The ABCs of APPGs

All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are a curious part of the Westminster Parliament’s business.  They are informal groups of MPs and Peers who come together, on a cross-party basis, on particular topics and issues.  What makes them unusual is that while they are comprised of MPs and Peers, they have no official status in Parliament.  However, for anyone seeking to influence the policy agenda, they can be a very useful way of getting your issues and concerns on the agenda. 

In this post, I’ll be looking at how APPGs can help you in influencing the policy agenda and getting your issues and concerns on the agenda.  Even though APPGs do not have an official status, they can have considerable influence.  

Although I focus on Westminster, the same principles apply to equivalent groups (known as Cross Party Groups) in both the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Senedd, and All-Party Groups in the Northern Ireland Assembly.  

Types of APPG

There are broadly two types of APPGs in Westminster – country specific groups, and subject groups.  The subject groups cover an enormous range of interests, ranging from the Eurovision Song Contest to War Crimes, and everything in between.  You can access an up to date list of APPGs on the Parliament website.   

There is also a wide variety in what the groups do and how they operate.  Some are focused on serious policy discussion and influence, while others are much less formal and are arguably more like social groups for parliamentarians. 

For anyone trying to influence the policy agenda, there are broadly two main ways that you can work with APPGs.  The first is to provide the secretariat for a group close to your interests, and the second is to engage with APPGs as a stakeholder. 

Providing the secretariat to an APPG

APPGs often outsource the support and coordination of their work to other organisations.  If you have the capacity, offering to provide the secretariat for a group can be a really effective way of supporting the work of the group.  

If you are fortunate enough to be appointed as a group’s secretariat, it means that you’ll be working closely with the chair and officers (the MPs and Peers) of the group to set meeting agendas and plan the group’s activities.  Here are my top five tips for making an APPG a success in influencing policy.

Tip 1:  Make sure you’ve got a good Chair and Officers

You need a committed and effective Chair and Officers.  The officers of the group will quickly become your most engaged group of parliamentarians.  In an ideal world, you’ll want them to be open to writing letters to Ministers, tabling Parliamentary Questions and hosting Westminster Hall debates, among other things.  Invest the time and energy in building your relationship with them – it really will be the making of an effective group.  

Tip 2:  Make it active

I’ve seen so many APPGs over the years that have just ‘plodded along’ with occasional meetings which people go to out of little more than a sense of duty.  In contrast, active groups, who meet regularly and who provide lots of opportunities for wider stakeholders to get involved, are much more likely to build interest and support.  

Tip 3:  Hold interesting meetings

It seems obvious to say, but it’s really important that the meeting topics are interesting and engaging, and that they attract and engage a wider audience.  There’s little point in meetings which are only attended by the APPG officers and a handful of stakeholders.  I’ve seen so many APPG meetings over the years which effectively preach to the converted and therefore have little wider influence.  You want people to feel challenged, energised and involved from the discussions at APPG meetings, not just hearing the things that they already know or think.  Getting interesting external speakers, particularly people with lived experience, can really help with this. And don’t forget that you can invite Ministers and officials too. 

Tip 4:  Run inquiries

One of the really effective ways that APPGs can have an impact on the policy agenda is to run inquiries. Running an inquiry in which stakeholders are invited to submit written evidence, and where the APPG can hold oral evidence sessions (a bit like a Select Committee would) can be a really effective influencing tool.  Publishing a report from the inquiry with recommendations carries some weight, and can be a really impactful way of influencing.  Sometimes, such APPG reports can even generate media interest – something worth talking to your media and comms colleagues about.  It’s important to note, of course, that supporting such inquiries and producing reports can be quite time and labour intensive, so you’ll need to think carefully about your capacity to do so, and be quite targeted in how you use this approach. 

Tip 5:  Don’t forget the admin!

Even though they have no official status in Parliament, there are very strict Parliamentary rules about how APPGs must be set up, registered and run.  As the secretariat for the group, it’s your job to work with the Chair to make sure that the APPG stays within the rules with regard to meetings and activities, and the necessary reporting.  It’s all too easy to slip up and find yourself on the receiving end of a telling off!  Serious breaches of the rules can even result in the APPG being de-registered.

Engaging as a stakeholder

If you’re not able to offer to provide the secretariat, or there is an existing group with an existing secretariat, all is not lost.  Engaging with APPGs as a stakeholder can also be a really effective influencing tool.  Here are some tips and tricks for how to do that effectively.

Tip 1:  Attend meetings and ask questions

All APPGs must hold regular meetings, and those are normally open to the public.  It’s well worth going along to hear more about what the group is working on.  Where appropriate, you can also ask questions – which can be a good way of highlight an issue that is important to you. 

Tip 2:  Submit evidence

Where APPGs run inquiries or reviews, they will often ask for evidence from stakeholders.  As they are not official parliamentary groups, it’s not uncommon for stakeholders to give such requests a lower priority than they might for a call for evidence from a Select Committee, for example.  However, submitting evidence can be a really good way to get your messages across, and with lower overall engagement, there’s a greater chance that your voice will be heard. 

Tip 3:  Offer speakers

APPG meetings often have external speakers on particular topics and themes at their meetings.  It can be a good idea to get in touch with the organisation providing the secretariat for the group and offering up speakers and presenters for future meetings.  

What has your experience been of APPGs (or their equivalents in the other nations)? What do you think makes for a good and effective APPG?  Let me know in the comments below.

Coming up next time:  I’ll take a look at how to use evidence to support your influencing work.