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Creating a Public Affairs and Government Relations Strategy
This government affairs training course covers using lobbying to influence policy. You will learn to map the political and power structures that shape your regulatory world. Topics include shaping your business environment with advocacy, media and online lobbying.
This course is available live online.
- Live online (Zoom) | Two half-days | 09:00-12:30 London time | $867
(New prices above apply from Jan 1st 2025)
Also available on request in US / Asia timezones
Course outline
Understanding the principles of government relations and public affairs
This module covers the founding concepts and best practices that underpin effective public affairs.
- Understanding the origins of public affairs and government relations
- What public affairs and government relations can achieve
- Introducing public affairs and government relations activities
- Evaluating the threats and opportunities of acting and not acting
Creating a government relations and public affairs strategy
This module presents a practical step-by-step approach to designing a lobbying strategy for any organisation.
- Learning the components of a public affairs and government relations strategy
- Identifying objectives and goals, stakeholders and key messages
- Measuring success
Stakeholder analysis and management in public affairs
This module covers how to shape and adapt government relations activities according to the needs and expectations of stakeholder audiences.
- Identifying, categorising and evaluating stakeholders
- Understanding what and how they think
- Identifying and researching political targets
- Mapping relationships with your stakeholders
Understanding and mapping your public affairs and political landscape
This module covers how to extract insights from a big-picture view of the government and policy environment.
- Understanding government influences on the policy agenda
- Evaluating sources of available intelligence
- Understanding the policy development cycle
Practical tools for powerful messaging
This module covers how to focus and distil complex or nuanced ideas into clear messages that will drive effective communications.
- Understanding the fundamentals of strong messaging
- Creating messages for your organisation
Effective positioning for stakeholders
This module covers how to tailor messages to the needs of particular stakeholder groups.
- Using message development tools to focus on stakeholders' needs
- Aligning interests of your organisation with your stakeholders
- Understanding how to position your organisational goals with the public interest
Proof and persuasion
This module covers how to use facts, proof, stories and emotional appeal to make messages relevant, memorable and convincing.
- Providing proof to make messages credible
- Understanding the power of framing messages
- Using language techniques to amplify the power of your message
- Putting a narrative and values in to your message
Leveraging communication channels
This module covers how to deploy positioning consistently and effectively across multiple communication channels and over time.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of different communications channels
- Harnessing new media and social media
- Understanding channel segmentation to maximise the impact of communications
Reviews
Meet your trainers
Following are some of the ISOC trainers who regularly lead this course, depending whether you join us in London, Dubai or live online.
Trainer profile: Tim Harrison
Tim is a strategic communications consultant with more than 20 years’ experience, helping organisations to deliver their messages effectively to multiple stakeholders, including media, investors, regulators and policymakers, as well as employees.
Operating at the most senior levels to devise and execute strategic communications plans including media relations, crisis and issues management, reputation management, investor relations and internal communications, he is also a highly experienced and effective coach and trainer, helping senior executives to gain maximum impact from media interviews, presentations, public speaking, and investor engagements across a range of industries and geographies.
Tim has spent his entire career in corporate communications, both as a consultant and in-house. From 2006-16 he worked for HSBC, first as Regional Head of Communications in the Middle East and North Africa, then in global communications roles, before leaving the bank in 2016 to pursue a consultancy career. Prior to HSBC, he worked across a range of sectors, both as a consultant and in-house practitioner, consistently delivering business benefits from communications strategies. His experience includes spells with Abbey National/Santander, BNY Mellon Edelman, Asda’a PR and Charles Barker. A graduate of Oxford University, Tim is married with two children and lives in London.
Trainer profile: Jenni Perry
Jenni is a senior communications professional, PR consultant and strategist. She has extensive experience within the UK Government Communications Network, working closely with Ministers and senior policy officials across various departments including Trade and Industry, and for prominent Royalty. In the corporate world, Jenni was UK head of public relations for global pharmaceutical group Pfizer, where as a member of the European communications team she was responsible for PR and media training across the organisation. Her experience includes strategic public relations, corporate communications, press office development, media relations, public affairs, sponsorship management, crisis communications, corporate social responsibility and writing.
What you will learn
After this course you will be able to:
- Identify why government relations and public affairs are important and what value they can create for an organisation
- Understand and analyse the components of a public affairs strategy
- Use stakeholder analysis and evaluation tools
- Produce a situation analysis
- Map out the power structures that determine your organisation’s prospects
- Identify how, where and when to engage in the policy and legislative process
- Develop an issues and stakeholder management plan for public affairs
- Master and execute the main public affairs and lobbying techniques
- Define the characteristics and ingredients of strong messaging strategies
- Tailor positioning to stakeholder expectations and perspectives
Who should attend?
This is an intermediate-level course designed for learners with existing knowledge and several years of experience in PR, marketing or communication. Learning is pitched at a level to help you develop strategic approaches and apply sophisticated techniques. This course is recommended for anyone tasked with managing or overseeing the creation of a lobbying or PA strategy, whether directly or having hired a consultancy.
