EFFECTIVE LOBBYING

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EFFECTIVE LOBBYING

• DEVELOPING A STRATEGY
• AND
• TACTICS TO USE

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What do we mean by Lobbying?

• Persuading People who have a say in decision
  making to do what we want.

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Why?

• We all have an important role to play in
  educating public officials about issues and
  concerns they deal with.
• Politicians need votes in order to get elected.
  A strong grassroots network of constituents
  represents a vote generating (or alienating)
  engine that a good candidate or elected official
  cannot afford to ignore.

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STRATEGY
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OBJECTIVES

• Any lobbying effort must begin with a sense of
  its goals.
• What are the long-term goals and what are the
  short-term goals in terms of process and the
  people you want to get involved?

• These goals need to be defined at the start in a
  way that can launch an effort, draw people to it
  and sustain it over time.

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How to Influence

• Be Well Briefed (forewarned forearmed)
• Be Well Timed (Its no use lobbying for something
  after the decision has been made)

• Well Aimed (target the right person)
• Well Developed (bit by bit graduating to the more
  difficult ask)
• Well Behaved (dont ever become angry)

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How to Influence

• Well Judged (Be careful with your use of the
  media)
• Well Written get to know the format for
  Standing Orders/PQs etc. Make it easy to use.

• Be Well Prepared Index items every day, build
  up sources for information, good retrieval system
• Always be on the lookout for an opportunity to
  advance your case.

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AUDIENCES

• Who are the people and institutions you need to
  move.
• This includes those who have the actual formal
  authority to deliver the goods (I.e. legislators)
  and those who have the capacity to influence
  those with formal authority I.e. THE MEDIA.
• AN EFFECTIVE LOBBYING CAMPAIGN REQUIRES A CLEAR
  SENSE OF WHO THESE AUDIENCES ARE AND WHAT ACCESS
  OR PRESSURE POINTS ARE AVAILABLE TO MOVE THEM.

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Who are the people who make the decisions that
affect our lives?

• County Councillors
• TDs
• Senators
• Ministers
• MEPs
• Organisations
• Institutions
• Public Officials

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MESSAGE

• All Messages must be rooted in the same basic
  truth and be tailored differently to different
  audiences depending on what they are ready to
  hear.
• Must appeal to the audiences self interest

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METHODS OF DELIVERY

• Telephone
• Letters
• E-Mail
• Press Releases/Letters to the Editor
• Hire a Lobbyist
• Meetings
• Site Visits

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Letter Writing

• Every person who writes represents many others
  who feel the same but dont write
• Be clear about what you want
• Make it real use an example
• Ask for a direct response with his/her positon

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Meetings/Visits

• Keep your Group Small
• Make your group diverse
• Discuss in advance how to handle the meeting
• Be direct but not threatening/Dont Be Fobbed Off
• Know your facts
• Leave informational material
• Try to put timings on agreed actions

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Letters to the Editor

• DECIDE THE ONE THING YOU WANT TO SAY AND SAY IT
  WELL NOT SEVERAL THINGS BADLY.
• Are you responding to previous editorial or is it
  a soapbox letter make it clear. In the first
  sentence.
• Be brief Focus, Force Style
• Remember Newspapers are in the NEWS business.

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FOLLOW UP

• Send a thank-you note.
• Repeat commitments that were made in the meeting
  and your understanding of them.

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Fundamentals For Effective Lobbying

• Be Fair and Reasonable
• Kill them with kindness
• Be Realistic and willing to compromise
• Never leave in anger
• Contact with regularity
• Be Actual and Factual

• Give credit where credit is due
• Dont get too emotional
• Education, Motivation and Activation
• Prioritise concerns
• Everything in Writing
• Do not accept generalities

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EVALUATION