Skip to main content
CLOSE

Charities

Close

Corporate and Commercial

Close

Employment and Immigration

Close

Fraud and Investigations

Close

Individuals

Close

Litigation

Close

Planning, Infrastructure and Regeneration

Close

Public Law

Close

Real Estate

Close

Restructuring and Insolvency

Close

Energy

Close

Entrepreneurs

Close

Private Wealth

Close

Real Estate

Close

Tech and Innovation

Close

Transport and Infrastructure

Close
Home / News and Insights / Blogs / Public Affairs / 316: What makes a good public affairs consultant?

What are the skills needed to make a good public affairs consultant, whether they work for an agency or in-house? And how can we use this to think about how we can all improve?

It is very easy to think about public affairs as being focused on political engagement. That may be the main aspect of what many of us do but even that disguises the complexity of the role we are playing and how we properly fulfil that role.

So, I tried to spend a bit of time thinking through all the aspects of what we in public affairs do and set them out in a diagram. The skills I highlight are not mutually exclusive with many crossing over with each other.

By trying to unpick the skills needed, I hope that helps us all recognise those areas where we could improve as well. This would make it a little easier to identify where we could do with some training or where knowledge needs to be improved.

The skills

My list includes:

  • Policy navigator – understanding how policy is made and what the processes are, as well as the audiences.
  • Strategy developer – being able to develop a public affairs strategy, pulling in the information and knowledge needed to do so.
  • Communications expert – everything from message development through to being able to work with the channels needed to get out to audiences. A communications expert is also thinking about reputation management as well.
  • Political entrepreneur – a little OTT I will admit but it reflects our ability to work with different political audiences at different times, bringing people together where needed.
  • Audience engager – the ability to know and understand stakeholder audiences so that you can identify what drives them, how to communicate with them and how to work with them over a potentially prolonged period of time. I recently heard a podcast from the Centre for Corporate Public Affairs where Mark Pesce talked about public affairs being the ability to keep a conversation going. I am inclined to agree with that analysis.
  • Risk analyser – the ability to take into account a raft of information, as well as knowing and understanding politics, to identify potential risks. But also, how they should be addressed as well. It is very much a ‘risk and response’ approach we need to be able to advise on.
  • Campaigner – the ability to keep going and constantly think anew about the best way to deliver on the aims of the public affairs project.
  • Networker – both inside and outside of the strict confines of work, a good consultant will be constantly looking to build their network so they can bring the benefits to their work as well. A good network provides knowledge, understanding and information as well as the connections themselves.
  • Partnership developer – the ability to work with a range of audiences, outside of politics as well, to build appropriate coalitions of interest.

I am sure others will come up with other suggestions and I’d be happy to hear them as well (and update the diagram).

Related Articles

Our Offices

London
One Bartholomew Close
London
EC1A 7BL

Cambridge
50/60 Station Road
Cambridge
CB1 2JH

Reading
The Anchorage, 34 Bridge Street
Reading RG1 2LU

Southampton
Grosvenor House, Grosvenor Square
Southampton SO15 2BE

 

Reading
The Anchorage, 34 Bridge Street
Reading RG1 2LU

Southampton
Grosvenor House, Grosvenor Square
Southampton SO15 2BE

  • Lexcel
  • CYBER ESSENTIALS PLUS

© BDB Pitmans 2024. One Bartholomew Close, London EC1A 7BL - T +44 (0)345 222 9222

Our Services

Charities chevron
Corporate and Commercial chevron
Employment and Immigration chevron
Fraud and Investigations chevron
Individuals chevron
Litigation chevron
Planning, Infrastructure and Regeneration chevron
Public Law chevron
Real Estate chevron
Restructuring and Insolvency chevron

Sectors and Groups

Private Wealth chevron
Real Estate chevron
Transport and Infrastructure chevron