I digress … thoughts on fish & the environment
There are adult men who like My Little Pony. I’ve never met them, but they are out there. I get the sense more than a few lobbyists are closet Bronies. Some lobbyists, and their clients, seek to persuade people of their obsessive level of interest in an issue. They act as if there are … Read more
Atwul Gawande’s “The Checklist Manifesto” is one of the most useful books I have read and applied. Over the last 10 years or so I’ve been building up a checklist of questions that help identify from the very beginning if you have a good chance of success when working to influence a piece of EU … Read more
The European Commission runs many public consultations. They give you a good chance to make your case in writing and influence policymaking. Here is a checklist that will make preparing your response easier and more persuasive. 1. Prepare the evidence you need to support your case in advance. 2. Prepare your submission in advance. The questions that … Read more
A lot of position papers are drafted in Brussels. Done well, they are one seful tool to make your case. Too often they serve the purpose of getting internal buy-in, more an acclamation of faith, than any sincere attempt to persuade decision-makers to back your case. If you want to draft persuasive position papers that … Read more