Government relations
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
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
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
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.
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.
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. 
7
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. 
8
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) 
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) 
10
• 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
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
• 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
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
• 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
• 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.
Copy of govt relations

Copy of govt relations

  • 1.
  • 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 tomanaging 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 principleof 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. 7
  • 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. 8
  • 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) 9
  • 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) 10
  • 11.
    • To mostpeople 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 GRspecialist • 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 preparatoryskills • 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 isoften 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 allstakeholders ,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.