Top 5 Reasons to Utilize a Policy Analyst in the Private Sector

Okay, this article may seem a bit self-serving when a senior policy analyst is the writer but bear with me. I promise you will learn a thing or two that may just help you in ways you didn’t know you needed.

As an undergraduate studying political science with a focus on public policy, we were subconsciously conditioned to believe that the only place for a policy professional (in the context of political analysis, anyways) was to work in government, for a political party, or a non-governmental organization (NGO). So, you could imagine my surprise when Alberta Counsel, a legal and lobby firm, recruited me to become the team’s policy analyst.

I had questions. How do I analyze policies that we are not developing? How do I apply the policy cycle when I am not conducting consultations for government? How do I provide policy advice to someone who is not responsible for the drafting of legislation? Is this just a title on paper?

What exactly does a policy analyst do anyways?

As the name suggests, they are primarily responsible for understanding legislation and identifying both the intended and unintended consequences that could result from the changes being proposed.

Additionally, analysts often are tasked with providing strategic advice on a variety of issues to help a decision-maker or stakeholder guide their minister or organization down a responsible and (hopefully) advantageous path. This can be done in the form of briefing notes, presentations, reports, or by some other means.

Finally, they often provide critical behind-the-scenes support to ensure that decision-makers have all the information they need in order to take action on an issue. While there is plenty more to the role than I lay out here, it should give you a good idea of what we do in a day.

With this in mind, here are the top 5 reasons why your organization should utilize a policy analyst:

1.       They are governance and legislative specialists

In short, we policy analysts are government nerds. Our free time is often spent looking at what is happening both locally and in other jurisdictions simply because we find it fascinating. However, when you give a policy analyst a specific mandate or focus, we are trained to look for information and details you may not have considered relevant or important to your decision-making process.

At a more basic level, a policy analyst is able to help your organization understand how government operates to provide you with crucial context about why and when things happen as they do. They can tell you what legislation will impact your organization and what the changes could mean for how you do business. They can help prepare you for election season by providing a succinct and detailed breakdown of party platforms and how you may be impacted depending on who forms government.

Just because you may not be political, that does not mean that you should not be prepared for the outcome of a local, provincial, or federal elections.

2.       They free up senior management to focus on other things that impact their organization

Monitoring government is a full-time job, full stop.

In many organizations, someone on the executive team is often saddled with the responsibility of observing trends and providing government updates to the rest of the team in addition to their usual responsibilities. Given the short synopsis of policy analysis above, you can likely appreciate there simply isn’t enough time in a day to handle those responsibilities in addition to your own workload.

Off-loading your government scanning to a policy analyst can help to improve executive efficiency and even improve the quality of intelligence being provided to your team.

3.       They can be a valuable voice to have at the decision-making table

Touching on the last point, having someone on your team being responsible for legislative monitoring and analysis can provide your decision-makers with invaluable insight they may not already have. While not every day will produce new information relevant to an organization, the "quiet" days are when policy analysts most valuable as it gives them sufficient time to fully digest recent changes and news.

4.       They are trained to do nearly anything you could ever ask

·         Do you need someone who can provide you with daily media scans?

·         Do you need someone who can produce presentations for internal and external stakeholders?

·         Do you need someone who can meet with government officials and speak their language?

·         Do you need someone to conduct research and provide a supplemental report?

·         Do you need someone to help develop a government relations strategy?

If you answer yes to any of the above, you probably need a policy analyst.

5.       They are adaptable to whatever environment you place them in

Every segment of society is impacted by the decisions government makes. For that reason, most policy analysts are trained as "generalists". While the subject matter and subsequent expertise vary greatly from ministry to ministry, policy analysis is a fairly static exercise. The policy cycle can be applied to most government departments and; therefore, most industries.

Of course, it is possible for an in-house policy analyst to be a subject matter expert in your field. If you are able to find this person, hire them yesterday. However, any policy analyst that is placed into a narrow field of work will eventually develop both the institutional and legislative knowledge that is necessary to become your in-house subject matter expert. It is worth the time investment you will make.

“We need additional government relations assistance beyond monitoring and research.”

Guess what, that's okay. At firms like Alberta Counsel, policy research and analysis are part of the package. Even if the analyst is not working directly with a client, they are doing plenty of behind-the-scenes work for your associate which often includes monitoring government and providing updates.

With that said, you are also able to work directly with a policy analyst on the team if that better fits your goals and your budget.

At the end of the day, having a politically minded individual with the skills and knowledge to provide your organization with timely, accurate information is something everyone should want to take advantage of. If you think this is an area that your organization could benefit from, get in touch with anyone at our firm and we would be happy to discuss your needs!