Good Practice

A series of posts on good practice in lobbying and campaigning

What model for Public Affairs do you use?

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People use different models for Public Affairs in Brussels. I see things from my world experience of campaigning (to change policy and laws)  and politics (passing laws). This means that I use the tools necessary for those journeys and ditch the rest. I get the sense that a lot of Public Affairs work is more … Read more

How to write letters that go straight into the bin

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Decades ago when I worked in the EP, one leading organisation used to send long and unclear letters to the EP. I read one of the letters on a piece of law I was working on. 3/4 of the way down there was one paragraph that contained something useful in it. I learned that most … Read more

Why doing a lot less will make your lobbying more effective

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Leidy Klotz’s ‘Subtract’ struck a chord with the lobbyist/campaigner in me. The book’s not about lobbying, but it has some useful lessons that any lobbyist or campaigner can take away. And, as many people don’t like reading, here is my takeaway. Klotz contends that it seems that our biology, our culture, and our economies all … Read more

21 ways to prepare a proposal

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A lot of officials are going to be busy preparing new legal proposals. Many for the first time. Here are some practical tips to getting a good proposal through. 1. Make sure the title is innocuous. I’ve found the duller the title, the less agitated people get. 2. Stick the details in the Annex. People … Read more