Supporting Scotland's vibrant voluntary sector
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
#NeverMoreNeeded - Top Ten Tips for Lobbying
- Remember that Lobbying isn’t a dark art. Our parliament and our democracy wouldn’t function if it didn’t bring in information from the real world. Anyone willing to talk to a councillor, MSP or Minister is a lobbyist!
- Lobbying doesn’t always take place in ‘the corridors of power’. Some of the most impactful engagement with politicians can take place on your home turf. Sometimes a visit to the coal face can say more than any letter or campaign could. And who doesn’t like to get out of the office?
- Be clear about who you want to meet and why. Set this out in any invitation to your elected representatives. They should have a rough idea about what will be discussed and why you would like to meet. Try not to arrange meetings for the sake of it.
- Have a plan of action for your meeting. Outline the situation as it stands. Explain how this affects you. Offer suggestions as to how you think it could be better. Suggest how you think your chosen decision maker could help. Remember, they’ll probably offer some constructive ideas too.
- Use evidence and illustrative case studies to back up what you are saying. However, try to stay focussed and don’t dilute your key concerns with weighty documents and overly long lists of concerns. Remember that you can use evidence of absence – what would happen if you’re organisation wasn’t there doing what it does?
- Give your decision maker ‘something to take away in their pocket’ – whether it’s a succinct briefing, an idea, or a key ask. What do you want them to remember from your meeting?
- Try to be aware of the current reality. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be ambitious in our asks. However, try to weigh up the likelihood of success. Does a council or government have £50m to spend on your asks? Do they have support to deliver them? Are there competing interests that your politician is trying to balance?
- Follow up! It is unlikely you’ll commit a politician to a big decision after a single meeting. One of your key asks should be ‘where do we go from here?’. Perhaps you will agree to provide more evidence, arrange a visit, or await the results of investigation by the decision maker. After the meeting, you can make contact to thank them for those commitments or to pass on any additional detail that was requested. Keep these lines of communication open.
- Act in good faith. Attacking a government minister, political party or council – while trying to convince them at the same time – can sour relationships. Of course, there are many times where we need to be vocal, shift public opinion, or use opposition to force change – but it’s a balancing act!
- Get to know the parliament staff of an MSP, civil servants around a minister, or council officials. Very often these are the people you can pick up the phone to and are the gatekeepers to decision makers.
Last modified on 26 October 2021