Boundary scanning and forward planning: unlocking the future of lobbying BY AHZAZ CHOWDURY, SENIOR PARTNER, NUDGE FACTORY
The public affairs agenda has always been and will always be wide-ranging.
38 Q4 2020 INFLUENCE.CIPR.CO.UK
he ever-shifting tectonic plates of public policy provide endless challenges and opportunities for lobbyists and those they represent. That’s one of the reasons our roles are so demanding, diverse and fulfilling. But two vast grey clouds have loomed overhead in swift succession: Brexit and Covid. From the pre-referendum rumblings in 2016 to the decisive Conservative victory last November, the leave/remain agenda dominated news cycles and infused every nook and cranny of legislative and regulatory machinery and machinations. We had a brief reprieve in Q1 of this year, an interregnum, if you will: and then Covid. Our responsibilities in representing the organisations and industries that are trying to survive or thrive through this are evident: we must maintain a level-headed and clear-eyed approach. It’s easy to get sucked into the vortex and fail to perform our most basic function: understanding what’s going on, and looking ahead to see how changing policy pressures and perspectives are likely to shape the future. That’s why I believe the lobbying industry must refocus on boundary scanning. We should leverage our experience, understanding, and judgment to help guide those we represent to make sound decisions and take sure steps. Let me make that tangible. Unsurprisingly, the government has an increased emphasis on health. Rather than making holistic decisions, its choices are made unrelentingly through the prism of ‘the science’. That stance, combined with the devastation that Coronavirus is wreaking on our economy and society will prove decisive in shaping the public policy agenda. So, if you represent a business that isn’t keeping ahead of this curve, it is incumbent upon you to help shape their strategic thinking, their research and development, and their brand positioning and communications. We must be proactive. Political boundary scanning is a wide field, encompassing environmental, societal, technological, legal and economic considerations. Some aspects will be more relevant than others in your own context. The future of work is one realm that will
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