GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT ADVISORY

Organisational government engagement is often led by a small core group, but to work effectively and well it needs to be supported by everyone within your organisation. Everyone has a role, from knowing what to say if you’re in admin and calling an MP’s office, through to data collection and reporting - it takes a village (aka everyone in your organisation!) to help drive success. We share some tips on how to bring your whole team along on the journey.

There are easy wins to be had with government engagement - and they start with correcting common mistakes that we often see well-intended organisations make. Take a few moments to check the most common mistakes we see social purpose organisations make when it comes to advocacy, campaigning and engagement with government.

Crossbenchers are often the last group that we see organisations pay attention to or give any love; it can be a contested and difficult space to operate within, and social sector organisations are often fearful of angering government by talking to their opponents (including opposition!). The reality is that there can be significant gains to be made by engaging effectively and strategically with the crossbench. We’ve created some categories that crossbenchers often fall into, we share what they are and how best to handle them.

Make talking to government easy and impactful.

Secure funding, policy change, legislative change, and support grant and tender applications.

Leverage policy, funding, or infrastructure commitments.

Best practice political tactics for an election.

Strategies for greater messaging and impact.

Navigate complex stakeholder areas.