Programme overview
Introduction:
Government relations work in many organisations stays reactive: regulatory changes are spotted late, ministries and regulators receive inconsistent messages from different departments, consultation deadlines pass without a response and nobody can show the board what the public affairs function achieves. This Core Concept course gives managers who run the function an advanced method to structure it, map official stakeholders, monitor policy, manage issues, engage officials with correct protocol, submit position papers and work through industry associations within clear integrity limits. Participants produce a GR Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement Plan for a case company.
Course Objectives:
- Design the mandate, reporting line, internal governance and operating model of a government relations and public affairs unit
- Map ministries, regulators, legislative committees and other official stakeholders by authority, interest and access, and set an engagement priority for each
- Run a policy and regulatory monitoring system that turns early signals into assessed issues with owners and response options
- Prepare official letters, meeting briefs, position papers and consultation submissions that officials can act on
- Set ethical and anti-bribery boundaries for gifts, hospitality, advocacy and third-party intermediaries, with disclosure and approval routes
- Build a GR Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement Plan with impact indicators ready for executive approval
Target Audience:
- Managers who lead a government relations or public affairs unit and report its work to executive management
- Corporate affairs staff who coordinate the organisation's positions towards ministries and public bodies
- Regulatory liaison managers who handle licences, inspections, filings and consultations with sector regulators
- Policy and advocacy managers in industry associations, chambers and professional bodies
- Senior advisers in legal, strategy or sustainability functions who share responsibility for official engagement
- Community and external relations managers whose work touches local authorities and public agencies
Course Outline:
Day 1: The GR and Public Affairs Function: Mandate, Structure and Current State
- Government Relations, Public Affairs, Regulatory Affairs and Lobbying: Scope and Boundaries
- GR Operating Model Options: Centralised Unit, Hub-and-Spoke and Business-Embedded Liaison
- Internal RACI for Official Contact: Executives, Legal, Technical Experts and Communications
- Policy Environment Scan Using PESTLE and a Horizon Scanning Log
- GR Function Maturity Self-Assessment and Gap Register
Day 2: Stakeholder Mapping, Policy Monitoring and Issues Management Models
- Official Stakeholder Inventory: Ministries, Regulators, Legislative Committees and Local Authorities
- Power-Interest Grid and Influence-Access Matrix for Government Stakeholders
- Policy Cycle Model: Agenda Setting, Formulation, Adoption, Implementation and Review
- Issue Life-Cycle Model and Issue Prioritisation Scoring Sheet
- Regulatory Monitoring Dashboard: Draft Rules, Consultations, Gazettes and Enforcement Signals
Day 3: Official Engagement: Correspondence, Meetings, Protocol and Position Papers
- Official Letter Structure: Salutation, Reference, Request, Evidence and Closing Formula
- Meeting Brief Pack for Officials: Objective, Asks, Anticipated Questions and Leave-Behind Note
- Protocol for Official Meetings and Site Visits: Precedence, Seating, Delegation Size and Follow-Up Minutes
- Position Paper Architecture: Problem Statement, Evidence Base, Policy Options and Recommended Wording
- Consultation Response Drafting: Question-by-Question Answers, Impact Evidence and Alternative Proposals
Day 4: Coalitions, Integrity Limits, Community Links and Impact Measurement
- Industry Association and Coalition Strategy: Joint Positions, Free-Rider Risk and Exit Criteria
- Anti-Bribery Controls for Official Engagement: Gifts, Hospitality, Facilitation Payments and Intermediary Due Diligence
- Lobbying Transparency Principles: Disclosure, Revolving-Door Cooling-Off and Conflict-of-Interest Declarations
- Community Relations and Local Authority Engagement Linked to Licence-to-Operate Issues
- GR Impact Scorecard: Policy Outcome, Relationship Health, Issue Resolution Time and Avoided Cost Indicators
Day 5: Case Study: GR Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement Plan
- Case Company File: Proposed Sector Rule Change Affecting Operating Costs and Licensing
- Case Stakeholder Map and Issue Assessment Using the Day 2 Tools
- Draft Position Paper and Consultation Response for the Case Issue
- GR Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement Plan Drafting with Owners, Timeline and Indicators
- Plan Defence Before a Mock Executive Committee and Integrity Review Panel
Skills You Will Gain:
- Government Stakeholder Mapping
- Policy Horizon Scanning
- Issue Prioritisation
- Official Correspondence Drafting
- Position Paper Writing
- Consultation Response Preparation
- Coalition Management
- GR Performance Measurement
Why Attend This Course:
- Leave with a GR Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement Plan for a case company, tested by an executive and integrity panel
- Replace ad hoc contact with officials by one coordinated voice, a clear approval route and meeting records
- Know exactly where legitimate advocacy ends and bribery or undisclosed influence begins
- Compare public affairs practice with managers from energy, health, finance, industry and association settings
Conclusion:
Credible government relations rests on knowing who decides, spotting policy change early and engaging officials with evidence, correct form and integrity. The course moves from the mandate and operating model of the function, through stakeholder mapping, policy monitoring and issue life-cycle models, to official letters, meeting briefs, protocol, position papers and consultation responses, then to coalitions, anti-bribery limits, community links and impact indicators. The final day applies these tools to a sector rule change and produces a GR Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement Plan.