Strategic planning for government affairs
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Presentation Given at the 2014 Public Affairs Conference on State and Local Government Relations in Alexandria Virginia.
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Strategic planning for government affairs
- 1. Strategic Planning for Government Affairs Creating Agreement, Support, and Direction for Your Government Affairs Efforts
- 2. Why Have A Strategic Plan?
- 3. PART ONE Start Building Your Plan
- 4. Assess What You Have
- 5. Influencing the Outcome Define the Audience Identify Direction Determine Decision Makers Locate Response
- 6. What will you need to be effective •Budget •Materials •Resources •Manpower Determine Your Needs
- 7. Case Study: SEMAR The South East Minnesota Association of REALTORS® •Governing 5 Counties and 40+ Municipalities up to 100 miles apart •HEAVY member involvement •Vastly different political beliefs What do you do when no one has ever met?
- 8. PART TWO Testing Your Plan
- 10. Gather Data & Test Messages • Conduct Research – Polling – Focus Groups – Influencers • Test Audiences • Refine Messaging Avenues
- 11. Case Study: CSUF & CollegeTown Development California State University Fullerton •50 Year History in the community •35,000 Students •Transitioning to more destination campus •Active Angry Residents How do you undo 50 years of history and establish public trust in 6 months?
- 12. PART THREE Implementing Your Plan
- 13. Stay On Point
- 14. When to Re Evaluate
- 15. One More Thing… GIVE CREDIT
- 16. Case Study: What went wrong? A major trade association •Well funded corporate members •Minimal culture for PAC fundraising •Multiple communication channels •Engaged volunteers How do you go down when there is nowhere to go but up?
- 17. So… What’s it Look Like? • Monthly Plans • Specific Tasks & Assignments • Specific Goals and Annual Tracking • Identified Targets • Methodology to Reach Targets • Assigned Contacts • Assigned Follow Ups
- 18. Why should we get involved? “The penalty for refusing to participate in politics is that you will be governed by your inferiors” - Plato
- 19. Strategic Planning for Government Affairs Successful GA Program • Policy • Politics • Public Advocacy The Right Plan Gets You There! Chip Ahlswede – (714) 402-1430 chip@gastrategies.com Meredith Weisel – (301) 437-2554 Meredith@gastrategies.com
Editor's Notes
- One of the most common problems with Government Affairs is that we get caught up in the immediate distraction, and we miss opportunities as a result. It is partially in our nature. We are a responsive entity. We acknowledge that priorities shift, and that we need to follow the needs of those in charge Whether that is a legislative body and their direction, or The needs of the organization we are representing However often those distractions that arise are just that, distractions, and instead are an opportunity to return to your committed ideas. When you have a strategic plan, you can always use those directives as a navigational course to bring you back to where you belong.
- Assess What You Have Do You Know the Issues Coming from others Your Issues to Support Do You Have Support White Papers on the Issues Research on the Issues Anecdotes/ Testimonials on the Issues Do You Have A Message Who is it framed around Who is it framed to influence Do you have your pitch materials Have you trained speakers on the issues Do you have ways for people to learn more Do You Have Partners Are there elected officials on your side Are there organizations, coalitions, associations on your side Are there non-traditional allies you can recruit How has the media treated the issue Where is the general public
- Consider How You Can Influence the Outcome What is the body you are trying to influence What is their makeup What affiliations do the members have Do you / your allies have any warm connections What is the direction of that body Philosophically Specific charge Recent History How are the decisions made in the body Are they made ahead of time Do they decide from the floor Are they directed by someone else Who are the members of the body responsive to Is it a partisan group Do they follow direction from another person / group Are they popularity driven Does the media have an influence
- Identify What You Need Do You Have a Budget For Materials For Messaging For Consultants / Professionals For Events Materials What items will you need to be successful in this endeavor Resources Office Space Meeting Space Do You Have Manpower Volunteers Staff Expertise Contract Consultants / Professionals Or A Network to attract them Coalition Partners The Media The General Public
- In the Rochester Minnesota area Their area is around 100 miles by 75 miles in area The association had a few key issues that were being run in different directions Their volunteers never coordinated, never shared information, they had never even met After a 2 day planning session evaluating their collective priorities, they developed issues to support and action plans to get to them, and individuals responsible on a staff and volunteer basis. They had a 2 year plan to implement their goals, and the path to set up a follow up plan. Within 2 election cycles they had taken over majorities of their councils, had members appointed to commissions across the region, and shifted public perception in several key municipalities.
- Develop an ideal Timeline Recognize you don’t dictate the timeline, but can influence it What external time demands are important Meeting/ Hearing/ Passage dates and deadlines Include the partners necessary to make the timeline Know to be flexible
- Gather Your Data Conduct polling on the issue where you can Research how your message resonates with different audiences Establish your communication strategy to deliver various messages Craft your message Use the data to figure out the priority of your messages Identify, recruit and train the speakers on your issue Test your message Refine your messaging directions and connections Consider feedback on the issues Approach your allies for direction Clear everything with your partners, but remember – just because it isn’t the message you’d like, sometimes you need to abandon your belief for the message that works – make sure they understand that too. Tighten up your message strategy one last time
- For 50 years CSUF grew and ignored their neighbors and local growth regulations because the state controlled their growth Neighbors HATE the school Now the school has become huge and all commuter, which is clogging the streets CSUF partners with the city & a private college to develop dense student housing that requires shutting a major street – residents hate the idea & city is in a PR turmoil So we tested what groups resonated city wide and with leaders We reached out to those groups and showed them how this plan benefitted them We gathered all the requisite data that proved the opposite of what the opposition was saying We re-framed the language in the project documentation to sound less threatening We publicly pointed out the inconsistencies with the oppositions arguments We attached the interests of the opposition to the plan (Parking Management, Clean Up, Community, Connectivity) We attached the individual opposition members to their core issues and solutions We effectively disarmed the opposition… And now one is running for city council, and recruited the mentally ill brother of one of the council members who support the project to syphon votes because they are that sick.
- Stay On Point Keep everyone on message Keep them to your messages Keep them in the loop
- Re-Evaluate on Two Schedules Regular check ins Major Shifts Check Your Benchmarks How are volunteer retentions How are web activities going What is happening on social media What are your click rates Are your Ads effective Are new audiences emerging How are other communications being received Do you need to adjust strategy Is the target body responding? How is your Volume?
- Credit goes to everyone Make sure that everyone engaged feels a part of the engagement, and that it is appreciated
- Leadership gave buy in Every step of the way there was another excuse for what couldn’t be done in the plan There was always a roadblock Can’t send that message Can’t get signed off Don’t want to “spam the members” Can’t have a presence at anything Can’t talk to the volunteers Can’t do surveys Can’t change the Prior approval – Not because it wasn’t legal, but because they didn’t want to ask the attorney to approve it What it came down to is: They had a plan They had a solution They had the materials They had the buy in They didn’t have the commitment from the powers that be to change.
- There’s an old adage in politics. If you aren’t at the table… you are probably on the menu. The goal of the association here is to not just get you to the table, but provide you with the opportunities to show the strength of this industry. With that said, when opportunity presents itself, you must take it…