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EFFECTIVE LOBBYING

EFFECTIVE LOBBYING. DEVELOPING A STRATEGY AND TACTICS TO USE. What do we mean by Lobbying?. Persuading People who have a say in decision making to do what we want. Why?. We all have an important role to play in educating public officials about issues and concerns they deal with.

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EFFECTIVE LOBBYING

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  1. EFFECTIVE LOBBYING DEVELOPING A STRATEGY AND TACTICS TO USE Rose Conway-Walsh

  2. What do we mean by Lobbying? • Persuading People who have a say in decision making to do what we want. Rose Conway-Walsh

  3. 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. Rose Conway-Walsh

  4. STRATEGY Rose Conway-Walsh

  5. Any lobbying effort must begin with a sense of it’s 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. OBJECTIVES Rose Conway-Walsh

  6. 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 (don’t ever become angry) How to Influence Rose Conway-Walsh

  7. 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. How to Influence Rose Conway-Walsh

  8. 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. Rose Conway-Walsh

  9. Who are the people who make the decisions that affect our lives? • County Councillors • TD’s • Senators • Ministers • MEP’s • Organisations • Institutions • Public Officials Rose Conway-Walsh

  10. 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 audience’s self interest Rose Conway-Walsh

  11. METHODS OF DELIVERY • Telephone • Letters • E-Mail • Press Releases/Letters to the Editor • Hire a Lobbyist • Meetings • Site Visits Rose Conway-Walsh

  12. Letter Writing • Every person who writes represents many others who feel the same but don’t write • Be clear about what you want • Make it real – use an example • Ask for a direct response with his/her positon Rose Conway-Walsh

  13. Meetings/Visits • Keep your Group Small • Make your group diverse • Discuss in advance how to handle the meeting • Be direct but not threatening/Don’t Be Fobbed Off • Know your facts • Leave informational material • Try to put timings on agreed actions Rose Conway-Walsh

  14. 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. Rose Conway-Walsh

  15. FOLLOW UP • Send a thank-you note. • Repeat commitments that were made in the meeting and your understanding of them. Rose Conway-Walsh

  16. 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 Don’t get too emotional Education, Motivation and Activation Prioritise concerns Everything in Writing Do not accept generalities Fundamentals For Effective Lobbying Rose Conway-Walsh

  17. EVALUATION Rose Conway-Walsh

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