Direct Ministerial engagement through meetings, roundtable discussions and Parliamentary events is central to any effective government engagement effort.
At no time is this more true than in the leadup to a Federal budget, as the support of MPs and Parliamentarians is essential to building a pre-budget ask that yields results.
Many organisations face challenges when assuming distributing a pre-budget submission is enough to receive funding. Unfortunately this is not the case, as building long term valuable relationships with a range of key political stakeholders is just as critical to achieving your end goal of funding.
Here are our tips for effectively engaging directly with MPs ahead of the budget.
Do your research
Conducting comprehensive research on the stakeholders you’re targeting prior to contacting them is critical. It is recommended you research their career, key political interests and social issues they are passionate about, to pinpoint where your organisation aligns with their values and goals. Identifying where your work intersects with their electorate or portfolio also hugely benefits the likelihood of your submission receiving their support.
Your approach
The first step when initiating contact with an MP is to call their office. While public emails are freely available online, contacting these with no prior relationship is unlikely to yield results. When calling an MPs office for the first time, introduce your organisation and goal, and enquire as to whether they have read your pre-budget submission. Having this conversation ensures you identify the best contact to send your submission, and reduces the likelihood of going unnoticed.
Securing a meeting
When looking to secure meetings with your key political stakeholders, ensure goals are clear and your request is underpinned by research you did earlier. If you establish that you would like to speak to them about an election ask, and you have some ideas they may be interested in ahead of the election, you are likely to get a meeting.
If you don’t receive a yes straight away, don’t be discouraged. MPs are currently receiving a lot of requests, which are prioritised based on urgency.
To get through to them, it’s best to email, call, email, call, on repeat, and not give up.
Preparing for your meeting
Ahead of a meeting, it is best to prepare a short list of talking points you would like to detail, including what exactly your ideas will deliver, why they should support you and not your competitor, and your expected ROI. This is also where your earlier research will come in handy, as specifying how your organisation can benefit the MPs electorate or portfolio is key in securing their support.
Although it’s easy to get carried away in a script, it is best to try to keep the meeting conversational. Listen to their feedback, and tailor your message accordingly. It’s important to remember that politicians are just people, and sitting down and speaking to them face to face is the best way to kick off a meaningful long-term relationship.
If you would like support in preparing your pre-budget submission, or securing meetings, Fifty Acres would be happy to help. Reach out to us at jo@fiftyacres.com.
