Managing a firm’s strategy and operations and managing the larger public policy environment are increasingly and inextricably intertwined tasks. Yet many firms continue to treat public policy as a periodic nuisance, rather than as part of their ongoing, long-term corporate strategy.
Nothing is as valuable and influential in the political arena as a deep, broad, and healthy constituency base – a sincere and diverse group of stakeholders who are educated and informed on the issues and who are readily and effectively mobilized to engage in the political process. Indeed, every CEO advice manual published in the past decade has focused on the shift from the vertical world of hierarchy to the horizontal world of networks.
Building, informing and mobilizing this base is what Devon did for our client with our grassroots constituency building program.
The client in this case was a trade association focused on economic issues, but wishing to engage its wider community in a pro-social grassroots movement.
Our purpose was to unite a community and connect the individuals among it with something bigger than themselves. In the process we would advance the clients priorities, show impact, and expand skills. To do so we needed to involve employees, customers, students and suppliers.
The Devon Group’s task was to get the thousands of stakeholders across Canada involved in advocating on behalf of their profession at the local, provincial and national level. Following initial outreach to make stakeholders aware of the community and its benefits, a brand was created. Next we introduced a website and social media presence, which provided a gathering place for participants where they could be educated on the public policy process and initiatives that would benefit the profession and the people it serves, as well as share ideas and experiences in grassroots advocacy. Five provincial elections in 2011 provided fertile ground to offer community members easy, practical ways to become engaged and impact public policy. Devon actively managed the content of the program, which was updated with rich media, including webinars, videos and surveys, on a regular basis. A weekly e-newsletter summarized the movements activities and those of relevant political actors.
Now six months into the program, a community exists where none existed before. Devon’s next step is to convene the movement on parliament hill in the spring of 2012.
Politics matters to your business and the purpose of the program is to get your stakeholders, be they employees, partners or customers, understanding this and engaged civically. The outcomes are measured not just in participation, but in the increased clout and credibility your organization has among policy makers.
