Five Tips for Government Relations Success This Fall

During the summer months, it is easy to push politics to the back of one’s mind. The Legislature rises until the end of October, families are enjoying vacation time, and folks are getting out to enjoy the various activities and events that they look forward to throughout the year.

After all, when we spend many months bundled up against the cold in Alberta, we have to make the most of the limited nice weather time we get.

While politics tends to take a back seat for many during the summer, that does not mean that one should forget it entirely – especially when one has government relations objectives they hope to accomplish. This is the time when organizations should analyze their advocacy work from the past year and determine the best path forward to succeed in the upcoming fall and spring sittings.

In this article, we will share five pieces of advice for your organization to consider over the summer months.

1.      Evaluate Your Past Year(s) of Advocacy

If you are a current or past client of Alberta Counsel, you will be familiar with the idea of a government relations plan. Effectively, this is the roadmap we help organizations construct to build a path to advocacy success with the provincial government. This document includes strategies and goals we put together for organizations to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

With that said, this document also gives us an opportunity to evaluate the progress of your advocacy.

If you are a current client, we will work with your organization to discuss the year in review and find agreement on the level of success achieved to date. Of course, we recognize that government relations is an incredibly dynamic environment, so we will also work with you to re-evaluate existing goals and/or discuss new strategies to improve your odds of success.

If you are not a client of ours, that’s okay! Perhaps your organization is leading its own government relations strategies. We can sit down together to go over your government relations strategies and find new pathways for you to pursue.

2.      Stay Up to Date on Government Priorities

As one might suspect, each sitting and session of the Alberta Legislature looks different. An important part of any government relations strategy is timing – when does it make the most sense to pursue legislative or regulatory change.

Developing an understanding of what government has done to date and what is left to do (based on election platforms and past public statements) can help you determine if there is sufficient alignment or opportunity to ensure your issue is part of the discussion. It is important to understand not only government priorities but also the current events landscape. While something may not necessarily be on the government agenda, sufficient public appetite for something can be motivation enough to insert it into the government’s plans.

3.      Explore Digital Advocacy

While traditional government relations strategies are still incredibly effective today, the reality is campaigns that have public support on their side are more likely to succeed. There are a variety of reasons for this, but ultimately public (voter) mobilization is one of the most effective ways to persuade a government to act.

Using digital advocacy tools to identify public supporters can help organizations to amplify their message and issue to government. Once these supporters are identified, finding ways to engage them in your advocacy and mobilize their support can be the difference between government relations success and stalled initiatives.

If you’re thinking about adding a digital element or simply looking for communications support, our team is ready to step in and assist. From grassroots campaigns to national initiatives, we’ve helped organizations achieve success with the support of digital advocacy on a variety of issues.

4.      Grow Your Networks

As we often mention with respect to the Calgary Stampede, it is important for your organization to be visible when pursuing government relations objectives. While the Legislature is not in session during the summer months, that does not mean there are no opportunities to meet government officials.

Both of Alberta’s main political parties are active attending (or hosting) events throughout the summer, meaning ministers, MLAs, and staffers will be out and about engaging with their communities. While these may not be what one would consider “hard” lobbying, summer events provide an opportunity for organizations to stay on the radar of government and build relationships with key influencers on both sides of the aisle.

Additionally, there is potential for your organization to be more visible to the public (if your government relations strategy calls for it). If elected officials are attending events, that also means potential supporters are attending them as well. Take some time to explore summer events that would make sense for your organization to be present at. Often times, there may be opportunities for your team to set up a tent or booth to share information about your work – which, of course, is an opportunity to educate the public and find supporters.

5.      Work With Our Team

If you are involved in navigating the legal system, you hire a lawyer to support you. So, it only makes sense that if you are navigating government, you hire a government relations expert to support you.

Because we are a multi-partisan organization, we pride ourselves on our ability to provide you the most robust government relations support available regardless of who is in government or which side of the aisle you are working with. Our team also has a depth of experience to draw from that many organizations do not have in-house.

Politics is what we do. We are experts in developing successful government relations strategies that help organizations achieve their goals by providing the advice you need to succeed.

If you want to learn more about our services or just to have a chat, we encourage you to get in touch with any of our government relations associates. Shoot us an email at info@albertacounsel.com and visit us at https://www.albertacounsel.com/contact.