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The House of Lords – a modern anachronism?

The UK is unique in having a largely appointed second chamber. How can it help you to influence the policy agenda?

We’re often told that the UK is the trailblazer of parliamentary democracy – a model which has been emulated the world over, and which provides for stable government. Whether or not that is the case, there is one quirk of the UK model which hasn’t proved to be quite such a popular export, and that is the role of an appointed House of Lords within our bi-cameral system.

While our model of a largely appointed second chamber might be highly unusual (and almost unique when you factor in the remaining hereditary element of the House of Lords), it is an important part of our parliamentary system, and one that anyone seeking to influence the policy process would be foolish to overlook.

In this post, I look at the role that the House of Lords plays in the policy process and offer some tips on how to make best use of the second chamber as part of your influencing strategy.

The shape of the House of Lords

The House of Lords is one of the largest upper houses of parliament anywhere in the world and is famously second only in size to the Chinese National People’s Congress.

In 2015, there were more than 800 active members of the House of Lords (yet only enough seats for 400!). While historically most Peers were hereditary, today the vast majority are life peers, appointed to the House by successive Prime Ministers and other party leaders. Other peers are a mix of bishops and hereditary peers (whose number has been dramatically reduced in recent rounds of reform).

On the Government benches, there are House of Lords ministers representing Departments of State, and many members take a party whip. However, unlike its democratic counterpart, the House of Lords has many crossbench peers – members of the House of Lords who are not politically aligned. Cross bench peers tend to be subject-matter experts, appointed to the House of Lords because of their special interests or contribution to national life.

Controversies

In any discussion about the House of Lords, it is impossible to ignore the highly controversial nature of the existence of a largely appointed second chamber in a modern democracy. Quite apart from the big question-mark over the lack of direct (or even indirect) election to the second chamber, the UK system is also unique in having representatives of the established church playing a role in the legislative process. Add to that the continued presence of an (albeit much reduced) hereditary element, and the role that the Prime Minister (and other party leaders) play in appointing members of the House of Lords (leading to accusations of cronyism), and it’s easy to see why many people might consider the House of Lords to have had its day.

Reform of the House of Lords

The House of Lords has been under almost constant reform. Aside from the big constitutional changes brought about by the Parliament Acts, there have been a constant stream of smaller, but equally significant, reforms over the years.

Its shape has been significantly amended in the last 100 years. The Life Peerages Act of 1958 precipitated the transition from a largely hereditary chamber to an appointed one, and the 1999 House of Lords Act removed all but 92 of the remaining hereditary peers.

Most recently, under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government of 2010, proposals were drawn up which would have capped the size of the House of Lords and introduce direct elections for 80 per cent of the members of the Lords. Those proposals were swiftly dropped by the Coalition Government in the face of opposition from the Conservative Party. But the question of Lords reform remains high on the constitutional reform to-do list.

However, the purpose of this post is not to rehearse the arguments for and against reform of the House of Lords, but to focus on the role that it plays in the policy process, and therefore its importance for anyone seeking to influence the development of government policy.

The role that the House of Lords plays

Until the passing of the 1911 Parliament Act, the House of Lords held enormous power, and was able to veto any legislation that had been passed by the democratically elected House of Commons. The 1911 Act was one of the most important changes to the (notoriously unwritten) British Constitution and marked the transition of the House of Lords from equal partner in the parliamentary system to a chamber of review and reflection. Today, the House of Lords can only, at best, delay legislation sent to it from the House of Commons, and even then in relatively limited circumstances and only for up to a year. Its powers have been significantly curtailed over the last century.

Today, it is a chamber that seeks to hold government to account, and which seeks to influence government policy. It can no longer simply block legislation but can give the government of the day pause for thought if there is significant opposition from Peers. Perhaps the best example of that was the Labour administration withdrawing its plans to introduce mandatory identification cards in the face of opposition from the House of Lords in 2006.

The Salisbury Convention means that traditionally the House of Lords does not seek to block or delay legislation that was included in the manifesto of the government of the day, given that such legislation has a direct mandate from the electorate. By convention, the Lords are also not able to block or delay any bill relating to finance or taxation.

The soft power of the House of Lords

So rather than relying on the hard power of parliamentary process, the House of Lords often seeks to use soft power. Through close inspection, review, and challenge, it seeks to help shape and influence the development of policy, and the decisions that the government takes.

In many ways, members of the House of Lords play quite a similar role to those of us outside of the parliamentary system who are looking for ways to influence the policy process.

Working with members of the House of Lords

Working with members of the House of Lords is quite different to working with members of the House of Commons. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you make best use of the House of Lords as a route to influencing government policy.

Tip #1: They don’t have to worry about troublesome elections!

Compared to elected parliamentarians, members of the Lords don’t have to think about how electorally popular they might be. This means that they can be more likely to speak up and be vocal on matters of principle which are important to them compared to their elected counterparts. It’s a curious advantage of not being democratically elected.

Tip #2: There is more time for debate

Debates in the Lords tend to be longer and deeper than those in the Commons. This means that it is easier to communicate nuance and subtlety than it is in the Commons, which can be particularly helpful when the issue that you are trying to influence or communicate is complicated. There are some parallels with Commons debates in Westminster Hall in that regard.

Tip #3: It’s easier for the Lords to challenge the government

Partly because the House of Lords effectively has ‘no overall control’ as the government benches do not command a majority, it is quite common for the House of Lords to table (and support) amendments to Government legislation that would be unthinkable in the Commons. Although such amendments often go on to be overturned by the Commons, it can be a really powerful way of raising the profile of a particular issue. Sometimes, the government will listen to the voices of Peers, and accept such amendments too.

Tip #4: They don’t have staff

One important difference between members of the House of Commons compared to members of the House of Lords is that Peer frequently won’t have the staffing capacity that their elected counterparts have (both in their constituencies and in their Common’s offices). This is important to bear in mind when you’re working with Peers. It means that you’re much more likely to be dealing directly with the Peer themselves, rather than any staff. It also means that building a positive and constructive working relationship is even more important, and you will need to think carefully about what they might need in terms of support or briefings.

Tip #5: They are often subject matter experts

Appointees to the House of Lords are frequently experts in their particular field, so finding the Peers with relevant interests and knowledge should be a key part of your influencing strategy. Encouraging such experts to get involved in relevant All-Party Parliamentary Groups, for example, can be really effective.

What is your experience of working with members of the House of Lords? Have they been a valuable route to influence government policy? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

If you or your organisation are looking to do more policy influencing work, and would like some help or advice, I’d be happy to have a chat. Just drop me a line via the ‘Contact’ link above, or email me at hello@thepolicycoach.co.uk

Using the Freedom of Information Act to influence policy

The Freedom of Information Act can be a really powerful tool in the influencing toolkit. It can help you extract information, identify policy weakness, and even generate news stories

Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash

Freedom of Information (FoI) requests can be a really effective tool for influencing policy. As well as helping to fill gaps in data or information, they can be particularly useful to determine the extent to which national policy might be being implemented locally or regionally. As I have explored in a previous post, so much of the responsibility for policy decision making is devolved away from central government departments. This can make it harder to find out what is happening on the ground, how well a government’s stated objectives for a particular policy are being achieved, or simply whether the policy is even being implemented in the first place.

In this post, I take a look at what Freedom of Information requests are and how you can use them to support your policy influencing work. I’ll explore how to construct a request that will get you the information that you need, and some of the ways that you can use the results.

What is a Freedom of Information Act request?

The Freedom of Information Act (2000) and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (2002) give citizens the right to request certain information from public authorities. This means that you can ask for information from UK government departments, devolved administrations and other public bodies including councils, schools and colleges, the NHS, the police and fire services, and publicly owned companies, among others. It does not, however, apply to private organisations or companies.

How do you submit a request?

You can submit a Freedom of Information request in a variety of different ways – by letter, email, social media or even by fax (if you still use those!). Some organisations may even have an online form of their website to use to submit a request.

It doesn’t matter how you make your request – it will be treated the same by the organisation receiving it.

There are some basic bits of information that you will need to include however you might be submitting your request. This includes:

Your name
Contact details (a postal or email address)
A description of the information that you are requesting

If you want to receive information in a particular format, you can also ask at this point too. For example, you might want paper or electronic copies, or information in an accessible format such as audio or large print.

Can a request be denied?

Yes, it can. It can be denied if you have asked the wrong organisation for the information that you want (think carefully about which organisation actually has the information that you need). You request can also be turned down if you are seeking personal or certain sensitive information that is not made available to the public (although you should be told if this is the case).

Importantly, a request can be turned down if it would simply cost too much for the organisation to gather the information that you are asking for. The limit for this is set at £450, or £600 if the organisation is a government department, Parliament, the armed forces, the Northern Ireland Assembly or Welsh Government, or if the organisation is based in Scotland. In calculating the cost of gathering the data, it’s worth noting that organisations cost a person’s time at £25 per hour.

If your request is denied, you can ask the organisation to review their decision. If you’re still not satisfied, you can go to the Information Commissioner’s Office (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or the Scottish Information Commissioner.

However, if your request is turned down, it might be that the way you put your request together was either too vague, or too broad. You might just need to go back and look again at the question that you have asked. It’s well worth taking a bit of time at the beginning of the process to frame your questions appropriately.

How do you structure a request that will get you what you need?

To make sure that your request generates the information that you want and need, it’s worth taking a bit of time to get it right. It’s also worth bearing in mind that frivolous or unfocused requests cost the taxpayer money, so it’s important to make the most efficient and effective use of the Freedom of Information Act.

There are a few tips to making sure that your request gets you what you need:

Do your research first

Make sure that you know which organisation will have the information that you need, and that the information hasn’t already been published or made available. Spending a bit of time researching what has been asked before could save a lot of time and energy, and targeting the right organisation will reduce the chances of your request being turned down at the first hurdle.

Be as specific as possible

Try to be as specific as you can possibly be about the information that you are asking for. Avoid requests that ask for ‘all the information’ on a particular topic (those are likely to be turned down on cost grounds), or which are unclear about what you are asking for. The more specific you can be, the better. It will make your life, and that of the organisation you are requesting the information from, so much easier.

Plan ahead

Allow enough time to get the information that you need. Be prepared that if your initial request is turned down, you might need to try again in a slightly different way.

How long will it take?

When you submit a request, the organisation that you are requesting the information from has 20 working days to respond. It’s worth noting that this doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have the information that you requested within 20 working days. If your request is denied, you will also be informed within this time limit. You may also be told within that 20 working day limit that it will take the organisation longer to gather the information that you have asked for. Be prepared to be patient.

How can FoI requests support policy influencing?

Freedom of Information requests can be a really useful tool to support your policy influencing work. They can help you access information that a public authority might not routinely make publicly available (such as statistics or data), to unpick what information is collected on a particular topic, or to understand how well, or not, a particular policy is being implemented at a local level.

Establishing whether and how a policy might be being implemented locally

In my opinion, one of the most powerful ways to use Freedom of Information Act request is to establish whether and how a particular policy is being implemented locally. As I have described in a previous post, many aspects of public policy are devolved to a more local level, which can make it difficult to establish what is happening on the ground.

If you take a look at the response from government ministers to parliamentary questions you will quite quickly see that the response of ‘that information is not collected centrally’ is quite commonly used where responsibility for the implementation of a particular policy is devolved to other organisations. That is quite common in health and care policy, but also in education and several other aspects of public policy.

That does not, of course, mean that the information isn’t available at all – just that it isn’t collected or collated at a national level. This is a great example of where a Freedom of Information Act request can be used to help fill that gap.

You might decide that a good way to get the information that you need is to ask regional or local public authorities who are more likely to have the information that you need. You might be interested in a national picture (in which case you might want to make the same request of all areas), or a particular local area or region.

Making this kind of ‘mass request’, where you ask a lot of organisations for the same information to build up a national picture, can be a really effective influencing tool. It will help you to hold government to account for the delivery of a particular policy commitment, for example, or help you to evidence a particular issue that might require government action.

If you are planning to deploy this ‘mass request’ approach, there are a few things to bear in mind to maximise your chances of success.

Test your questions first

If you’re asking a large number of organisations for the same information, it’s worth testing that the questions you are asking will generate the information that you need. Before you send a request to all schools, colleges, police authorities or NHS organisations, it’s worth testing your request with a much smaller number. If there are any problems with the way that you are framing your request, you’ll have a chance to correct it before you go out to all of the relevant organisations – saving you, and them, time and money.

Get advice

Most FoI officers will be happy to work with you to make sure that your request is shaped as well as it can be. Afterall, it’s in their interest to have well-crafted requests as much as it is in yours to target the information that you need. While this applies to any FoI request, it’s particularly important if you are planning to deploy a ‘mass request’ technique.

Using FoI information with the media

Freedom of Information Act requests can be a fantastic resource to build a media story on a particular topic. They can help identify gaps, show trends, or highlight deficiencies in public policy. If you have such a capacity within your organisation, it’s worth working closely with your media or communications colleagues to explore whether or not there might be a media story in the information that you gather, although remember that it’s important to use such information responsibly, and to provide context to the information that you gather. As I have explored in a previous post, the media can also be a powerful tool for influencing the policy agenda.

Conclusion

Freedom of Information Act requests can be a really powerful tool in the policy influencing toolkit. They can help you to extract information that might not be made readily available, or to identify weaknesses in the implementation of policy at a local level.

What ways have you used Freedom of Information Act requests to support your policy influencing work? Let me know in the comments section below.

So, you’ve got a meeting with the minister. How do you get the best out of it?

An opportunity to meet with a Minister is a rare thing indeed, so you need to make the very best of it.

Photo by Michael Fousert on Unsplash

So, your approach to the new ministerial team has worked, and you’ve been invited to meet with the Minister. This is a rare opportunity, and it’s important that you make the very best of it. But how do you go about preparing? And how will you make sure that the meeting helps you to achieve your policy influencing objectives? In this post, I take a look at what ministerial meetings are, how you can prepare for them, some things to think about, and ways to make sure that the meeting is a success.

For the purposes of this post, I’ll be concentrating on one-on-one meetings, rather than broader roundtables or policy forums which you might on occasion be invited to. I’ll return to those in a future post.

Over the years, I’ve lost count of the number of ministerial meetings that I have been invited to for governments of all political colours and complexions. Some have been good, and some have been, well, let’s just say ‘not so good’! What that has given me is a perspective on some of the key things to look out for. While every meeting is going to be different, there are some common themes and principles that apply universally, and that’s what I’ll take a look at in this post.

You can, of course, be invited to a meeting for a variety of different reasons. It might be in direct response to a proactive approach that you have made to the Minister, such as a letter. It might also be because one of your parliamentary champions has gone out of their way to open the door for you by persuading the Minister that you really are someone worth meeting and talking to. You might also be invited to a meeting if the ministerial team think that you might be able to help the government with a particular problem or challenge that they are grappling with. Whatever the reason, it’s really important that you make the very best of the opportunity, and I hope that these tips and tricks will be useful to you.

Tip 1: Preparation is key

Preparing properly for the meeting is absolutely vital. On a practical level, you’ll need to work out who you are going to field for the meeting, and what their roles will be at the meeting. If you’re able to send more than one person, it’s a good idea to have one person who will be your lead, and to be accompanied by someone who might have, for example, the technical and more detailed knowledge that might be needed in the conversation. Do your research about the minister and their background and interests, and think about what their current political priorities might be. And, of course, think carefully about the key messages that you want to land with the minister and their team. A reasonably detailed briefing note for those attending the meeting is usually a good idea.

Tip 2: Try to push for an in-person meeting

In this post-COVID world that we’re all living in, you might find that you are offered a virtual meeting with the minister. If you can, it’s well worth pushing for a face-to-face meeting if it is at all possible. It allows for a more free-flowing and natural conversation, as well as allowing you and the minister to get to know one another better than you can ever do online. If a virtual meeting is the only option available, it’s not the end of the world, but you’ll need to work that bit harder to build a working relationship with the minister and their team.

Tip 3: Plan the meeting with the officials

If you can, it’s a really good idea to reach out to the relevant officials to talk about the content of the meeting. Afterall, they will be preparing a briefing for the minister ahead of the meeting, so if you can agree on the overall shape of the meeting, you’re all going to get a lot more out of it. It’s a good way to outline what you are looking for from the meeting, and to understand what the minister might be looking for too. If you’re not sure which officials will be involved, you can ask the minister’s diary office for advice, as they’ll know who else is going to be attending.

Tip 4: Events might scupper things

When you’re dealing with ministerial diaries, there is a reasonable chance that external events might pull the rug from under your best laid plans. It might be an urgent political issue that government needs to resolve, a question in Parliament that the minister needs to respond to, or other diary pressures that mean that your meeting gets postponed, or worse, cancelled altogether. Don’t be disheartened if that does happen – it happens to everyone at one time or another. The minister’s diary office will probably try to be quite accommodating in finding a new slot. To avoid the risk of making a long trip to Westminster only for the meeting to be cancelled at the last minute, it’s a good idea to check in with the minister’s office the day before the meeting in case they can see any potential problems on the horizon (and to check on the location of the meeting in case it might have changed).

Tip 5: Don’t be late

Ministerial diaries are tightly managed things, so if you are even a few minutes late, it can get you off to a really bad start. Arrive in plenty of time. If you can, it’s a good idea to agree to meet with those you are bringing to the meeting somewhere close by for a final briefing before you all go in to the meeting together.

Tip 6: Come with solutions, not just problems

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, politicians generally get quite irritated by people who just bring problems without any potential solutions. If the meeting is on a particular topic, it’s worth spending time thinking about the politics of that issue, and what you might want the minister, or the wider government, to do. And don’t forget that not all of the solutions are likely to be within the ministers direct control, so think about what the minister could do to encourage action by other bodies and organisations that are not necessarily under direct government control.

Tip 7: Get to the point

In most instances, you’re likely to only have 30 to 45 minutes for the meeting, so you’ll need to make sure that you can get to the meat of the conversation as quickly as possible. Niceties are, of course, important, but if you spend 15 minutes explaining who you are and what you’re trying to achieve, you could well have used half of the time available before you even get to the issue at hand. This is particularly challenging if you’re meeting with the minister as part of a small coalition or collaboration of organisations – everyone might want their 5 minutes in the sun, but time is precious, so you’ll need to be prepared to be quite strict.

Tip 8: Don’t overpromise

It’s really tempting to offer more than you can actually deliver, but this can be really damaging to your relationship with the minister, and to your reputation. Make sure that whatever you offer you can actually deliver. It might be more information, some good data, some other evidence, or your help and support to make something happen.

Tip 9: Follow up with the officials

The minister will almost certainly be accompanied in the meeting by the relevant officials – usually someone from the minister’s private office plus the relevant ministerial policy lead. Ministerial meetings are a great way to open a channel with the officials, if you’ve not already got one, and to strengthen that channel if you do. It’s a perfect reason to follow up with the officials after the meeting to emphasise any points that you want to underline, to provide any further information, and to pick up any other actions that might have arisen from the conversation.

Tip 10: Update your stakeholders

If it goes well, the meeting will have moved your relationship with the minister and the officials forward, so it’s important to update your key stakeholders on the outcomes of the meeting so that they’re aware of what was discussed, what the minister’s priorities are, and what you might have agreed. That’s even more important if your key stakeholders might have their own interaction with ministers and officials.

What would your top tips be for preparing to meet a minister? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you or your organisation are looking to do more policy influencing work, and would like some advice, I’d be happy to have a chat. Just drop me a line via the ‘Contact’ link above, or email me at hello@thepolicycoach.co.uk

Harnessing people’s stories to influence policy

People’s stories can be the most powerful evidence to support your policy influencing work.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

In previous posts, I have talked about the importance of people’s stories as a tool to influencing government policy. While statistics, facts and figures are an important part of the policy influencing toolbox, it is people’s stories which bring it all to life and make the change that you might be seeking more relatable. Afterall, we are hard-wired as humans to communicate through stories.

Throughout my career, I have created opportunities to give a voice to people who are often not heard in the policy making process. Earlier in my career, I was fortunate to play my part in the very first formal channel for older people’s voices in health policy which had an enormous impact on the decisions that government took. More recently, I have been championing opportunities for harder to hear voices to be heard in the policy process.

A couple of readers have been in touch about how to go about harnessing people’s stories to influence policy, so thought that I would dig a bit deeper. In this post, I take a look at some of the different ways that you can amplify people’s voices to support your policy asks, and explore some of the things to think about.

I don’t claim to be an expert on the vital community development work that needs to take place to give a voice to people’s experiences, so this post is not a ‘how to’ guide on good community development – there are others who are far more expert on that than I am. But what I do know is the positive impact that people’s voices can have on policy development, and I hope that what I share will be useful in helping you to harness, and amplify, those voices.

Tip #1: Surveys can be a useful tool

One of the simplest ways to make sure that your policy work is grounded in people’s experiences and voices is to run a survey. There are a variety of methodologies that can be used to run surveys, and they can be a useful tool to gather both attitudinal feedback (e.g. what do you think about a particular issue?) to something a bit more factual (e.g. what do you estimate the cost of X to be?). If you do use a survey as part of your work, it’s important to think carefully about the sample you will survey, and how generalisable your findings might be.

Tip #2: Focus groups can help you dig deeper

While a survey might give you quite ‘static’ information and insights, focus groups can allow you to dig a bit deeper and to begin to explore, for example, some different policy options. As with surveys, you need to think carefully about where you would draw focus group participants from, and how representative their views might be. Focus groups can be particularly effective as a way to sense-check some ideas or proposals, as it will provide some ‘real-world’ feedback.

Tip #3: Interviews give you rich insight

Investing time and energy in conducting more detailed interviews with people can be a really effective way of getting real depth and insight to support your policy influencing work. It gives you the opportunity to ask further questions, to clarify things, and to listen to the person’s story in their own words. When conducting such interviews, do give thought to how to support and protect the person that you are talking to – especially where you might be talking with them about difficult or challenging issues. Be aware of the impact that such a conversation might have on them, and prepare accordingly.

Tip #4: Co-production can be incredibly effective

Co-production refers to a group of people (normally a mix of people with lived experience and professionals) working together to come up with answers or solutions to problems. It can be an incredibly powerful tool in policy development work, and can lead to policy recommendations which are grounded in the reality of people’s lived experience. I’ll return to the power of co-production in a future post.

Tip #5: Think about harder to hear voices

Providing a platform for what are considered to be harder to hear voices can be incredibly powerful. Those are the stories and experiences that are too often overlooked in the development and implementation of policy. When trying to connect with those voices, it’s a good idea to connect with local groups or organisations who are closer to those particular communities. Very often those groups and organisations will be very small, and often volunteer-run or led. If you work with these groups or organisations, don’t forget to pay them for their time and effort.

Tip #6: Deploying people’s voices to influence policy

Having gathered people’s stories and experiences, there are a number of different ways that you can deploy that evidence to support your policy influencing work. Apart from the obvious things like including quotes and examples in policy documents, briefings, and submissions, I’d encourage you to think creatively about how you can platform people’s voices. For example, seeking opportunities for people to give oral evidence at parliamentary enquiries or all-party parliamentary groups, or encouraging your activists and supporters to go and speak to their local politicians.

Tip #7: Stories help persuade politicians

As I have mentioned in previous posts, it’s important not to underestimate the power of stories to influence politicians. Facts and figures are, of course, very important in making a case for change, but it’s people’s stories that bring an issue to life, making it relatable and understandable on a very human level. Stories are, of course, all the more powerful when you provide a platform for people to tell them in their own words.

Tip #8: Case studies and stories are vital for media

As I covered in a previous post, the media can be a powerful policy influencing tool. One of the things that the media will always be looking for are the case studies and stories to illustrate a story. This is often true for both news and features.

Tip #9: Consent matters

However you are planning to capture people’s stories and experiences to support your policy influencing work, it’s vital that you make sure that you have people’s consent. Whether that is consent to use people’s responses to a survey, consent to use quotes from a focus group or interview in a submission or document, or consent to share their story with the media. It’s essential that people agree to how their story might be used.

Tip #10: Don’t make assumptions

In harnessing people’s voices to influence policy, it’s really important that you go in with an open mind. You won’t know what people will want to say, what experiences they want to share, or how their experiences might shape your policy asks until you get started. Be prepared to flex and adapt, and to be genuinely informed by people’s stories.

What other ways can the voice of people’s lived experience help shape your policy influencing work? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Influencing policy in a recession

The advent of a recession requires a rethink in the tactics that you will use to influence policy

Photo by D koi on Unsplash

When times are tight, you need to adapt your approach to influencing the policy agenda, especially if one of your objectives is to try to increase the amount of funding that the government makes available for a particular issue or service.

In my career to date, I’ve worked through at least two major economic recessions, and have developed some insights in to how anyone involved in influencing government policy needs to tweak and adapt their approach.

With the news this week from the Office for Budget Responsibility that the UK is now at the beginning to what is likely to be a prolonged recession, it’s timely to take a look at how this impacts on the style and tone of policy influencing work. In this post, I’ll take a look at some of the ways that tough economic times will impact on your policy influencing work.

Tip #1: Ignore the context at your peril!

Carrying on with business as usual during an economic crisis really isn’t an option. Your normal policy influencing tactics and channels will need to be tweaked and adapted, and your messages aligned with the wider context.

Tip #2: Be careful with the numbers

With the economy under real and sustained pressure, simply continuing to ask for large sums of government funding is unlikely to be well received. Lots of organisations try to make best campaigning use of the biggest numbers that they can muster (as I discussed in a previous post), but when almost every government department is having to find ‘efficiency savings’ (or, to the lay-person, cuts), continuing to push for big investment simply isn’t going to work in the same way. That doesn’t mean that you can’t seek funding or investment (if that is part of your policy objectives), but you need to be smarter about how you do that.

Tip #3: Think about how your asks can help

In normal times, it’s important to frame your asks in as positive a way as possible, demonstrating how the change that you want to see would actually help the government to deliver on its priorities. This is even more critical during a recession. Everything that the government is likely to think or do will be seen through the lens of the state of the economy. Whether that’s thinking about how to reduce expenditure, or how to stimulate growth. When you’re trying to influence policy during a recession, it’s really important that you think carefully about how your asks can actually support economic recovery. It might take a bit of tangential thinking, but it will definitely pay dividends.

Tip #4: Getting (and keeping) attention is much harder

With an economic squeeze hitting government, businesses and households, it’s not surprising that this is the most pressing issue facing the country. A consequence of this is that it is much harder to get political or media attention for other issues, and much harder to keep that attention if you are fortunate enough to get it. When you are looking for your political or media ‘hook’ for your issue, it’s worth thinking about how you can link it to the impact of the recession. The media, in particular, will always be on the look out for new angles to covering the recession.

Tip #5: Don’t forget how powerful people’s stories can be

MPs and other politicians listen carefully to their constituents and to the wider public mood. Presenting people’s stories about the way in which the recession might be exacerbating existing challenges, or creating wholly new ones, can be a really powerful tool to try and shape the policy agenda during a recession.

What other ways do you think a recession might impact policy influencing work? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Hello, Minister! Making contact with incoming politicians

Your initial contact with an incoming ministerial team will set the tone for your relationship for months or years to come.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

With the latest round of ministerial musical chairs in full swing, many people involved in policy and public affairs will be thinking about how to make initial contact with ministers as they take up their new portfolios.

First impressions count, and this is equally true when it comes to making contact with an incoming ministerial team. Your initial contact is likely to set the tone for the relationship that you will build with them (and their officials) in the following weeks and months. Get it right and you’ll have a powerful tool in your policy influencing armoury. Get it wrong, and you could find yourself out in the cold.

In this post, I provide some tips on how best to make that initial contact with newly appointed ministers.

Tip #1: You might not yet know who to write to, but start with the Secretary of State

When there is a big change of government, such as after an election or following the appointment of a new prime minister, it takes a bit of time for the ministerial dust to settle. Cabinet positions are the first to be filled, meaning that you should have a pretty good idea pretty quickly of the Secretary of State that will be most closely aligned to your area of interest or your cause. When it comes to more junior ministerial roles, it often takes a bit of time to fill those, and even when they are filled, it may take even longer for portfolios to be allocated within the new team. It’s normally a good idea to write initially to the incoming Secretary of State, and to follow up with initial contact with more junior ministers as and when things become clearer.

Tip #2: Keep it positive

When a new minister is appointed, they can expect a deluge of introductory letters from a variety of stakeholders and interest groups. Lots of those contacts will be quite forthright, highlighting a particular problem that the author wants the new minister to prioritise. In my opinion, it’s really important to keep the tone of that first introductory letter positive. While you will certainly want to highlight the importance of your issues or interests, you also want to leave them with the impression that you are helpful and constructive, and a credible stakeholder for them to engage with.

Tip #3: Make it relevant

In your introductory letter, it’s always a good idea to make sure that you frame the issue within the context of what it is that the government has said that it wants to achieve. For example, if the government has published a strategy relevant to your issue or cause, talk about how you can help them to deliver on that, or how solving the issue that you are highlighting with them will help unblock progress against the strategy.

Tip #4: Less is more

While it is hugely tempting to provide lots of detail and background, an introductory letter should be relatively short and to the point. I normally aim for no more than a side and a half of A4 as a general rule.

Tip #5: You are introducing yourself as well as the issue

An incoming minister is unlikely to know very much about either the issue that you are most interested in, or who you are as an organisation. Don’t forget to give them some insight into who your organisation is, its role and its purpose. And importantly why your organisation is an important stakeholder that the new minister can work with.

Tip #6: A letter or an email?

As a general rule of thumb, introductory contact with an incoming minister is better in the form of a letter. The formality and respect that a letter brings will go a long way to setting the right tone. For efficiency, you may choose, of course, to send the letter electronically rather than as a hard copy, if you have an email address to use.

Tip #7: Have a clear ask

Be clear in the letter what it is that you want the new minister to do. For example, are you asking for a meeting? Or asking them to consider a specific policy change? As it is an introductory letter, it’s quite likely that it will be reasonably top-level rather than focused on a specific policy ask at this stage.

Tip #8: You might get a reply from someone else

While ministerial portfolios are allocated and agreed, your initial letter to an incoming Secretary of State is quite likely to be passed on to the relevant junior minister for a reply (once they are known). So when you are putting your letter together, it’s worth bearing in mind that it might effectively double-up as your introductory letter to the relevant junior minister too.

Tip #9: Getting on the radar is key

If you’re fortunate enough to already have an existing positive relationship with the relevant officials, that is going to help you enormously. It is the officials who help an incoming minister to prioritise who to reply to, and the tone of that reply. Writing an introductory letter to an incoming minister is as much about getting on the radar with the relevant officials and it is about getting on the radar of the minister themselves.

Tip #10: Decide whether your letter is public or private

Some organisations will choose to make their introductory letter to an incoming minister public – publishing it or issuing it to the media. There is a view that such ‘open’ letters can themselves be an effective influencing tool, by raising wider public (and political) awareness of the issue involved. Personally, I’m not a fan of making such letters public (unless there is a specific campaign need). Open letters have a place, but in my opinion using that tactic in an introductory approach is unlikely to be well received.

What is your experience of reaching out to an incoming ministerial team? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you or your organisation are looking to do more policy influencing work, and would like some pro bono advice, I’d be happy to have a chat. Just drop me a line via the ‘Contact’ link above, or email me at hello@thepolicycoach.co.uk

Countdown to a General Election?

With a general election a growing possibility, in this post I take a look at some of the ways that those of us trying to influence the policy agenda can use an election to get our messages across

There seems to be a reasonable chance that the UK could well find itself heading in to another general election in the not too distant future.

Anyone involved in influencing policy needs to make sure that they are prepared. As well as being an important point in the lifecycle of a government, it is also be a test of the success and effectiveness of your relationship building, and an opportunity to try to get some of your issues and themes reflected in the policy agendas that the political parties will be developing.

For those involved in influencing policy, it is important to be aware that there are two distinct phases to an election. The first phase involves the development of the party manifestos, which presents an important opportunity to try to get your messages and priorities across. The second phase is the election campaign itself which is an opportunity to raise awareness and build relationships with candidates (and therefore incoming MPs).

With a general election seemingly an increasing possibility, in this post I offer some tips and tricks for both of these election phases. With some good planning, strong relationships and a bit of luck, you can find your issue on the agenda for one or more of the parties hoping to win the election.

Tip #1: Manifestos aren’t written in a day

There is a widespread misconception that party manifestos are written weeks or even months in advance of a general election. This isn’t true. In most cases, manifestos are put together in the first couple of weeks after the election starting gun has been fired. The political parties will look back at previous policy commitments that might have been made in the preceding months, and will look to combine them with some new headline-grabbing policy promises. If you have been fortunate enough to get your messages and priorities in front of politicians in the weeks and months prior to an election being called, you’ll be at a huge advantage. Even if you haven’t, there is still value in trying to get your points across. The first challenge will be to identify who the individuals are that have been tasked with drafting the party manifestos.

Tip #2: Offer simple solutions

Once you have identified who the people are that are drafting the manifestos (and found out how to get to them), you will need to come up with simple and solution focused recommendations. Now is not the moment for long, complex policy briefings – short, punchy and evidence-based recommendations are much more likely to get their attention. I recall one election campaign in which I got in touch speculatively with a politician tasked with drafting the party manifesto to offer up a simple policy suggestion. It was a two-line suggestion, which, to my surprise, found its way in to the final manifesto.

Tip #3: Set out your own priorities

One thing that a lot of organisations do is publish their own priorities for the next government. Some organisations refer to these documents as their own ‘manifesto’, but this isn’t something that sits well with me, as these are not proposals being put to the electorate to vote on. However, a document which sets out what you see as the key challenges or opportunities for the next government can be a useful tool as you try to influence the manifesto development process.

Tip #4: Politics matters a lot

In a previous post, I pointed out how important it is to be sensitive to different party ideologies and values when trying to influence policy. This is particularly true when you are trying to pitch ideas for potential inclusion in the manifesto. If you try to pitch the same solution in the same way to different parties, you’re also certainly doomed to fail. Think carefully about how your suggestions align with party priorities and ideology. And if you’re a charity, don’t forget that there are special rules for charities during an election campaign which must be followed – these are in addition to normal guidance on the need to remain politically neutral.

Tip #5: Officials can’t help

As someone working to influence and shape the policy agenda, you’re very likely to have some of your strongest relationships with civil servants working in relevant parts of government. However, once an election has been called, those officials can’t help you. So, if you’re trying to persuade the incumbent party to adopt your ideas as part of its manifesto offering, you’re going to need to work within the party machinery, and not the civil service. This is one of the many reasons why building relationships with politicians is so important.

Tip #6: Don’t forget devolution

Devolution complicates campaigning during an election campaign. If the issue that you are particularly interested in is something that is the responsibility of the devolved administrations, campaigning for Westminster political parties or candidates to take action is going to be more complicated. You’ll need to think carefully about who you need to reach, and what the UK government, or a UK Member of Parliament, could actually do.

Tip #7: 650 elections on the same day

Our parliamentary system means that a general election is simply all 650 constituencies electing an MP on the same day. This is important to bear in mind, as it reminds us all of the importance of thinking (and acting) locally during the election campaign. It’s a great opportunity to mobilise supporters to reach out to candidates standing in their local constituencies (much harder for candidates to ignore contact from would-be constituents than it is for them to ignore messages from a national organisation). Template letters can be a really great way of making it easy for supporters and activists to help amplify your messages and priorities.

Tip #8: Hustings can be really effective

Organising hustings can be a really effective way of getting your issues discussed and debated. You might think about organising a national hustings with party spokespeople with responsibility for the policy area that you are engaged with. You might also want to encourage your local supporters and activists to organise local hustings with local candidates. It’s important to remember that if you are organising hustings, you should take steps to make sure that all parties and candidates have an opportunity to take part. Even if you are not organising or hosting hustings yourself, going along to events organised by others and raising a well-placed question can be a surprisingly effective way of getting candidates talking about the issues that matter to you.

Tip #9: Play the long game

An election is obviously a vitally important political event, but it’s also important to play the long game. An election campaign will not only elect a new government to deliver on its manifesto commitments, but also will elect the MPs that you will be working with for up to the next five years.

Tip #10: Stay on the right side of the rules

If you are planning campaigning activities during the election, make sure that you check whether or not you might need to register as a ‘non-party campaigner’. A non-party campaigner is an organisation that campaigns during an election but does not stand candidates. If your campaign plans intend to encourage (or discourage) voters from supporting a particular party or candidate, you may fall within the definition of a non-party campaigner, and be required to register with the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission, which overseas elections, carefully monitors what political parties and other organisations spend on election campaigns to make sure that elections remain free and fair.

Election campaigns are really important events for anyone seeking to influence the policy agenda. In the initial phase of the election, they provide one final opportunity to try to get your issues and priorities into the manifestos of parties seeking to get the keys to Number 10. As the campaign shifts to a local level, they are also an important way to raise the profile of the issues that matter to you with local candidates.

What is your experience of trying to influence policy during an election campaign? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Picking your tactics: Balancing being visible with being effective

Influencing policy is often about balancing a tension between being visible and being effective. In this post, I take a look at some of the things to think about when you’re choosing your tactics

For a lot of organisations, there is a perpetual tension in their policy influencing work between the desire to be visible and the need to be effective. This is particularly true for charities, who have to be able to show easily and clearly how they are using their fundraised income to improve the lives of their beneficiaries through their policy influencing work. It is also true for membership bodies (such as trade bodies and unions) who need to show their members that they are on their side, and out there championing their interests. What better way to demonstrate that than to have a few good photos of activists holding up placards on Parliament Square?

What this often comes down to is the balance between being visible and effective. And this is a constant challenge for those involved in policy influencing work.

Of course, it’s not as simple as saying that tactics which are ‘loud and noisy’ are inherently less effective than those that are not. There is a time and a place for different tactics for different purposes.

I’ve lost track of how many times during my career I’ve had to explain to people that organising a mass rally or protest march probably isn’t going to be the most effective way to influence a complex policy issue. But I’ve also lost track of how many times I’ve had to persuade people to take bolder steps than they might otherwise have chosen.

In a week when direct action campaigns have been in the headlines, in this post, I take a look at the balance between visibility and effectiveness in policy influencing, and offer some tips and tricks to help you pick the best tactics for what you are trying to achieve.

#1: What are you trying to achieve?

The first and most important question that you have to ask yourself is ‘what are you trying to achieve’? For example, are you trying to raise awareness of a particular issue, or influence a somewhat technical piece of policy or legislation?

Generally speaking, the louder and noisier your tactics are, the closer to the awareness raising end of the spectrum you are likely to be. That is not to suggest that is somehow less important – awareness raising is certainly a part of the policy influencing cycle (after all you first have to make sure that people know that there is a problem that needs to be solved).

Organising a protest in Parliament Square might get you some helpful media headlines, but is unlikely, on its own, to be a particularly efficient route to policy influence in the short to medium term. Parliamentary tactics, such as organising a mass lobby of parliament (where supporters and activists contact their MPs as constituents and organise to meet them in Parliament all on the same day) can be effective in both raising awareness and useful as a policy influencing tool in its own right.

#2: The relationship between policy influencing and campaigning

In my opinion, the relationship between policy influencing and campaigning can best be characterised as a Venn diagram. There are elements of both which are distinct and unique, but there is also an element of overlap between the two. For example, getting supporters or stakeholders to write to their MP about a bill before parliament is both a policy influencing activity (i.e. trying to change something about the bill), and also a campaigning activity (i.e. mobilising a supporter or activist base). The two are not mutually exclusive, but are also not the same thing.

This is one of the reasons that in some organisations, policy influencing and campaigning functions might be combined in the same team.

#3: Don’t underestimate the power of behind-the-scenes work

As I mentioned in a previous post, influencing policy is largely about building and nurturing relationships, and using powers of persuasion to build support for your case. It’s a world where logic, evidence and well-structed arguments normally win the day. The most powerful tool that I have ever had in my influencing toolbox is actually the relationship that I have with the officials and civil servants who do the real work on policy development and implementation. Those relationships are critical to getting things done – and often involve the informal phone calls, helpful emails and quiet conversations.

#4: Influencing policy is a bit like international diplomacy

Influencing policy can be a little bit like international diplomacy. What you say in private and behind closed doors is often quite different to what you might say (or how you might frame it) in public. Politicians and officials also understand this. In many ways, this means that it can be possible to balance public and private messaging quite effectively.

This becomes particularly important if you plan to use the media as a policy influencing tool where distilling potentially complex messages down to something really simple to understand and to communicate is vital.

#5: ‘Loud and noisy’ has its place

The ‘loud and noisy’ influencing and campaign tactics definitely have their place. In my opinion, they can be particularly effective if your primary objective is to raise awareness of a particular problem, and also if every usual channel for policy influence has been tried and exhausted. I’ve been on more than my fair share of marches and protests over the years (with varying degrees of success). These tactics are rarely my ‘go to’ options when thinking about how to influence the policy agenda. But there are many examples in British political history of how effective ‘loud and noisy’ tactics can sometimes be.

What is your experience of balancing visibility and effectiveness in influencing policy? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

What skills and abilities does a good policy officer need?

A policy officer requires a range of skills and abilities. Whether you’re starting out on a career in policy, or looking to recruit your first policy officer, this post will give you some helpful pointers.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

In this post, I’m going to explore what I see as some of the critical skills and abilities that a good policy officer needs.

There are, of course, a variety of positions that might have a role in influencing policy. For the purposes of this post, I have decided to focus in on the policy officer role, which is often the entry point for people starting out on a career in influencing policy, and also where most organisations looking to grow their capacity to influence policy will start.

Many of the skills needed for a good policy officer can also be acquired and developed in post. Throughout my career, it has been extremely satisfying to see people grow in to such roles and develop their careers. It’s always sad to say goodbye to them when it’s time for them to move on to bigger and better things.

When you’re recruiting a policy officer, it’s also important to remember that you don’t necessarily need to recruit someone with subject matter expertise. The essence of what makes a good policy officer (or the foundation for someone with the potential to become a good policy officer) are their policy skills, rather than their subject matter knowledge. For someone with the right skills or potential, getting to grips with a new policy area is, in many ways, the easy bit. Just like the way that civil servants move from department to department, the same is true for someone entering a new field or sector.

Job descriptions often include slightly cryptic references to skills and competencies that are needed for policy roles. In this post, I’ll try to illustrate what some of those are actually about. So whether you’re looking to recruit your first policy officer, or you’re someone thinking about a career in policy, here are my top ten skills and abilities that a good policy officer needs.

#1: Analytical skills

Policy work is, by its very definition, based on analysis. A good policy officer needs to have the ability to absorb and interpret complex information from a wide variety of sources, and be able to identify both potential problems and solutions. Whether that is analysing evidence and data, legislation, or stakeholder feedback, analytical skills are the most important skill requirement for every role that plays a part in influencing policy.

#2: Communication skills

‘Good communication skills’ is one of the most widely used (and ill-defined) phrases in most job descriptions. A good policy officer will need to have top-rate writing skills. They will be writing consultation responses, parliamentary briefings and think pieces, and will need to be able to communicate complex messages not just clearly and succinctly, but persuasively too. They will also need to be able to produce analysis that is easy to understand and accessible for non-technical audiences. But it’s not just about written communication. They’ll need to be able to explain complex issues verbally too – whether that’s briefing a parliamentarian, or helping stakeholders understand policy change. And social media is becoming more and more important as a communication channel for policy influencing too.

#3: Interpersonal skills

A good policy officer needs to be comfortable interacting with a variety of people. Whether that’s the ability to brief officials and politicians, to network and build alliances with other stakeholders, or the confidence to ‘pester’ people or to speak out in meetings. It can be quite daunting to be sitting in a policy working group (frequently with people who are far more expert on the matter at hand) and feel able to raise an issue or challenge something. Confidence, of course, in part comes with experience, but the foundation of great interpersonal skills is an essential building block for a good policy officer.

#4: Research skills

Although closely related to having good analytical skills, a good policy officer also needs a good foundation in research skills. Both in the interpretation and use of research, but also in undertaking research to support their policy development work. For example, that might involve capturing people’s stories and experiences to evidence their arguments, or undertaking (or commissioning) a piece of research to fill a gap in knowledge.

#5: Public affairs skills

There are broadly two schools of thought when it comes to the policy and public affairs interface. There are those organisations that choose to separate them out with separate policy and public affairs roles. And then there are those that combine them in a more integrated way. My personal view is that the integrated approach is the way to go. It makes sense to me that someone analysing policy and generating ideas for change should also understand some of the ways in which that change can be achieved using parliamentary and public affairs routes, such as parliamentary debates, or All-Party Parliamentary Groups, for example.

#6: Political astuteness

A good policy officer not only needs to be able to analyse and interpret policy, they also need to have a degree of political astuteness to know which policy influencing objectives and aims are politically achievable. They’ll need to understand party political differences, and the impact that events and context can have on politics and policy making. They’ll also need to be able to take a long view, horizon scanning, spotting issues and opportunities proactively.

#7: A tactical approach

It’s very easy to make a lot of noise about an issue, but noise doesn’t necessarily equate to influence. A good policy officer should be able to advise on the best tactics to deploy for the maximum impact. Whether that is public campaigning engaging stakeholders and supporters, or behind-the-scenes influencing, being able to pick the right tactics on a case-by-case basis is an essential skill. I’ll return to the question of visibility versus effectiveness in a future post.

#8: Problem solving

Influencing policy is all about solving problems, so good problem-solving skills are an essential attribute of a good policy officer. This means being able to look at problems from different angles, thinking creatively about potential solutions and testing those to come up with the best possible solution.

#9: Project management

A policy officer is likely to be juggling a number of different policy influencing projects. They might be getting stakeholder input on one topic, while simultaneously responding to a consultation on another, and briefing parliamentarians on a bill. Good time management, and good project management skills, are going to be really important.

#10: A focus on outcomes

One of the competencies that I think is really important for a good policy officer is being able to remain focused on outcomes. What I mean by that is being able to take the longer term view and consider the impact that a particular policy change path could deliver. Influencing the content of a piece of government guidance, or even the content of a parliamentary bill is one thing, but how will we know that such changes will deliver the outcomes that you’re seeking? In other words, achieving policy change itself is not the end of the process, and a good policy officer will understand the cycle of policy development and implementation.

What do you think are the essential skills and abilities that a policy officer needs? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Is it any good? Tips for how to analyse policy proposals

Being able to analyse policy proposals is an essential skill for anyone seeking to influence policy.

One of the most important skills that anyone involved in influencing policy needs to have is the ability to analyse and interpret changes in national policy. Whether it is examining bills and legislation, white papers, national guidance or consultation documents, being able to spot potential issues and, importantly, solutions, is an essential competence for anyone seeking to influence the policy agenda.

I was prompted to write this post having spent a few days recently trying to understand the implications of the Government’s energy price scheme.

Being able to understand what policy or decision makers want to achieve, and what they are thinking about, is a really important skill.

There are lots of academic papers and public policy theories that try to describe the policy analysis process – you simply need to run a quick Google search to find lots of those. While those are useful and helpful, in this post, I thought it would be helpful to think about it a little more practically. So here are my top five tips for policy analysis.

Tip 1: Think about the context

As a starting point, it’s important to consider the context, and what is being presented, as this will affect the approach that you might need to take. Are you being asked a question, or given an answer? For instance, is it a consultation where your views are being sought, or a policy statement or decision that has already been taken?

Tip 2: What is the policy trying to achieve, and will it work?

The next step is to work out what it is that the policy is intended to achieve. What problem are policy makers trying to fix? And will it deliver what it is that the policy maker intends? Are there any unforeseen consequences that might not have been properly considered? Your expert knowledge here is going to be particularly helpful, as you will probably know more about your stakeholders and their needs than the policy makers do.

Most ‘bad policy’ decisions are the result of not properly considering the unintended consequences – the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is probably the best example of that in practice. By adopting an approach based on breed and looks, rather than behaviour, it is widely criticised for failing to address the problem it was designed to fix which was to reduce the incidence of dog attacks.

Tip 3: Will it have a positive, negative or neutral impact? And will those impacts be fair?

You also need to consider whether the policy is likely to have a positive, negative or neutral impact. In other words, from your perspective, is this a good, bad or indifferent policy? And don’t forget that you’ll need to evidence your assessment, so also think about the mix of evidence that you will need to draw on to back up your judgment.

It’s also really important to think about equality as part of your analysis. In most cases, policy change goes through a process of ‘equality impact assessment’ to determine whether it might have a disproportionate unintended effect on equality, and to ensure compliance with the public sector equality duty. In reality, those assessments are not often particularly robust. It’s often an important gap to fill.

Tip 4: The financial impact

As big part of your analysis will probably centre on the cost effectiveness or financial implications of the policy change being proposed. Is it an efficient way of achieving the policy intentions? Are there alternative solutions available that might be more cost effective? And, of course, are there financial implications for the stakeholders that you are speaking for? A cost-benefit analysis is a very useful tool.

Tip 5: Can you change it?

How the policy, or policy proposal, is being presented will determine the answer to the question of whether it’s possible to change it if needed. A clause in a parliamentary bill (which will be subject to debate, amendment and parliamentary process) will be much easier to influence and change than, for example, a piece of statutory guidance from an arms-length body. This will also help determine the tactics that you might need to deploy to get any change that might be needed.

Alongside your analysis, it’s also worth thinking about what your stakeholders, beneficiaries, or local community might need to know about the change. This is important for two reasons. First and foremost, because people will need to know what the change is and how it will affect them. And secondly, because if change is needed, you can also think about how to mobilise your networks to push for that change. For example, mobilising people to write to their MP about a bill before Parliament. In this sense, policy analysis is, itself, a core component of the policy influencing process.

Policy analysis is an essential tool for anyone wanting to influencing government policy. It’s vital to be able to critically appraise policy proposals, to identify any unintended consequences, and ultimately to help ensure that the policy has a positive, rather than negative or disruptive, effect.

What is your experience of policy analysis? What would you add to these tips? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.