5 Ways to to Make Your Lobby Meeting Successful

One of the strategies I employ in getting across an organization's message is coordinating meetings with legislators.  Meeting with a Member of Parliament, a Senator, or even a Cabinet Minister (often considered the "holy grail") is often one of those services most sought.  But organizing a meeting and making certain it produces a positive experience involves more than just asking for an appointment.  When I coordinate a meeting with MPs or Senators, here are some of the methods and recommendations left for clients:

1.    Plan for your meeting to last 20 minutes or so. Bring the following materials to the meeting:
•    Your contact info
•    One-pager info sheet on the issue you advocating
•    One-pager on your asks
•    Copy of the bill or regulation you are seeking to amend, as appropriate
•    Photos of events, letters from constituents, articles from local media, and any other items that demonstrate the popularity or sense of the issue you are pushing

2.    At the meeting, introduce, and show why your issue is important in your community
•    When you introduce yourself, say that you are a constituent.  If you are not a constituent, it might be best to demonstrate how you relate to their region and the impact your issue will have on the legislator’s constituents.  Explain why your issue is important to you.
•    Show that you’re there representing many voters. Describe the group you represent as specifically as possible, including number of members. Include specific evidence that your proposal is important to many constituents. Provide photos from any recent events you’ve held. Give them copies of articles or op-eds about your issue from your local paper

3.    Thank the Member of Parliament or Senator for taking the meeting
•    Be sure to start off by thanking the elected official for any actions s/he has previously taken on your issue. This is important because it lets them know that their constituents are keeping an eye on their record.
•    Make sure you know which committees they sit on or other leadership positions s/he holds.  This will help you frame your asks in a way that appeals to his/her interests
•    …By the way…make sure to acknowledge and thank the efforts of the legislators staff, in particular the scheduling assistant and political staff.  They may not have the votes you need but they have the legislator’s assistants are the one’s that have an MP/ Senator’s ear

4.    What if they have questions or concerns?
•    If they seem hesitant to support what you’re asking for, ask them directly what you can do to make this easier for them – do they need more information? More evidence that this is important to voters? Then, after the meeting, send them that info.
•    They may try to get off topic by taking about other issues and accomplishments. Listen politely, thank them, and then get back on track. You can say something like, “That’s great. I hope that you can further demonstrate your commitment to constituents by voting for this upcoming legislation.”
•    If you’re asked a question that you don’t know the answer to, say, “I don’t have that information now, but I can get it to you.” Then be sure to send it to them after the meeting.
•    Remember to listen. While you always want to steer the conversation back to your asks, listening to their concerns and priorities will help you meet them so they’re more likely to want to work with you.

5.    Follow up, follow up, follow up. The lobby meeting is only the beginning. The most important part is the follow-up that you do afterwards
•    Leave with a clear understanding of what the their position is and what s/he will do. At the end of the meeting, schedule a good date and time when you can call to follow up. This way, you can ensure that they’ve done what you asked.
•    Leave your contact info, and be sure to get their contact info too.
•    Send an email afterwards thanking him/her for the meeting, providing him/her with any materials you promised, and politely reminding him/her of the time for your phone call.
•    If you met with a staffer, call the staffer at the time you scheduled. If s/he has done what you asked, thank him or her. Tell him/her that you will let the grassroots activists you’re in touch with know about his/her actions. If s/he has not done what you asked, ask what you can do to make this happen
•    Keep calling in the future. Provide him/her with information about key legislation, what’s happening, and what constituents are doing about your issues in the constituency. If you’ve established a relationship with this office, and they know they can count on you as a reliable source of information, they’ll be that much more likely to listen to you in the future.

So, what's been your experience?  What works best for you in meeting with legislators?  If you need help building bridges on Parliament Hill, drop me a line.
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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

New Lobbying Regulations in Ottawa

Lobbying in Ottawa has changed this fall and non-profit/ association executives would be wise to pay heed.  Anyone who bends the ear of Members of Parliament and senators must now register such activities under expanded new regulations that have taken effect.  Under the new rules, individuals must register when they lobby any member of Parliament, senator or senior staff in the House of Commons and Senate offices of the leader of the opposition.

Previously, lobbyists only needed to register when they communicated with government ministers and ministers of state, as well as senior bureaucrats such as deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers.  The new regulations were released for public consultation in early August and have now come into force.

Under the Lobbying Act, lobbying is defined as any communication with public office holders by an individual who is paid to communicate with office holders on behalf of a person or organization. The subject matter must fall in one of several areas: the development, including legislative amendments and the awarding of grants or contracts.

So, the question association professionals must ask themselves: Are we on top of the rules?  As the rules for registering can be complicated, are we better off keeping our government relations activities in-house or can contracting out even a portion of it benefit the organization?

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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

One's "Contacts" are not the sole indicator of Government Relations Success

What counts more for you in developing effective government relations: the level of contacts one has or the basis of understanding one has for the political process? Over the years of working with associations in advancing their cause before government, one of the common threads that comes up is in the following question: “What contacts do you have in...?”

Clients can tend to be impressed by the contacts you have but at the same time, I get rather nervous when the focus is on that and in fact, I believe the point of their question misses the mark.

Let me explain. First, one’s network is one spends a long time building and my natural inclination of anyone who goes around name dropping is to be suspicious. There's a risk that this can come back at you when those with whom you have built a rapport use their friendship with you in a way they might not have approved of originally. Second, there's always the risk you can get into problems even if based on perception that you're in the business of influence peddling.

My experience is that understanding of the process will trump contacts most of the time. People change in posts but a good solid understanding of what make the system work and where the opportunities exist is the mark of a truly successful government relations professional. Now, I won't say that someone who has never worked in politics can be an immediate success. However, contacts will get you only so far if you don't first off have the relationship building skills to build the rapport needed for trust to occur.

In my years of experience in public affairs, I have been successful in advancing non-profit causes because of my background in the causes they represent, my understanding of the principles of good policy development and how to communicate them to legislators.

What are your thoughts?

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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

Tips for Success in Acquiring Government Funding

One of the most common issues I am confronted with is "how can my organization get funded for its program(s)"? And while funding opportunities are not what they once were, there still are some important opportunities out there that can "magnify" the under appreciated work your organization does. I recently attended an information session on a call for funding from Immigration Canada offered for local settlement agencies and non-profit organizations.

The points they outlined are applicable to most situations where non-profits are following up on grant funding opportunities and are relevant to a number of situations where I have been involved in writing grant applications. In this video, I outline two important points but it should be added as well that applications need to cover every single aspect in terms of deliverables.



Mark A. Buzan, APR
Principal & Chief Magnifier
Action Strategies
#3, 270 rue Champlain
Gatineau, Quebec J8X 3S1
819.770.2899 phone
877-336-2701 toll free fax
http://www.actionstrategies.ca (Action Strategies website)

LinkedIn Group for Government Relations: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2465512&trk=hb_side_g
LinkedIn Group for Non-Profit Communications: http://tinyurl.com/nonprofitideas

Action Strategies is offering a Pro-bona lobbying grant

Kicking off 2010, we're grateful for all the support we have received over the course of the last year. As part of our desire to demonstrate our continued dedication to the non-profit sector, we will be offering our services pro-bona to one deserving organization seeking to make their case to Parliament.

As part of this offering, we are providing up to a year of ongoing federal government relations support to nationally based organizations to include:

- relationship development and meeting coordination with civil servants, Members of Parliament, and Senators
- legislative monitoring to ensure your organization stays on top of the issues
- government grant research and writing (if required)
- grassroots campaigns to mobilize your supporters before government

If this is of interest to your organization, we ask that you submit your proposal/ request outlining the following items:

- a complete profile of the organization including a break down of the board of directors and their biographies
- a description of your organization and its history of building networks of support/ membership across Canada (or in the least a minimum of 2 provinces)
- describe the cause you are seeking to support and why Canadians (and why legislators should care)
- describe the media coverage your organization has managed to garnish

We look forward to your proposals!

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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

CSAE Conference: Lessons in the Need for Strategic Plans

For those not already aware, I'm here in Toronto this week attending the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) annual convention. While there are a number of subjects we have already covered and undoubtedly more will come, one topic in particular stands out:

"Why do good association executives get fired?"

Presented by Jack Shand (Leaderquest Inc.), there are a number of factors that point to indicators of why matters can go awry. More often than not, association executives themselves are not to blame. They are the victim of poor strategic plans or the lack thereof of any strategic planning itself. When non-profits exist in a vacuum of a clear idea of where it is that they are going, boards and volunteers (not to mention staff) can be left in a guessing situation of what can be expected as measures of success. When this occurs, association executives can soon find themselves in an environment where no matter what they do, their efforts and hard work can be quickly placed in doubt. While the ramifications of this may seem evident for senior association and non-profit staff, I cannot help avoid thinking that from an effective communications or even government relations perspective for NPOs, there are important lessons to be learned as well. PR and lobbying efforts in an association environment will only be as effective as the planning processes that exist behind them.

Strategic planning is needed on two levels. First, a non-profit itself needs an overall strategic plan that sets a clear mission and direction. It cannot be a vague document nor can it set out a laundry list of "to-do's". If an organization's overall strategic plan is unclear, it cannot be expected of a communications professional or lobbyist to reach clear goals. After all, as communicators and government relations professionals, we set in place initiatives with the objective to back up an organization's strategic plans. In the same tune, communications and government relations initiatives need to have their own planning processes. If we fail to plan, we plan to fail!

So, what are your thoughts? Do you think association and non-profit organizations given enough attention to strategic planning? What about in general terms towards the need for communications and advocacy planning? I argue that more than ever, NPOs need to pay more attention to the value of planning of course for the strategic direction of their organization - but they also need to pay attention to the value of strategically planning their advocacy to government and their communications. Without such clear objectives laid out, too often we see the professionals that act in this sphere fall victim to the whims of boards of directors who may not have the insight of all of the ins and outs or successes that have occurred.
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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. If you have questions on how you feel your organization could benefit from legislative monitoring services or even undertaking a grassroots advocacy initiative. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca

Deciphering the Speech from the Throne. What does it mean for your Association?

Today marked the Conservative government's Speech from the Throne, the direction Prime Minister Harper will be taking Canada over the course of the next few years. Unsurprisingly, the diminishing economy has changed the the Conservatives' policy course and the Speech from the Throne reflected this direction. From a 16 page speech, the Governor General delivered 10 of those pages on subjects related directly to the economy. For association professionals with an interest in financial and international affairs, the following are indicators of where there will be opportunities:

• Reforming global finance to re-examine and renew the rules that underpin the global financial system.


• Avoiding structural deficits by putting all federal expenditures under the microscope of responsible spending.
  


• Focusing on job skills development especially through the skilled trades and providing further support to the automotive and aerospace industries.


• Expand investment and trade by modernizing investment, competition and copyright laws while working with the United States to address shared challenges and pursuing trade agreements in Europe, Asia and the Americas.


• Reducing red tape, fixing procurement, improving program and service delivery, and improving the management of federal agencies, boards, commissions and Crown corporations. In this regard, it's likely the Conservatives will be looking for means to tighten the belt. If your association will be looking to expand departmental or program support budgets, you may wish to seek the counsel of a professional as this will be a tough (but not impossible) time to start such an endeavor.

While the economy is the primary focus, do not despair if your association's mandate falls outside this arena. The Throne Speech identified six other items:

• Securing Canada's Energy Future - Are you involved in Energy issues? Now is the time to take note....BTW, Action Strategies has worked in the energy sector.


• Tackling Climate Change and Preserving Canada’s Environment


• Extending a number of social support measures such as the homelessness agenda, improving Universal Child Care, as well as building support for those caring for the disabled


• Tackling Crime


• Continuing the Afghanistan mission


• Important democratic reforms that will give British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario more seats in the House of Commons. Moreover, Senators may face term limits.

The bottom line is this: If you wish to understand where your association's policy agenda is likely to stand (or stand a chance), the time is now to conduct an legislative and political audit. Leveraging the Speech from the Throne by identifying the priorities, gives an indication of how lobbying success can be revealed. Conducting the audit now as 2008 comes to an end means you will be ahead of the curve and save your organization countless dollars and time.

Does this strike a cord? Drop me a line or leave your thoughts.
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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a GR Consultancy for non-profits. Subscribe now to his Lobbying tips newsletter at www.actionstrategies.ca/Action_Strategies/Newsletter.html

A new direction for Action Strategies

Well, it has been a while since I've published an entry in this blog but there has been a reason. I've taken this time to seriously evaluate how I as a Public Relations and Lobbying consultant can make a difference in advancing the profession. With that, I have given serious thoughts to where in my mind, the value of Action Strategies' services lie in public relations and government relations. I came to an important conclusion.

Reviewing our case studies and the comments we have received from those clients who have been our biggest fans, it became clear that there is a definite need for a combined communications and government relations agency that specializes in the association and non-profit sector. As a sector that arguably calls upon GR and PR strategies more than any other sector (government or private sector), I was amazed to learn of the challenges they face. Interestingly enough, there seem to be few who specialize in non-profits or truly understand the complexities they face.

In fact, in my estimation I do not believe there are any Canadian firms (although I welcome being corrected on this!) that serve exclusively the non-profit and association market. There are undoubtedly many who service them. However, in all instances, they approach the situation as a PR or Government Relations generalist - serving all sectors with a sprinkle of non-profits to fill in the mix.

My feeling however is that non-profits and associations have indeed particular aspects that do require a specialist as opposed to a generalist. While private sector PR serves the valuable role of maintaining a corporate image and assisting marketing efforts, non-profit directors and executives face a series of challenges:

-With the pressing demands of running an organization, how does an Executive Director keep their organization's members and supporters engaged and informed of the good work that's happening? If they are unsuccessful in communicating this, how long will it be before they run the risk of a disconnect?

-In terms of lobbying, associations face the challenge of building consensus and ensuring their message is inline with their members' concerns all the while ensuring that government understands that their association is indeed the voice of a given industry.

-Many non-profits run fundraising initiatives. How effective though can a fundraising campaign be if the community is unaware of the organization or of the problem the non-profit is aiming to resolve?

-Unlike the private sector, most non-profit and association executives must contend with a Board of Directors (most often from across the country and/ or from varying backgrounds and diverging interests). These board members are volunteers and as such, need to be communicated with in a means that will motivate and engage. Not to mention, many associations face the challenge of recruiting board members.

While these are just a sampling of the issues at hand, they were enough to inspire me to demonstrate how effective and specialized GR and PR for non-profits are so required in Canada. With the experience I've gained with organizations such as the Canadian Hydropower Association, the Canadian Construction Association, the Canadian paralympic Committee and many others, I believe there are some clear solutions that can be provided to the non-profit sector. The nuances each of these have faced along with the many other associations I have helped have in my mind made it very clear that the non-profit world is different than other sectors.

What are your thoughts?
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Mark Buzan is Principal and Chief Magnifier in Action Strategies, a full service Strategic Communications, Public Relations and Public Affairs Consultancy. Make sure to contact him for advice on reaching audiences you may or may not have yet considered in your marketing communications and PR campaigns. Drop him a line if you are looking for help in developing a public relations campaign. You can view his website at www.actionstrategies.ca.

Understanding Regulations

The practice of government relations is often simplified down to what is believed to be relationship building with politicians. What is less known are the years of expertise government relations practitioners develop in specific subject matters. Most often, the value of this specialization comes from years of focusing on changing those aspects of policy that do not require new legislation.

Regulations are often that lesser understood part of the process.

Who is involved in making and reviewing regulations?

The following are the main participants in the regulatory process:

* the delegate of the regulation-making powers (usually the Governor General acting on the advice of the Cabinet, but sometimes a particular Cabinet minister or an administrative agency)
* the officials in the department or agency responsible for the regulations
* the Regulations Section of the Department of Justice
* the Regulatory Affairs Directorate of the Treasury Board Secretariat
* the Standing Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons for the Scrutiny of Regulations.


Who should be consulted?

Regulations Section

When legislative proposals involve the delegation of regulation-making powers, consideration should be given to consulting the Regulations Section. It can provide advice about which sorts of provisions are appropriate to include in regulations and which should be contained in the enabling Act. It can also provide advice about drafting enabling provisions. (See Chapter 4 - The Regulatory Process)

There is a close connection between Acts and regulations. Decisions about the drafting of an Act can have a considerable impact on the regulations that will be made under it. It is often desirable for departmental legal advisers, drafters and regulations specialists to meet to discuss these issues when preparing the Memorandum to Cabinet or drafting the bill.

The General Public

Public consultation should be viewed as an integral part of the legislative process, particularly where a bill will have a significant impact on members of the public.

Public consultation should normally occur after internal consultation within the Government and consultation with other governments have taken place.

The fundamental elements for meaningful consultation that apply to both the Government and members of the public are:

a shared understanding of the purpose of the consultation;
mutual respect;
clear communication;
an appreciation of the need to agree on workable approaches, often entailing a compromise;
meaningful input into the policy formulation process; and the recognition that consultation will not always lead to consensus.

Public consultation are guided by the following principles:

The need for public consultation will be determined early in the planning process, followed by the identification of the individuals and groups interested in the bill. Public consultation processes will be carried out in an objective and open manner, within reasonable time frames and with consideration of the cost to both the public and the Government.

The manner and extent of public input will be determined by such factors as:
how the bill will affect the public, particularly those who may have special rights or interests; the nature or extent of consultation (for example, issue-specific or ongoing); feasibility (for example, resource implication and time constraints);
national and regional interests; and the objectives and scope of consultation, including the method of consulting and the time frame for doing so, will be clearly defined at the outset in order to facilitate a clear, mutual understanding of the purpose of the consultation.


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Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies, a Government Relations consultancy. You can subscribe now to his monthly public affairs newsletter by visiting the newsletter section of his website.

Best Practices in Selling to Government

Action Strategies' newest affiliate and Magnifier, Derrek Konrad provides a brief insight into how organizations looking to sell to government can get ahead of the curve.

This month we will deal with influencing the buying decision.

When you or your business plan to do business with the government, you enter into a highly competitive environment. The Government of Canada’s top 10 clients purchase almost 13 billion dollars worth of commodities and services annually and many suppliers and potential suppliers are competing for a piece of the action. How can you influence the decision in your favour? If you limiting your chances of success to simply responding to a Request For Proposal (RFP) you are not taking advantage of all of the tools at your disposal.

There are many factors that go into successfully competing and one of them is having an effective voice in the decision-making arena detailing the benefits of awarding a contract to your firm or organization. Your business will have unique characteristics that bring added value to the market that cannot be written into a proposal. This is where a government relations professional can help influence the decision to award a contract.

A government relations specialist will get to know the materiel managers in the target departments of interest to the client and develop an understanding of exactly what their requirements are. This will allow a client to respond more appropriately to an RFP. After a bid has been issued all contact with the department ceases and all communications must be directed to Public Works and Government Services.

Having your firm become known to a department before bids are issued can pay other dividends as well. When a department sends PWGSC a requisition for goods or services they may list suggested sources so doing a good job of promoting your business could get it named as a suggested source. Departments also have authority to do their own contracting for non-mandatory services consequently you could be short-listed for work that falls below the mandatory limit for PWGSC involvement.

Finally, a bit of advice on payment for GR services. While the use of government relations practitioners by prospective contractors is permitted, Treasury Board guidelines prohibit payment on a contingency basis. They must be compensated on a retainer or fee for service basis. If lobbyists are to be used a clause prohibiting contingency fees must be inserted in the contract.


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Derrek Konrad is a former Member of Parliament living in Ottawa and practices government relations. He is the principal of Konrad Group and can be contacted by e-mail at: Derrek.konradgroup@rogers.com or by phone at 613-822-9846
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Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies, a Government Relations consultancy. You can subscribe now to his monthly public affairs newsletter by visiting the newsletter section of his website.

Understanding CATSA; The Canadian Air Transport Security Agency

One of the challenges I have with keeping up with the needs of readers of this blog comes about in equitably dealing with the divergeant needs of corporation heads, association executives, and those simply looking to sell to government. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the challenge!

In meeting this challenge, I endeavor to highlight a particular federal government agency, crown corporation, or department from time to time. In this post, I'm highlighting CATSA; the Canadian Air Transport Security Agency.

CATSA's responsibilities fall into six major areas:

Pre-board screening of passengers and their belongings;
Acquisition, deployment, operation and maintenance of explosives detection systems at airports;

Contracting for RCMP policing services on selected flights and all flights to Reagan National Airport;

Implementation of a restricted area identification card;

The screening of non-passengers entering airport restricted areas;

Contributions for supplemental airport policing services.

There are four pieces of legislation for which the agency is responsible:

CATSA is governed by a Board of Directors composed of eleven members, including the Chair, Mr. D. Ian Glen, appointed by the Governor-in-Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Transport. Of the current eight members, two were nominated by airport representatives, and two were nominated by airline representatives.

The creation of CATSA as a separate agency means that those looking to lobby or influence air transport policy need to understand the governing bodies involved. CATSA has the autonomy from Transport Canada necessary to implement private-sector expertise with the accountability and public confidence of a government department.
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Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies, a public affairs & government relations consultancy. He brings a number of years of understanding of working with various government agencies and policy makers. You can subscribe now to his monthly public affairs newsletter by visiting the newsletter section of his website.

Changing GR Gears for Summer: Derrek Konrad, former MP

Action Strategies' newest affiliate and Magnifier, Derrek Konrad provides a brief insight into how organizations can influence government. As a former Member of Parliament, this article will be the first of many articles to come on best practices used by Action Strategies and its affiliates.

Summer is a great time to initiate or strengthen your organization’s government relations strategy. Members of Parliament are away from their Hill offices and back in the ridings. Government officials in Ottawa and across Canada have time to hear from industry representatives who have legislative and regulatory concerns and businesses wishing to do business with the federal government.

During the summer most Members of Parliament maintain regular hours in the office except for holidays when they will likely be away from the riding. While it may be a challenge to schedule time with an individual M.P. in his or her riding office, it is a great time to issue an invitation to meet over coffee to develop an open dialogue and to present your point-of-view on upcoming legislation in a one-on-one environment. Doing that can deliver many benefits: it puts the relationship on a less formal footing, and sends Members back to the next session better informed about the effects of legislation that may have been overlooked in the early stages of development. They will be equipped to suggest amendments to legislation to remove or mitigate sections that will harm a sector that has a significant presence in their riding. They may also lobby their caucus colleagues or a minister personally if they have come to believe in your cause.

Many caucuses also have retreats prior to a new session and getting your message to individual members and Hill staff before a retreat can make a difference in achieving your objective.

Officials in Ottawa who have input into ministerial briefings may have more time to meet with industry representatives in order to hear industry concerns and to develop the informal relationships that lead to productive meetings in more formal settings at other times.

One example of an issue that needs, and is getting, attention this summer is the federal budget. Budgets alter the economic climate in profound ways and the latest one is no exception. Entire regions of the country are upset by some provisions of the budget, and Ottawa is getting messages ranging from disgruntled provincial politicians to corporate Canada and everyone between. Now is a good time to let individual Members of Parliament know how the budget affects your sector and what you want them to do about it. A government relations specialist can help you prepare an effective message and a strategy for delivering it.
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Derrek Konrad is a former Member of Parliament living in Ottawa and practices government relations. He is the principal of Konrad Group and can be contacted by e-mail at: Derrek.konradgroup@rogers.com or by phone at 613-822-9846
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Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies, a Government Relations consultancy. You can subscribe now to his monthly public affairs newsletter by visiting the newsletter section of his website.

Understanding the Taxman: Canada Revenue Agency

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is undoubtedly one of the largest departments any Canadian or Canadian business faces. Apart from the "dreaded" submission of taxes
every April, the CRA renders a number of tax rulings every month with enormous impact on businesses. Needless to say, it is in every association executive and business owners' interest to understand this agency and have expert advice in navigating this department.

Should your organization need review of an interpretation or regulation, the key in navigating CRA is understanding where to bring issues of contention and raise concerns. While the CRA is an independent agency, it reports to the Minister of National Revenue. The Minister responsible for CRA is Carol Skelton.

The Minister of National Revenue is accountable to Parliament for all the CRA's activities, including the administration and enforcement of the Income Tax Act and the Excise Tax Act. The Minister ensures that the CRA operates within the overall government framework.

Her responsibilities also include liaising with the agents who run CRA:

Role of the Board of Management

The Board of Management consists of 15 members appointed by the Governor in Council. Eleven of these members have been nominated by the provinces and territories. The Board has the responsibility of overseeing the organization and management of the CRA, including the development of the Corporate Business Plan, and the management of policies related to resources, services, property and personnel.

The CRA's Board of Management is not involved in all the CRA's business activities. It does not have the authority to administer and enforce legislation or to access confidential client information.

Role of the Commissioner - Chief Executive Officer

As the CRA's chief executive officer, the Commissioner is responsible for the day-to-day administration and enforcement of program legislation that falls under the Minister's delegated authority. The Commissioner is accountable to the Board of Management for the daily management of the CRA, supervision of employees, and implementation of policies and budgets.

Moreover, the Commissioner must assist and advise the Minister with respect to legislated authorities, duties, functions, and Cabinet responsibilities.

The Role of the Chair

As the presiding director of the Board of Management, the Chair manages the affairs and functioning of the Board and guides the Board to ensure it meets its responsibilities.

Lobbying for policy change

Tax rulings and the understanding of them in their application is a complicated process. If your interest is in affecting change on a macro level, your best focus would be on the above apparatus. As with most other departments, it's important to know your 'targets' and focus on relationships. Because the board of the CRA, is of a provincial nature with appointments coming from the provincial capitals, your best bet would be to think of your issue along regional lines.

For those concerned with micro levels of concerns or disputes more specific to an individual company's interest, there are a number of interesting initiatives. For example, the Minister had recently announced the creation of the Office of the Taxpayer's Ombudsman. Other interesting links can be found at: CRA's website.
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Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies, a public affairs & marketing communications consultancy. He brings a number of years of understanding of working with the Canada Revenue Agency and was the Executive Assistant to the Official Opposition Critic for National Revenue at the time of the agency's creation. You can subscribe now to his monthly public affairs newsletter by visiting the newsletter section of his website.

The Top 5 Reasons to Hire a Lobbyist...and why they're not the ''Boogeyman''.

Shirley E. Greenberg from Ottawa's Women's Health Centre said it so clearly last April when in reference to a lobbyist initiative on health care, that lobbying has its place in Canadian public policy. Click here for the background information relating to this story from the Toronto Star.

I could go on forever on how unfair I believe the criticism government relations recieves from media commentators and the public alike. In itself, this issue could form the basis of a thesis! What I will say is that the stereotypes need to be addressed. To do that, what's needed is a clear understanding of when the practice of government relations is most effective. These conditions need to be communicated more vocally. Specifically, lobbying isn't right in every circumstance, nor is hiring a GR consultant.

To be clear with my clients and prospective clients, I lay out at least five conditions and/or circumstances that warrant a lobbying campaign:

1. A municipality or non-profit needing funding: Some may be aware that I've succeeded in the past with gaining previously refused infrastructure funding for a municipal client I once had. In fact, for the Municipality of Allumette Island, I secured over $30,000. Often, I'm approached by other non-profits and municipalities seeking funding.

The conditions for success here usually depend on a number of factors. First, a GR consultant will need to review if any existing sources of funding are out there. There is little sense in trying to re-invent the wheel. I've found the benefit of good government relations in this aspect promotes an application one step further. It also helps to ensure a file doesn't remain buried at the bottom of the pile of the thousands others received. If the funding programmes don't already exist, organizations should not expect immediate results. Time will be necessary to build awareness and the case for WHY funding would be needed.

The next condition for success deals with whether or not an organization has the funding to hire a consultant. Contrary to the beliefs of some, government relations consultants cannot charge based on commissions received from the total amount acquired. In fact, recent legislation at the federal level has even made this illegal! The same is the case with several other provinces. This means that the clients we take on understand that like everybody else, we have mortgages to pay as well:)

The final condition for this subset is the general purpose for which the subsidy or funding is being sought. Long gone are the days wherein governments would finance every demand under the sun. For a request to made, there needs to be a rock solid case that every Canadian will benefit from the transaction. In addition, it certainly would not hurt if it can be proven that the cause promoted backs the agenda of the government or would assist in improving their popularity.

2. Assistance in seeking procurement advice: Government relations people can also help companies acquire new business! Acquiring contracts through the RFP process can be challenging to say the least. It's about understanding and getting to the heart of what government purchases are really seeking. One of the most common areas GR consultants are called upon in this field is with the Department of National Defence (DND).

3. Ongoing monitoring and advice of political developments and how those can impact an industry or company: There is enormous value in having the input and insight of an ''insider'' with connections in the corridors of power. Contrary to popular belief, the connections lobbyists have are not used to gain special favours for themselves or clients. Instead, the connections they have become useful when the particular direction of a government is uncertain. When a client needs to know if a Minister or bureaucrat's inclination is leaning one way or if consideration is being given to study or review a regulation, upfront notice is invaluable. During my time with the Canadian Construction Association, my connections within the Finance Department and the continual contact I had there meant I was able to warn the association executive of pending review and study of bankruptcy regulations. Without having the benefit of ongoing monitoring, CCA could have been ''surprised'' with a decision unfavourable to the industry.

4. Coalition building amongst associations and varying stakeholders: Lobbyists are team builders for causes not always understood by policy makers or all Canadians. Sometimes it becomes necessary to gather different interests together on a common point. While at the Canadian Construction Association, I coordinated 7 different associations together to form a united front on the need for more investment in infrastructure. Each of the respective associations (including the Canadian Construction Association) had valid points but had we all gone to government on the same issue with varying points and at varying times, the risk of a dilluted message was very plausible. By combining our efforts into a single event on a message with which all could be comfortable, our message was heard more loudly and more clearly.

Needless to say, coordinating such an effort takes finesse, time and skill. Government Relations Consultants possess the know-how and abilities to make these campaigns and events possible.

5. Building awareness of unfair legislation or regulations that could hurt a segment of Canadian industry or the population: In reality, Government Relations is an offshoot or cousin of Public Relations. The difference of course comes from whom the message is targeted. Effective Government Relations builds awareness with policy makers. By the nature of the amount of decisions Parliament must make every day and the varying interests with which it must contend, it is inevitable that every day decisions may overlook the concerns of affected parties. Engaging a good lobbyist would be similar to engaging the services of a good lawyer. It means that a cause will get its fair say before those who ''judge'' what will be the acceptable policy course of action.


What GR IS NOT ABOUT:

After dealing with what good lobbying practices are about, I think it is pertinent to briefly deal with what the government relations business is not about. Unfortunately, our business has some work ahead of itself in educating the public about perceived ideas of what it is we in GR do.

1. Influence peddling: As I touched on before, lobbyists generally do have contacts. However, these contacts are not used in the sense of a ''wink, wink...do my client a favour please.'' The laws in Canada regarding influence peddling are quite strict. While contacts help, they are not the be all and end all of success in the lobbying world. Contacts help break the ice in initial discussions but they will never replace good and solid understanding of the policy environment.

2. Setting up single meetings: The contacts I have developed over the years are precious. They have been built on a solid basis of a give and take relationship. On occasion, I will be asked if it is possible to set up a meeting or two as the sole basis for a contract. The trouble with this approach is that it neglects the whole purpose of WHY a meeting should take place. Before a meeting happens, there has to have been a solid case built to present to those targeted in government. If the basis of the government relations business was solely on setting up meetings, you could imagine how quickly our contacts would be burned out if lobbyists sent repeated client interests on different subjects there way every other day. To be honest, if setting up a meeting is your sole objective, you don't need a lobbyist! Pick up the phone yourself!

3. Contracts that take commissions or success fees: In the first paragraph of this article, I touched on the misconception of government relations consultants accepting success fees or commissions based on the amounts of funding a cause would receive or on contracts awarded to clients. Briefly said, this is illegal!!!

But legalities set aside, there is an aspect of this that unknowing clients fail to consider when suggesting such a fee schedule. In real terms, government moves slowly. As a result, rarely does it occur when a lobbyist is able to achieve a contract mandate in under a year or more. If payment were based solely on the final outcome without consideration of all the work that lead up to the success, a consultant could not reasonably expect payment for services rendered for more than a year or two! Needless to say, payment schedules based on commissions or success fees are hardly practical. Unfortunately, they remain the perceived form of payment lobbyists accept.
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Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies, a public affairs & marketing communications consultancy. You can subscribe now to his monthly public affairs newsletter by visiting the newsletter section of his website.

Huge opportunities for lobbying

Since my last communication with you, many things have unfolded. Quebec has a minority government for the first time in 130 years and a federal budget has produced a number of opportunities and challenges for organizations looking to sell to government or simply influence it.

For organizations looking to sell to government, my advise to them would be to
move NOW in their initiatives if the services they provide fit into an environmental
initiative or in the field of Defence. The environment continues to be a hot initiative.

Support for nuclear energy from the federal government seems to be on the rise. Those who believe they can offer intelligent research or alternatives need to kick up
their efforts. The Prime Minister knows he needs to look as ''green'' as possible to
turn his minority government into a majority. On the Defence front, Canada's Afghanistan mission means that contractors have an opportunity to press the advantage of their products to DND (Department of National Defence) procurement. The Minister of Defence's recent purchase of 100 new tanks could signal the chance for suppliers to see a new niche.

Provincially, Action Strategies is monitoring Ontario as it prepares for an election in October. The parties are preparing their platforms and associations would be wise to to begin promoting their cause to the platform developers. In Quebec, Mario
Dumont's ADQ has opened the door for new constitutional talks at the federal level and the environment is also front and centre provincially. Action Strategies may be
taking the lead in assisting a number of organizations in lobbying the provincial
Energy Efficiency Agency in public consultations scheduled this Spring.

All of these points lead to the need to timing. Now is the time to start your GR
efforts. In this edition, I will point out the conditions to watch that make a campaign most likely to succeed. Email me now for a free assessment of the opportunities available to your organization.

The How-to's of Commissions, Consultations, & Committees

The challenge of presenting before a commission or committee is ensuring that your message stands a reasonable chance of being adopted. Witnesses must make the best of their testimony. They must get an edge over other groups which compete for the ear of the member. Expert witnesses are not necessarily expert communicators. While many preliminary steps are required to get ready, the following “last minute checklist”, conducted just prior to appearing, might help you take your message to the Hill.

Whether it is to present a case on a fact-finding enquiry or to be embroiled in debate on the merits or costs of clauses in a bill, committees enable Canadians to intersect the policy and legislative process. Parliamentary committees are also the place where members truly roll-up their sleeves to delve into the issues.

Of course, all public policy advisors would agree on one key point: that to influence the policy-making process its best to get in at the earliest stages. This confirms the importance of the constant flurry of departmental consultations, caucus briefings and private one-on-one meetings between parliamentarians and groups. Still, parliamentary committees are unmatched in channelling Canadians’ views to government.

There are other compelling reasons for witnesses to enhance their committee performance. A committee visit may involve managing media relations; testimony may be of interest to ministers or regulators; what is raised at committee could become an issue in Question Period (which is particularly significant for public servants). If CPAC is covering the hearing, a witness is also communicating to a national TV-audience. In short, a committee appearance can be a linchpin for broader communication efforts. (This explains why groups may use committees to table fresh research or announce new initiatives.)

Effective testimonies can also hinge on whether a relationship has been developed with members or those in the bureaucracy who may have organized the consultation process. Witnesses that just blow into town for one meeting, drop their testimony and leave risk being marginalized. Seasoned witnesses rarely air their solutions with members for the first time at the committee table. Working at the constituency level, for instance, helps familiarize members to the issues. The rule of thumb for witnesses appearing before committees is tailor your strategy.

Also crucial is finding additional partners with whom which you could partner, double up, or reciprocally further back a position. As mentioned in Corridors, Action Strategies' Government Relations Newsletter, we've been working with a national trade association looking to present before Quebec's Energy Efficiency Agency. Crucial to this process has been identifying partners and determining the relevance of the message we have to offer.

In future postings, I'll get more into detail on the make ups of committee hearings and how they can be best leveraged.
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Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies, a public affairs & marketing communications consultancy. You can subscribe now to his monthly public affairs newsletter by visiting www.actionstrategies.ca and dropping down the newsletter menu.

Scheduled podcast - Relationship building and Government Relations in Canada

For those who weren't already aware, Action Strategies has launched a new series in podcasts. Please stay tuned as this week, I'll be interviewing Fred Sherman of Fred Sherman Communications. Fred was a long time assistant in various Ministerial offices during the Chretien and Martin years.

Together, we'll be talking about the challenges and techniques Government Relations professionals face in dealing with a Conservative government as opposed to nowadays under the Conservative government's accountability act.
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Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies, a public affairs & marketing communications consultancy. You can subscribe now to his monthly public affairs newsletter by visiting www.actionstrategies.ca and dropping down the newsletter menu.