companys position
on an issue
• A Skilful GR specialist must create a sensible
interpretation ,one that rationalises what the
company does with what it stands for ,and
communicate the companys values in ways that
convey credibility,aunthenticity,and responsiveness.
