The Public Service
The bureaucracy shapes government decisions before a brief ever reaches a Minister's desk. Here's how to build a working relationship with the public servants behind it.
If you work in government relations, you’ve probably already put time into building relationships with Ministerial staffers and MPs. But a lot of GR strategies fall short by overlooking one of the most fundamental players in any government decision: the bureaucracy.
Every policy decision passes through a government department before it reaches a Minister’s desk. There’s no better way to prime a Minister toward your position than making sure they’ve already heard it from their own department first.
How to build the relationship
Remember they’re professionals, not gatekeepers. Departmental staff are advisers tasked with bringing the most relevant information to government on a given issue. Most are genuinely keen to meet with organisations that can offer good information — you’re not imposing, you’re doing part of their job for them.
Ask the Minister’s office where to start. If you’ve already built a relationship with Ministerial staffers, they’ll usually be happy to point you to the right people in the relevant department. If you’ve subscribed to a departmental data pack, you can also look contacts up directly in your Advoc8 account.
Just ask for the meeting. It’s often as simple as an email asking to brief departmental staff on your issue. It sounds obvious, but plenty of GR strategies leave departmental staff out entirely, simply because nobody thought to ask.
Start with the people doing the work. You’ll have more success starting with the staff working directly on your issue than trying to land a meeting with a Secretary or Deputy Secretary. A solid relationship with the people who report up the chain is the fastest way to eventually meet the people at the top.
Bring a solution, not just a problem. Highlighting an issue with a policy or regulation is useful, but it’s one voice in a long queue of similar complaints. You’ll get far more traction offering a tailored solution — and if you can frame it as the kind of improvement government is already looking for, even more so.
Invite them in. Everyone likes to feel their perspective matters. Inviting a department head to speak at one of your events or visit your facility is a simple way to build goodwill and put your organisation front of mind.
Did you know Advoc8 tracks government departments and public servants? Get in touch to find out more.
