policy – Page 2

When a new Prime Minister arrives

With an new incoming Prime Minister, the most important question facing policy and public affairs professionals is how on earth to get cut through on the issues that matter most to you

As the Conservative leadership contest draws to a close, like almost every policy or public affairs person across the UK, I’ve spent the last few weeks and months thinking about the best strategies for approaching a new incoming Prime Minister.

I’ll resist the temptation to talk about my views on the strengths and weaknesses of the process that we’ve all witnessed for the election of a new Conservative Party leader, and therefore Prime Minister, over the last two months (tempting as that might be!), and focus instead on how on earth you prepare for a new administration.

In normal times (which have been in short supply in the last few years), government leadership changes as a result of a general election. More recently, and definitely since Tony Blair left Number 10, the ‘new normal’ has been for new Prime Ministers to be selected not by popular vote, but by individual party procedures. Policy and public affairs professionals have had a lot of experience of that recently.

So, the most important question to ask is how on earth can you try to get cut through on your priorities when every lobby group is trying to do exactly the same thing?

I’ve been giving a lot of thought recently to this question – not least given the very challenging context that we are all working within at present.

At the time of writing this post, I have no idea which of the two candidates for the top office of state will be successful (although if the polls are to be believed, this was a contest in name only!). However, the fundamental questions remain the same. What will the priorities be of the new PM? How will the machinery of Number 10 change under the new leadership? And how do you get a voice in what is already a very crowded space?

From a policy and public affairs perspective, one of the upsides of a change of PM without a general election is that most of the faces will remain the same. While we may not know the configuration of the Cabinet that the new Prime Minister might choose, they are all familiar faces and personalities. Compared to a different party coming in to power in a general election, this is a more straightforward starting point to work from.

I’ve spent the last couple of days crafting an approach to the new Prime Minister to highlight some of the pressing issues that are important to me and the organisation that I’m involved with. Therefore, I thought that I should share the top five things that stand out to me as the most important lessons from that.

Tip 1: Be relevant

With a change of government leadership, there is a huge temptation to throw everything and the kitchen sink at your first approach. This won’t work. It’s really important that you are responsive to the wider context in which that person will be arriving into the biggest job in the country. What are the key issues that will be their in-tray? And how is your issue relevant or related to that?

Tip 2: Offer solutions

An incoming Prime Minister will be presented with 1001 different problems that require their attention. This incoming Prime Minister is facing the biggest cost of living crisis for a generation, a war in Europe, and the continuing shadow of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. In your initial approach, it’s important not to just add to the list of problems, but to offer solutions too. If you can make your solutions appear simple, obvious and achievable, you’re much more likely to get the outcome that you are seeking.

Tip 3: Think politically

An incoming Prime Minister wants to come with solutions. They want to be able to answer what have been the most difficult questions that their predecessor failed to address. When you’re thinking about that initial approach, you also need to think politically. You might have in your mind the very best policy solution, but if it won’t work politically, it’s not going to fly. Listen to what they are saying, understand their priorities and their world view, and you’ll be able to frame your pitch in the most positive and influential way. With a previous change of Prime Minister, I recall pitching a solution as an easy political win that would generate some easy kudos. It worked, and led to a short-term cash injection on an issue that mattered a great deal to my key stakeholders.

Tip 4: Time it well

When a new Prime Minister arrives as a result of a change of government though a General Election, we’ve become very familiar with the transition of power that takes place, and the way in which that happens. With a change of Prime Minister outside of an election cycle, the technicalities of timings matter more than ever. In the current transition, while the new Prime Minister will be announced on Monday lunchtime, they won’t officially become new the Prime Minister until they are invited by the Queen to form a government on Tuesday.

Tip 5: Address any objections up front

If you’ve already got reasonably good relationships with civil servants and officials, you’ll have a pretty good idea what their advice is likely to be to the new Prime Minister in response to your suggestions. If you can head those off at the pass, you’ll be in a much better and stronger position. Think about the counter arguments that you can use to address such objections, and include them up front in your initial approach to the new Prime Minister

None of us quite know how the incoming occupant of Number 10 will change the way that policy influencing needs to happen. But the one thing that we can be certain of is that it will be different. Whether that is down to different priorities, a different Cabinet composition, or even a different culture at the heart of Government, we will all need to learn and adapt to a new reality.

What are your thoughts on how easy it is for policy and public affairs professionals to adapt to a new style of political leadership? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Subsidiarity and the art of influencing locally

Subsidiarity is an established principle in public policy. What are some of the tips and tricks you can use to influence policy decisions at different levels?

In a previous post, I talked about how important it is to know who the target of your influencing work might be. There is little point coming up with a really well-developed strategy to target Westminster MPs if it’s the Scottish Government or an English local council that actually has the decision-making power.

Subsidiarity is a well-established principle in policy making. Essentially it means that decisions should be taken at the lowest possible level. In other words, central government should only do the things that only central government can do. Those who have studied public policy may be familiar with the principle as a bedrock of the architecture of the European Union. But it also applies in the UK (although not always successfully, but that’s a discussion for another day!).

In almost every area of public policy, there is at least an element of devolved responsibility (except perhaps in defence and foreign affairs). There are policy decisions taken at every level that affect all our lives. Whether that is the obviously local responsibilities of councils around the UK, the formally devolved responsibilities of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments, or the operational (and to some extent strategic) decisions that, for example, schools, hospitals and other NHS bodies are responsible for.

To influence decision making at different levels, you will need to deploy different tactics and strategies. So, it’s really important as a first step to work out where the decision-making power actually sits.

So, here are my top tips for influencing policy decisions at different levels.

Tip 1: The more local you get, the more personal it needs to be

There’s a noticeable difference in the accessibility of decision makers at different levels of the system. As a general rule of thumb, the more local it becomes, the more accessible decision makers are likely to be. There’s a big difference between trying to reach a UK Government minister, compared to minister in one of the devolved administrations. Your tactics will need to be adapted accordingly.

Tip 2: Think about the optics

This is especially important when trying to influence policy decisions that are the responsibility of the devolved administrations, but also applies to other levels too. Think carefully about how policy influencing work would look coming from a London or England base. The reality is that your message is less likely to get cut through. Which brings me to point 3.

Tip 3: Find local allies and advocates

For anyone working at a national (UK) level trying to influence decisions that might be taken at a different level, the first challenge is how practically you can do that. A really useful tip is to try to find allies and advocates that you can align with and work with at the right level. For example, if you’re trying to influence the decisions that local councils might make, think about who the influencers and allies at that level could be, and how you can connect with them. There’s strength (and reach) in numbers.

Tip 4: Do your research

When you have worked out where the decision-making responsibility might be, it’s really important to do your research to understand how and when decisions might be taken. For example, are their groups or committees that will take the decision, and what is the best way to approach them? Or is it down to an individual? Different organisations will have different processes, and therefore different tactics will be needed to try to influence them.

Tip 5: Understand the context

While responsibility for decision making might be delegated, it’s likely that those decisions will be taken within some broader policy framework. For example, if you’re trying to influence the way in which decisions about planning are taken in a particular area, what is the overall local planning strategy, and what national policy might provide some constraints to that decision making? This broader context might give you some strategies and tactics to explore.

Tip 6: Localise your evidence

In a previous post, I discussed the importance of evidence to support policy influencing activities. When it comes to influencing decisions at different levels, it’s really important that you can, wherever possible, localise your evidence. For example, there’s little point using national level data to evidence the need for action on a particular health issue if responsibility for that issue sits at a regional level. Much better if you can demonstrate what that means for the relevant decision-making body and the population that it serves.

Tip 7: Politics matters

It sounds like an obvious thing to say, but don’t forget that different democratic organisations will have different political priorities. It’s important to tailor your messages accordingly. This is true for both local councils, for example, but also definitely true for the devolved administrations. The politics of the Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish governments will be very different to the politics of Westminster!

Tip 8: Councillors can be your best asset

When it comes to influencing local councils, local elected councillors can be incredibly helpful. They are often more accessible and receptive to the issues and concerns of the communities that they serve. They can table members’ questions in Council meetings which can be a good way to raise the profile of an issue (don’t forget that citizens can also ask questions in many Council meetings), as well as often being members of relevant council committees. Connecting with councillors is something best done locally, and ideally in partnership with other local voices.

Tip 9: Don’t forget regions

There can be a temptation to think in terms of national (Westminster or nation) versus local, and to overlook the regional tier. In some aspects of public policy, regions can be really important, and they take a variety of different forms depending on the issue at hand. For example, elected mayors (who often cover a footprint larger than a single traditional local authority), or NHS regions and sub-regions.

Tip 10: Think multi-layer

It’s quite possible that for the issue that you are seeking to influence, there may need to be different action at a number of different layers. For example, you might be pushing the Westminster government to update or amend guidance on a particular issue, while simultaneously wanting the local council which is the intended target of that national guidance to act. Thinking in an integrated and multi-layered way can be a really effective strategy for a lot of issues.

What is your experience of trying to influence decisions at different levels and layers? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Drowning in paper? How do you decide which consultations are worth bothering with? And how do you make a submission that will be listened to?

Responding to consultations is bread and butter for anyone involved in influencing policy. In this post, I’ll take a look at how to make sure that your voice is heard

Responding to government consultations is bread and butter for people working in policy roles. If you’re not careful, it could be all too easy to do nothing but, surrounded by piles of paper and post-it notes.

So how do you decide which consultations to respond to, and which you can ignore? And what are the best ways to go about putting a submission together?

In this post, I’ll be looking at how to approach government consultation processes, and some of the tips and tricks to make your voice heard.

What is a consultation?

This might sound like a fairly easy question to answer. But the reality is that there are lots of different types of consultations that government (and their associated arm’s length bodies) might issue from time to time. Being able to spot the difference will help you decide which ones to prioritise, and which you can safely ignore.

In 2018, the UK Government Cabinet Office published an updated set of principles to support the civil service on how to run consultation processes (which are substantially watered down from previous versions). It provides useful insight in to how such processes are planned and organised from the government’s perspective. In reality, I’m not convinced that the principles are always used by officials when planning such processes.

A duty to consult

There are some consultations that the government has a legal duty to issue – these are normally fairly technical consultations where there is a responsibility to regularly consult with stakeholders. One example of such a consultation is the annual consultation that is issued on the detail of the NHS Standard Contract which is used for any providers delivering NHS funded care. If you have technical expertise, or something specific that you want to see changed, it can be relatively easy to have some influence on these, as officials are specifically looking for input on the detail.

A fait-accompli?

There are then some consultations which are simply tick-box exercises which allow the government to say that they canvassed views. A tell-tale sign of one of these is a consultation which is issued to gather views on a subject that the government has already been quite vocal about the approach that it is planning to take (the consultation on proposals to make COVID vaccination a condition of deployment in health and care services in England is a good example of one of these, even though that was eventually reversed). Another tell-tale sign of one of these types of consultation is that they often have very short windows for responses (best practice is to allow respondents 12 weeks to submit responses, but in reality it is often much less. For tick box consultations it can sometimes be as short as a couple of weeks).

Seeking expert input

The third type of consultation is one where the government is genuinely interested in gathering input and expertise to help them take some policy decisions. Consultations about developing or updating guidance (where expert professional input will be essential) is an example of this kind of consultation.

This isn’t to say that this is the only type of consultation that you should bother with. Deciding which consultation process to engage with will depend a lot on how relevant the consultation might be to your priorities or interests. Sometimes, even if there is little prospect that your comments might change the government’s mind, it can be important that you are seen to respond and make your voice heard. It can help build your profile and your reputation as an important stakeholder.

The growth of consultation surveys

In recent years, there has been a noticeable growth is consultation surveys, where government issues a consultation with an associated survey to gather responses. This is, of course, designed to make it easier for the poor officials who have to collate responses and pull together summaries of the key themes. Much easier to do that by counting up the number of yes/no answers to a very specific question than to have to read lots of narrative explanation.

Consultation surveys definitely have a place. They’re particularly helpful where some of the decisions that government has to make are quite binary in nature – for example, should we do X or Y. They are less helpful when trying to deal with some complex issues which don’t lend themselves to distilling down to a narrow binary reply. However, in recent years they appear to be increasingly popular with government as a way, presumably, of reducing the administrative burden of analysing submissions. It also helps the government to guide respondents to the answers that it wants to see. This brings me on nicely to the next question.

Should you just answer the consultation questions?

In my opinion, the short answer to this is no.

Sometimes, the questions that are not asked can be more important than those that are. Structuring your response around the consultation questions will obviously make it easier for officials to collate your responses. However, there are sometimes important issues that the government has not yet considered, and that do not fit within the framework of the consultation questions being asked. On those occasions it is perfectly acceptable (and arguably important) to step outside of the question framework and to offer a narrative response. Consultations often have an email address, or mailing address, where narrative responses can be sent, even if the consultation is being run as a survey.

What makes a good response?

A good consultation response is clear, concise, and evidence-based. Although it can be tempting to write War and Peace on a topic that you are very knowledgeable or passionate about, like any communication, it’s important that you get your message across succinctly and clearly.

When it comes to evidence, quantitative and qualitative evidence are both equally important. As I said in a previous post, evidence is king when it comes to making a persuasive argument. That evidence might be evidence about cost and benefit, but could equally be case studies, examples and the voices of people who might be affected.

Maximising your impact

Responding to the formal consultation process can be an effective way to make your voice heard. To maximise your impact, there are a few other things that you can do.

As I have said in previous posts, influencing policy is all about relationships. One of the best ways you can maximise your impact in a consultation process is to get in touch directly with the officials leading the process. They will be keen to learn as much as they can to inform their advice to ministers. It’s quite common for there to be workshops run in parallel to the written consultation process, which can be a good way to find the right people to talk to.

It can also be useful to get in touch with other organisations who might be responding to the consultation too, to see whether there are any common or shared messages that you can both reinforce or help to amplify. The more responses that make a point, the more likely that point is to be heard.

Sometimes, there might be opportunities to use your response as a hook for some media work. This will work best where the issue at hand is particularly newsworthy or interesting, and where you have a strong and clear line. It can help to reinforce your wider campaign messages. Talk to your communications and media colleagues who will be best placed to advise.

Never ask a question you don’t already know the answer to

Responding to consultations is one of the most commonly used tools in the influencing toolbox. If the government is genuinely in listening mode, it can be a really effective way of getting your voice heard, and positioning yourself as a key stakeholder with something constructive and valuable to add.

Pay particular attention to what questions are being asked. As the old legal adage goes, never ask a question that you don’t already know the answer to. Sometimes this also applies to consultation processes – think carefully about the questions that you’re not being asked as much as those that you are.

What is your experience of responding to consultations? How do you pick which ones to prioritise? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Coming up next time: I’ll be exploring working with other organisations to achieve policy influence. Do coalitions work, or do they just water down your objectives?