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Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Public Affairs Strategy
2010 – 2014
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Matthew Maguire – Government Liaison Officer
August 2010
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Public Affairs Strategy
Policy Statement
Public affairs and lobbying activities are valid methodologies for helping
organisations to achieve their strategic goals. Such activities must always be
undertaken with care, due to the conventions and protocols that apply to the public
sector and the unique political environment of local government.
Public affairs activity within the Service must conform to the principles set out in this
strategy and be undertaken in conjunction with the relevant officer (see page 11) or
by a manager at the Head of Department or Principal Officer level. Significant
lobbying activity must also be recorded by the relevant officer and conducted in
accordance with the Code of Conduct for public relations (CIPR code of conduct - see
Appendix 5).
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Structure and Index
Page
Policy Statement 3
Role and Scope of the Document 5
Introduction 6
Definition 8
Vision, aims and objectives 9
Outcomes: Benefits and Risks 11
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Public Affairs Framework
Principles 13
Delivering against the objectives 15
Monitoring and Intelligence 16
Integrated Risk Management Plan 18
Engagement with Stakeholders 20
Briefing Key Stakeholders 22
Partnerships 23
Ensuring Support 25
Roles and responsibilities 26
Monitor and Review 28
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Toolkit 30
Appendix 2 – Fire and Rescue Service Architecture 34
Appendix 3 – Glossary of Terms 35
Appendix 4 – CFRS Political and Election Guidance 37
Appendix 5 – CIPR Code of Conduct 38
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Role and Scope of the document
This strategy sets out the rationale for undertaking public affairs activities within the
context of the fire and rescue service. In conjunction with other corporate strategies,
it sets out how the vision (laid out on page 8) will be realised.
The strategy also sets out a number of principles and constraints to protect the
reputation of the Authority and the officers it employs. Lobbying is governed by a
number of codes of conduct and other regulations, which must be observed at all
times. This document sets out the framework within which all activity must take
place.
In addition to the above, the document outlines the various roles and responsibilities
of the officers referred to in the strategy. The Strategy includes a framework for
capturing and recording activity, as well as systems for ensuring effective
monitoring. Finally, there is a lobbying toolkit to provide officers with practical
assistance, as well as a full glossary of terms to explain some of the language used.
This Strategy sets out the scope within which the Service will engage externally, but
it is not a toolkit for others to use to undertake their own public affairs activities. As
an activity that carries a certain level of risk, public affairs activity should always be
conducted through the channels outlined here, using the expertise of those in the
relevant positions.
As an effective Strategy, this document will give the Service the flexibility over the
four years of its life, to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities, as well as the
focus not to get distracted.
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Introduction
The Fire and Rescue Service operates in an emotive sector, where political and
community pressures must be effectively balanced against sound risk analysis, data
collection and intelligence. The severe financial impacts of the recession place
further pressure on managers to deliver an efficient and effective service, and more
importantly, to see that plans are implemented. As the requirement to release
efficiencies becomes more important, so to does the need to ensure positive
relationships with elected Members and external stakeholders.
Increasingly, public affairs programmes are used by public sector organisations to
influence the public policy agenda and to shape debate in their favour. This might be
to enable them to have a greater impact in their areas of activity, draw down
additional funding or to encourage government to legislate in their favour.
The issue of public sector bodies engaging in public affairs activities is viewed by
some as controversial. This is particularly problematic where public money has been
used to ‘buy-in’ the services of external public relations companies. Indeed, some
political parties have already called for this practice to be restricted across the public
sector. In the last few years, a number of major fire and rescue services in the UK
have entered into contracts with lobbying companies, to improve their influence on
partners and government.
However, public affairs can also be viewed as an entirely natural activity, that if done
openly and transparently can benefit the political process and add value to
democracy by making key information more readily available to decision-makers.
In the fire and rescue service, public affairs activities can assist fire authorities, on an
individual or collective basis, to promote key issues and increase the awareness and
understanding about the changed role of the fire and rescue service. In the current
political and financial climate it makes a great deal of sense for elected Members,
external partners and stakeholders to be made fully aware of our activities, drivers
and pressure points.
While external public affairs companies can provide an holistic and comprehensive
service, the cost cannot be justified, nor the services provided entirely tailored to
what is required. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service has taken a different approach
and over a number of years it has developed the in-house monitoring, research and
public affairs capabilities to deliver more robust future proofing, draw-in additional
funding and also provide a valuable revenue source. Through just two posts this
expertise has provided a thorough understanding of the sector, its stakeholders and
purpose, and a valuable resource that has ensured the Service remains ahead of the
game. This strategy outlines why this model continues to deliver the best value for
money.
This document provides an important additional element to the policies and
procedures already in place and builds upon work undertaken to date, which
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includes an earlier version of this strategy. By putting in place a more mature and
sophisticated strategy to ensure the smooth implementation of priorities and
objectives from the Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) we can hope to
achieve greater intellectual capital, efficiencies, corporate reputation and positive
stakeholder relations.
As the partnership agenda expands and resources become scarcer, the need for
effective and targeted public affairs activities to support the implementation of fire
and rescue aims and objectives becomes ever more apparent. Indeed, the acute
political and community pressures resulting from the delivery of further
modernisation and the drive for savings needs managing more closely than at any
time since the publication of the Bain Review.
This document sets out the theory, practice and principles for how this will be
achieved.
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Definition
Public Affairs is activity undertaken to promote, advertise and/or raise the profile of
an organisation, predominantly within a political context. Lobbying is the element of
public affairs associated with attempts to influence and shape political debate and its
outcomes e.g. changes to legislation, outcome of funding or other decisions.
Lobbying can be undertaken at an international, national, regional, sub-regional or
local level.
Effectively, lobbying is a means of persuading decision-makers, individuals or groups
to do what you want them to do, or to support a particular position. It can be a
powerful way of maximising the influence of the fire and rescue service, in both local
and national affairs.
Public Affairs and Lobbying should be underpinned by effective and well resourced
communications and Public Relations, to ensure all media and channels of
communication are appropriately exploited to achieve Service aims and ensure
objectives are met.
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Vision, Aims and Objectives
Vision
This strategy aims to develop a culture of responsible and effective political
engagement between senior officers and the wider political environment.
Aims
To support the Vision, the strategy aims to;
� Promote the brand and the stated priorities of Cheshire Fire and Rescue
Service; and
� Increase opportunities for the fire and rescue service to effectively influence a
range of local, regional and national stakeholders.
Objectives
The objectives of the Strategy cover the range of activity that the Service undertakes,
but specific programmes will need to be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure the
Strategy delivers. The key and overarching objectives are as follows;
1. Ensure a high degree of awareness of the Brand of the Fire and Rescue Service
among key decision makers and partners – key objective
2. Increase the influence and effectiveness of the Fire and Rescue Service on
partnership working
3. Ensure the delivery of IRMP objectives and Service priorities with the support
of relevant decision makers
4. Enable the Service to deliver effective campaigns and messages at a variety of
levels
5. Influence and drive the national agenda and promote key issues through
effective interventions
6. Support the modernisation of the Service by anticipating and explaining
external changes and enabling adaptation
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The 6 Service Objectives
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Outcomes
Benefits
Through delivery of the vision, aims and objectives the Strategy will:
� Ensure recognition of the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service brand as one
synonymous with quality, excellence, delivery and integrity.
� Establish the expertise of the Service among key stakeholders and policy-
makers.
� Build goodwill among current and prospective partners, and extend the
influence of the Service on those partnerships.
� Inform and create good perceptions of the Service among the local population
and key individuals.
� Assist in accessing new sources of funding and make senior officers aware of
opportunities and leads.
� Ensure the smooth implementation of key objectives and priorities, and
mitigate the impact of negative publicity and political and industrial-relations
issues.
� Improve communication and morale of staff by ensuring the maximum
amount of time to prepare for and adapt to/shape change.
� Reduce occurrences of dangerous activity through effective and co-ordinated
involvement in national, regional and local campaigns.
Risks
Without adopting a comprehensive and well thought-out public affairs strategy, the
Service runs the risk of losing influence, both in terms of keeping fire and rescue
issues high on the political agenda and within the sector, losing ground to other
leading Fire Authorities.
Not having an effective strategy in place also runs the risk of;
� Limited monitoring and intelligence meaning the Service is not be able to take
advantage of political/funding opportunities.
� Projects and proposals being scrapped because of unforeseen
political/community opposition.
� Ineffective campaigns generating negative publicity.
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� Limited opportunities to promote the Service, both locally and nationally.
� Limited or little influence in promoting modernisation or the wider fire and
rescue agenda at the national level.
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Cheshire Fire and Rescue Public Affairs Framework
The overarching purpose of the Strategy is to provide an effective framework within
which all public affairs activity can take place. The Strategy will deliver against the
objectives set out in the section above and the following paragraphs give an
overview of how the Service will achieve its vision.
While there are many benefits to lobbying, it is important to remember that it also
carries certain risks, certainly in relation to its potential impact on the reputation of
the Service. As such, activity should only ever be undertaken as set out in this
document and by an appropriate officer. This Strategy should not be used to enable
officers not named in this strategy to undertake lobbying activities without strategic
approval and guidance.
The section below sets out a series of principles and guidelines that should be
followed when engaging in any of the forms of lobbying defined below. These will
help Service Managers to avoid difficult situations or risk damaging the reputation of
the Service among our partners.
Principles
According to the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), one of the key bodies,
which oversees public affairs, there are three main Principles of Good Practice that
are fundamental to good public affairs practice. These are:
Integrity
• Honest and responsible regard for the public interest;
• Checking the reliability and accuracy of information before dissemination;
• Never knowingly misleading clients, employers, employees, colleagues and
fellow professionals about the nature of representation or what can be
competently delivered and achieved;
• Supporting the CIPR Principles by bringing to the attention of the CIPR
examples of malpractice and unprofessional conduct.
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Competence
• Being aware of the limitations of professional competence: without limiting
realistic scope for development, being willing to accept or delegate only
that work for which practitioners are suitably skilled and experienced;
• Where appropriate, collaborating on projects to ensure the necessary skill
base.
• Transparency and conflicts of interest
• Disclosing to employers, clients or potential clients any financial interest in a
supplier being recommended or engaged;
• Declaring conflicts of interest (or circumstances which may give rise to
them) in writing to clients, potential clients and employers as soon as they
arise;
• Ensuring that services provided are costed and accounted for in a manner
that conforms to accepted business practice and ethics.
Confidentiality
• Safeguarding the confidences of present and former clients and employers;
• Being careful to avoid using confidential and ‘insider’ information to the
disadvantage or prejudice of clients and employers, or to self-advantage
of any kind;
• Not disclosing confidential information unless specific permission has been
granted or the public interest is at stake or if required by law. (CIPR 2009)
These principles create an effective framework within which transparent and open
public affairs activity can take place. The Government Liaison Officer is and should be
an associate or member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and as
such, be subject to its full Code of Conduct (attached as Appendix 5).
The guidance above is supplemented by Political and Election Guidance (attached as
Appendix 4), produced by the Research and Government Liaison Officers and key
aspects of the Employee Code of Conduct and the Member and Officer Protocol, all
of which can be accessed through the Service intranet.
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Delivering against the Objectives
This Strategy aims to deliver against the stated objectives by supporting activity
across four areas, outlined below and in the diagram.
These are:
• Effective monitoring and intelligence
• Supporting the Integrated Risk Management Plan
• Engaging with Stakeholders
• Supporting Strategic Partnerships
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Monitoring and Intelligence
The basis for all effective public affairs activity is sound monitoring and intelligence.
Without effective real-time knowledge of what is happening politically, there will be
little chance of influencing the public policy agenda.
The key reasons for undertaking political and parliamentary monitoring are:
• To find out what is being said about fire and rescue, and other relevant
sectors.
• To identify politicians or individuals who are active in our area of interest, or
another relevant field.
• To identify new developments, draft laws, circulars or regulations that might
impact upon the sector.
• To identify opportunities to respond when a particular issue has been raised
by a politician/group or key individual.
• To create an archive of relevant political and parliamentary material to feed
current and future public affairs campaigns.
• To gather relevant information and material, which can then be distributed
to colleagues and managers.
• To categorise politicians and groups into supporters, opponents or neutrals.
Monitoring and Intelligence forms a central part of the way the Service approaches
public affairs, with the Government Liaison Officer and Research Officer providing a
comprehensive overview of the public policy agenda.
The information provided is fed to senior managers and helps to build a
comprehensive political intelligence picture. This knowledge is central to enabling
the Authority and staff to anticipate and adapt to change.
The weekly Key Developments Bulletin is the main tool used to cascade information
to senior managers. However, other sources of intelligence provided include the
following;
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� Special Bulletins (periodic) to cover major events such as elections, Queen’s
Speech, major Acts etc.
� Bi-annual PESTLE analysis (full in May and refresh in December)
� Local PESTLE analysis for unitary planning (November)
� Contact database of local, regional and national politicians (updated
regularly)
� Consultation and report summaries (periodically)
� Responses to key consultations (periodically)
� Findings of local and national polls and surveys (periodically)
� Bill tracking and Parliamentary Questions monitoring (weekly)
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The Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP)
The Integrated Risk Management plan (IRMP) forms the basis for setting the
Service’s priorities and objectives. Whether over a year (as at present), or moving
ahead, over three years, the IRMP will form the basis for campaigns and identifying
priorities. Through public affairs, the aim is to ensure a more positive political
environment for the Service to operate in.
The IRMP document will form a directive guide to shape how the Service engages
and at what level. Moving ahead, the three year plan and annual updates will be
supplemented by a clear political/management vision from which officers can take
their lead to respond to issues as they arise. This vision will provide the operating
context and shape any public affairs plans generated to support Service proposals.
In the formative stages of planning the Senior Management Team (SMT) should also
determine and agree whether a corporate (national, regional or sub-regional)
approach is needed, for implementing a proposal, or if the issue should be pursued
at a local level, or both. This will be set out in the delivery plan published alongside
IRMP.
Even at the earliest stages of planning, managers will be made aware of the key
political, economic and other constraints within which the Service is operating. This
gives elected Members, the Leadership Board and Service Management Team (SMT)
a comprehensive understanding of what issues might present political opportunities
and threats.
During the later stages of the process, the Government Liaison Officer will ensure
that potentially difficult issues and objectives have effective public affairs strategies
and communications plans to support their smooth delivery. These plans will be vital
for ensuring efficiencies are realised and for maintaining support among key
stakeholders.
Some of the key activities for supporting delivery of the IRMP are set out in the
timeline shown below;
o April – Review of data sources and collection/assembly of intelligence picture
and political modelling
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o May/June – Production of the PESTLE document and mapping of political and
other constraints
The Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legislative and Environment
(PESTLE) analysis is produced twice a year (May and December) and provides
the context within which IRMP objectives are considered by the Service
Management Team (SMT) and set.
o August/September – attend Away Days to feed formation of priorities and
objectives and provide input to IRMP communication plan and planning
template
o September – provide coordination of Principal Officer presentations for
Member Away Day and Management Conference
o November – draft Assessing Risk section of draft IRMP to set out the political
context and set out the external context for staff
o December – production of local PESTLE and feed into Unitary Planning away
day and refresh of full PESTLE for inclusion with draft IRMP
o December/January – identification of political challenges for individual IRMP
projects and feed into consultation and implementation plans
o January – support delivery of consultation events including ensuring all
relevant stakeholders are informed
o February to April – agree public affairs strategies where required for
individual IRMP objectives
o April/Onwards – support delivery of objectives and provide project leads with
continually refreshed intelligence and support any political activity
undertaken to underpin implementation
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Engagement with Stakeholders
With receipt of the intelligence picture, the Government Liaison Officer and
Research Officer will maintain a comprehensive overview of key stakeholders for the
organisation to refer to.
Providing a structured programme of political engagement and enabling senior
officers to meet and discuss key FRS issues with relevant stakeholders will enable the
Service both to influence and drive the fire and rescue agenda and enable channels
to deliver key messages, by creating champions.
Contact building can be the most useful activity that an organisation can undertake.
It is far better to establish contacts well ahead of the time when you actually need
them, than it is to approach in a crisis.
Once the monitoring and intelligence streams have highlighted a range of key
individuals, there are two parts to any contact programme:
1 Contact the individuals in order to brief them and establish a relationship
2 Make sure contacts are kept up and details are refreshed and maintained
In the context of this Strategy most key stakeholders will be local or national
politicians, civil servants or officers from relevant Quangos and agencies. As a
general list, the Research Officer maintains a contact list that includes;
• Local council Chief Executives and Leaders
• All local councillors (including Fire Authority Members)
• Other local office holders (High Sheriff and Lord Lieutenant, plus deputies)
• All Parish/Town councils and clerks
• Other local authority/agency/constabulary CEOs and Board Members
• Members of the Fire and Rescue Service Regional Management Board (RMB)
• Key officers from the regional Government Office and regional agencies
• Local Members of Parliament and Members of the House of Lords
• Government Ministers in relevant departments (CLG)
• Opposition frontbench spokespersons with relevant portfolios
• The relevant Select Committees
• The relevant All-Party Parliamentary Groups
• Relevant departmental Civil Servants (CLG) and CEOs of relevant national
agencies (Fire Service College)
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When contact is made for the first time, the normal procedure will be to send a
detailed briefing, which tells the target who we are and what we do and to follow
that up with a phone call to arrange a meeting. Briefings for civil servants and
officials can be technical, whereas politicians should be treated to the key points and
a brief but effective summary of the issues.
For maintaining contacts, there will be a diarised programme to ensure vital contacts
are kept regularly updated about any developments. The key parts of this
programme will include:
� Twice yearly updates for MPs and Lords – formal visit to Westminster in
October/November and update review in June, prior to summer recess
� Annual invitations for local MPs to meet their Unitary Performance Manager
and spend time on a station undertaking operational or community safety
activities.
� Invitations for local MPs to attend all major local and Unitary events –
launches, campaign days and major open days
� Annual meeting with all local Chief Executives and council Leaders on
strategic direction of the Service
� Regular one to one meetings with council Chief Executives
� Annual meeting/visit with the Fire Minister
� Annual meeting/visit with key officials from the Department for Communities
and Local Government (CLG)
� Annual meeting with Director of the regional Government Office
� Annual key stakeholder consultation on IRMP or yearly Action Plan
Consultation
Consultation is a valuable tool and enables the Service to engage with local
communities, but it is important to get it right, which means targeting the right
individuals and ensuring the channels of communication are open and effective.
The Government Liaison Officer and Research Officer will assume overall
responsibility for the coordination of external consultation, in particular the
management and maintenance of a fixed stakeholder register, which the
Consultations Officer will use as the basis for planned consultation exercises.
When producing public affairs plans for individual IRMP proposals, it will be the
responsibility of the Government Liaison and Research Officers to ensure the right
individuals and groups are consulted and kept fully briefed. This is also true for any
standalone consultations that occur, other than those related to the IRMP or its
subsequent projects. An approach for MPs and Lords is set out in the section below.
This duty also incorporates a requirement for the Government Liaison Officer to
coordinate responses to external consultations, including those from partner local
authorities and national agencies and Government.
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Briefing Key Stakeholders
Because of their local and national roles, Cheshire’s MPs and Lords can be powerful
champions and cheerleaders for the Service. However, in particularly controversial
decisions, parliamentarians can often become high profile critics of any plans they
perceive as taking away local resources from their constituencies.
MPs should always be a key focus for consultation and briefing, particularly around
controversial proposals and high profile media campaigns.
To help the Service manage this relationship and ensure a healthy two-way flow of
information, the Government Liaison Officer will undertake the following;
� Production of a monthly stakeholder Westminster briefing – focussed at
national politicians (Cheshire MPs, CLG Minister and Cheshire Lords) and civil
servants (CLG or other relevant leads), setting out key issues.
� Production of an additional bulletin aimed at local stakeholders, setting out
key topics and issues which the Service feels are worth raising.
� One-off briefings for MPs and Lords to cover major incidents or issues. These
might cover individual, multiple or all MP constituencies.
� Planned and dedicated consultation briefings for local MPs, to cover IRMP
proposals and projects. Again, these might cover individual, multiple or all
MP constituencies.
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Partnerships
Partnerships are central to the way the Service operates, and in the future,
challenges around funding and collaboration will require us to be more integrated in
working with others than in the past. Managers on the Service Management Team
(SMT) need to understand the architecture of local government and partnership
structures at the local, sub-regional, regional and national levels, in order to draw
out the maximum benefit for the Service.
This strategy aims to complement the partnership strategy by helping managers and
officers to understand what is being done, where, and with whom. With this
knowledge the Service can plan strategies for engagement, and extending our
influence into new arenas. Exploiting the opportunities presented through
partnerships will also enable us to:
• Open new and effective channels to deliver key messages, creating
champions and ambassadors for the Service
• Provide a platform from which to progress regional/national improvements
across the Fire and Rescue Service
• Work collaboratively to progress issues like Total Place and develop a single
brand for public services, creating efficiencies through greater joint working
• Identify new models for delivering services and identify good practice
• Ensure meaningful outcomes by addressing shared problems together
• Align corporate priorities among sub-regional and FRS partners to ensure
best use of resources
In order to keep managers aware of the various partnerships in operation, the
Government Liaison Officer will map out partnership structures at all levels and
ensure managers understand the purpose and scope of such groups and structures.
A diagram showing the current and complex overarching framework is attached as
Appendix 2.
All new structures and groups, and changes to existing partnerships prompted by
national policy changes will be recorded and reported to SMT on a periodic basis.
Major changes to the framework of local government will be reported to Leadership
Board and the Fire Authority, particularly where a strategic approach and the level of
participation needs to be corporately considered.
In particular, the Strategy will ensure developments in the following areas:
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� Ensuring Service objectives are addressed at the most appropriate level or
forum – either at the local or sub-regional level
� Identify key groups and ensure they are covered by the appropriate officer
� Create opportunities for the Principal Officers to shape external policy
development
� Ensure where required, elected Members are aware of and bought into the
process through receipt of regular reports
� Ensure consultations are responded to
� Provide an effective reporting line from key groups back to Leadership Board
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Finally… Ensuring Support
Realising the vision will require managers to have a greater political awareness than
was previously the case. It will also require officers to have access to the most up to
date information on policy makers, drivers and processes, and for that information
to be more readily available.
Work will be undertaken to supply as much useful information as possible to
members of SMT electronically, through dedicated pages on the intranet and the
development of internet e-alerts.
Therefore, a small project will be undertaken to look at the most appropriate and
effective ways of highlighting the most important external developments as soon as
they occur. Building upon the current format of the Key Developments Bulletin and
using a range of new electronic media, the Research Officer, with the Government
Liaison Officer will ensure that the appropriate information reaches Principal and
other relevant officers as soon as possible.
The Government Liaison Officer will also be responsible for planning ahead to ensure
that Principal Officers have the appropriate speeches and presentations to deliver to
a wide variety of audiences within the sector and elsewhere. This will ensure key
messages are promoted and agreed positions are clearly stated in important forums.
In addition, the detail of all courses specialising in political awareness and policy
developments will be circulated to the Leadership Team and Heads of Department as
they arise.
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Roles and responsibilities
The key point of contact and the lead officer for public affairs is the;
� Government Liaison Officer (GLO)
The GLO will be responsible for delivering against the detail of this strategy. In this
and where specified, the Officer will be supported by the;
� Research Officer (RO)
� Unitary Performance Managers (UPMs) and the
� The Corporate Communications Department
Other relevant officers charged with responsibilities under this strategy are
mentioned below.
Chief Fire Officer
� The Chief Fire Officer will provide the strategic lead for public affairs activity,
ensuring that the organisation has a clear vision and a set of objectives
(IRMP), which the relevant officers can use to drive the public affairs
programme.
� The CFO will ensure that key contacts obtained through external networking
are captured, maintained and that contact details are fed to the supporting
team.
� The CFO will also ensure that intelligence of strategic threats and
opportunities are fed to the supporting team, in order to be captured and
addressed corporately.
Leadership Team and Service Management team (SMT)
� The Leadership Team and Service Management teams (SMT) should support
the CFO in establishing a robust set of objectives (IRMP), to drive affairs
activity.
� Following agreement of IRMP objectives, Members of SMT should work to
implement objectives and identify with the GLO, where activity is required
and to plan the appropriate activities.
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� Members of SMT (including the CFO) should also undertake lobbying activity
and ensure all intelligence and key contacts are captured and fed back to the
supporting team.
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Monitor and Review
Public Affairs practitioners have long regarded the measurement of public affairs
effectiveness as something of a ‘Holy Grail’ and there is an ongoing debate about
what exactly is measurable, particularly in a public sector environment, where there
is no fixed bottom line.
Some public affairs activities, particularly the individual strategies built around IRMP
proposals, lend themselves well to one-off decision mapping exercises, where the
success of a public affairs plan in securing support for the implementation of a
project can be recorded with some certainty. In other cases the results are less
tangible. However, the measurement of what can be measured remains important.
Performance Indicators
The following indicators will be used to give an indication of the health and success
of the Strategy. The first sets of indicators are set directly against this Strategy, the
remaining two reflect the wider outputs of the Corporate Communications
Department, but also demonstrate the effectiveness of Public Affairs activity and are
therefore relevant.
• % of public affairs plans produced for headline Service projects
• % of public affairs plans which achieve desired outcome
• Produce at least 10 issues of ‘Key Developments’ bulletins a quarter
• % of MPs and Lords attending the annual Westminster briefing
• Visit by at least one Minister or senior official per year
• Customer/stakeholder satisfaction with the Service
• Positive coverage in the media
Other vehicles for monitoring the effectiveness of public affairs activities include the
following;
Annual Report
On an annual basis, at the end of the IRMP year in March/April, the Government
Liaison Officer will review all public affairs activity and produce an annual report, to
be considered by the Chief Fire Officer and members of the Leadership Team.
The report will review those issues highlighted in the IRMP/Corporate Plan as
requiring public affairs plans, as well as those issues arising in-year, needing to be
addressed.
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The report will highlight major ‘wins’ as well as any negative coverage resulting from
activity undertaken. The report will indicate where activity has drawn down benefits
for the service and where new contacts have been made.
PESTLE
The bi-annual production of the PESTLE/annual scoping review also provides an
overview of the stability of the external environment.
As outlined in the Strategy, this document feeds the Service planning process and
specifically, supports the Senior Management team in pulling together their
overarching vision and objectives for the Service. Before a new PESTLE analysis is
drafted, each May, all of the key issues flagged in the previous year’s report will be
reviewed in order to capture the any ongoing scenarios.
Intelligence Sources
On a continuous basis, the Research Officer will up review and update sources of
information and the contacts database. This process will review all information
sources to see if they continue to provide the most valuable and relevant
intelligence.
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Appendix 1 - Toolkits To assist in the delivery of effective campaigns, this Strategy also includes some
practical information to show how the named officers in the Strategy will undertake
public affairs activity and plan campaigns.
The following six steps set out the basis for developing the core of a campaign and
will always be used when doing so. As mentioned in the main text, this toolkit should
not be used by any officers not identified in the strategy to plan and undertake
public affairs activities. At the outset of any planned activity, the Government Liaison
Officer should always be engaged and lobbying should never be undertaken
independently of the Service Management Team and without strategic buy-in.
Step 1
Clearly define and write down objectives for the publicity/media plan; thinking about
the design of the campaign and which of the objectives and benefits will be realised.
The remaining steps can only be undertaken when this has been done.
Step 2
Define the goals needed to achieve the objectives. It is important that the goals set
are specific, measurable, results oriented and time bound. The goals must also be in-
line with the overall organisational objectives of the Service. This will be useful for
the purpose of reviewing the success of any programmes put in place.
By establishing clear goals it is possible to put together a more successful campaign.
The following points will also be considered;
[1] Be clear about the issues, facts and position –What is the end goal?
[2] Be careful not to speak “on behalf of people”, or claim to represent
the interests of the community, unless they have been consulted as
part of the strategy – consult the Communications Strategy for further
detail on engaging with the community or undertaking any
consultation.
[3] Establish and maintain contact with decision-makers. Target the right
people by understanding who has the power to support and deliver
the desired outcome.
[4] Build a lobby group – analyse which individuals and organisations can
help the cause and support the aims of the plan. Mobilise them to
gain their active support – try to avoid lobbying alone where possible
[5] Analyse the opposition’s position and develop viable counter
arguments
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[6] Think carefully about the individual/group being lobbied and how
they might benefit from agreeing with the position being promoted.
The argument will be easier to sell if the audience can see how the
proposals link in with their concerns
[7] Consider timeframes and work strategies to fit with any
legislative/corporate or other timeframes and set tight deadlines for
action
Step 3
Determine a target audience. Who is it that needs to be reached by the campaign?
Consider key messages. This last point is important; messages delivered to elected
officials in particular, should be short, clear and concise. The following gives an
overview to help you target decision-makers.
Lobbying research shows that there are five main categories of decision-maker. Each
type requires its own special approach to ensure any approach reaps optimum
results. Set out below is an overview of the categories, which are provided to help
senior officers adjust their approach according to their audience. The ability to do
this is central to creation of an effective campaign.
These categories were originally designed to apply to politicians, but they will apply
equally to all groups and individuals associated with any issue identified.
Importantly, the same individuals may fall into different categories depending on the
issue at hand; therefore, a careful consideration of the categories is required at the
start of each campaign,
[i] Champions
These are generally tireless, committed advocates of a cause. What
they can provide is the ability to make the case to colleagues and
third parties, help to develop a strong ‘inside’ strategy, and be a
visible public spokesperson. In return, they require good quality
information and support.
[ii] Allies
These are a group of decision-makers, who, while supportive, could
be pressed into more active support. These characters require
additional information and more effort placed on relationship-
building. Suggest meetings or debates where they could speak up on
the organisation’s behalf.
[iii] Fence Sitters
These individuals will be uncommitted on an issue and therefore, able
to move either way in terms of support. Decision-makers like these
should form the key target for lobbying strategies, and much effort
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must be directed towards the right mix of ‘inside’ persuasion and
‘outside’ pressure, to steer them the right way.
[iv] Mellow Opponents
These individuals will be clearly opposed to the agreed position of the
organisation, but will usually remain inactive in terms vocal
opposition. Lobby them enough to give them pause for thought, but
refrain from making the angry and consequently drawing them into
the debate.
[v] Hard Core Opponents
These are the individuals leading the opposition. The recommended
strategy is to isolate them and highlight the extremes of their
position, rhetoric and alliances.
Step 4
Develop a schedule for the campaign. Co-ordinate campaigns to best effect by
running the plan concurrently with other marketing efforts and by linking into the
campaigns of others.
Be certain to identify key dates and events, which may help or hinder any planned
efforts – this might range from debates taking place in parliament to a period of
election ‘purdah’, which prohibits widespread political debate.
Step 5
Develop a plan of attack. Consider what communication vehicles can be used to get
messages over. Some examples may include the following:
o Meetings
o Press articles
o Drafting submissions and appearing at inquiries
o Case studies and success stories
o Visits and inspections
o Letters
o Phone calls
o Seminars or speaking events
Theoretically, there are two forms of lobbying, which when applied independently,
or together in a coordinated fashion, can produce effective outcomes. These are
outlined below;
Inside Lobbying
These methods involve dealing directly with decision-makers and can include one or
more of the following; meeting with elected/other officials and their staff, providing
analysis and information to committees, inquiries or legislative offices, giving
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evidence to consultations, and negotiating directly with partner organisations, policy
makers, think tanks or other lobby groups, e.g. through face to face meetings.
Outside (peripheral) Lobbying
In addition to targeting the decision makers themselves, an effective campaign may
also require activity aimed at shifting wider attitudes towards the issue either
through the local/national media or engaging with the public.
These activities might include media activity, establishing news conferences, issuing
press releases and assisting reporters with sympathetic stories, mobilising local
people to lobby their representatives, building broad coalitions with partnership
organisations and other local bodies, establishing letter writing campaigns and
helping to organise and facilitate grassroots activities such as rallies or public
meetings.
The methods outlined above only give an idea of the approaches that can be used
when formulating a campaign.
Step 6
Put measures in place to track the results of the campaign. After each campaign, sit
down and review the results. Consider whether the defined goals were met and
whether the original plan needs to be modified. This will be critical for shaping future
learning and achieving greater results next time.
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Appendix 3 – Glossary of Terms
Public Affairs – activity undertaken to promote, advertise and/or raise the profile of
an organisation, predominantly within a political context
Lobbying – the element of public affairs associated with attempts to influence and
shape political debate and its outcomes e.g. changes to legislation, outcome of
funding or other decisions
CFA – Cheshire Fire Authority – the body responsible for delivering an effective fire
and rescue service on behalf of the communities of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and
Chester, Halton and Warrington
CFO – Chief Fire Officer
CFOA – The Chief Fire Officers’ Association
CFP – Community Fire Protection
CFRAU – The Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor’s Unit – a government agency that
provides professional advice on the work of the fire and rescue service
CFRS – Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
CIPR – Chartered Institute of Public Relations – one of the main organisations that
regulates the work public affairs practitioners
CLG – The Department for Communities and Local Government – the Government
Department with responsibility for the fire and rescue service
CS – Community Safety
FSMC – Fire Service Management Committee – The national LGA Committee that
considers issues relating to the Fire and Rescue Service
Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) – a document that sets out the priorities
and objectives the Service will pursue over a set period of time
LACC – Local Authority Controlled Company – The company established by the
Regional Management Board to manage the new Regional Control Centre
LGA – The Local Government Association – a body that represents councils and other
local authorities, including fire authorities
LSPs – Local Strategic Partnerships – groups of local partners and organisations, led
by local councils established to deliver against local objectives and priorities
36
PESTLE – an analysis of Political, Economic, Technological, Legal and Environmental
issues facing an organisation
RMBs – Regional Management Boards – groupings of fire and rescue service working
collaboratively at a regional level
SMT – Service Management Team – the management committee responsible for
running the Service, comprising Principal Officers, Directors and Heads of
Departments.
Sub-Region – a working tier of local government based on the Cheshire Fire and
Rescue Service footprint and including the four council, police and fire and rescue
service, primary care trusts and other stakeholders. Also called ‘Clusters’ by
Conservative policy makers
UPAs – Unitary Performance Areas – four geographical areas based on the
boundaries of the 4 unitary councils and used by the Service to monitor performance
at the local level
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Appendix 4 – CFRS Political and Election Guidance
Political and Election Guidance
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service must adhere to a number of regulations and
protocols during periods when national or local elections are taking place. This is to
protect both individual employees, as well as the reputation of the organisation and
elected Members of the Fire Authority.
Some regulations, such as those relating to published material (below) apply at all
times, but become more relevant during election periods. The same is true of staff
conduct, which might cause reputational harm to the organisation at any time, but
more so when political tensions are heightened in the lead up to an election, a
period sometimes referred to as purdah.
The conduct of employees is particularly important during local elections, where Fire
Authority Members might be directly involved. However, other elections such as the
General and European Parliamentary Elections might also mean that issues become
more political than is usually the case.
The election period runs from the time the poll is formally announced to the close of
voting on polling day. Managers will be notified when key polls have been called.
The following guidance outlines a number of dos and don’ts. Further information can
be sought at any time from the officers named at the bottom of this leaflet.
Publicity
Section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986 prohibits local authorities from
publishing any material which, in whole or part, appears to be designed to affect
public support for a political party.
A code of practice under the Act also requires particular care to be taken when
publicity is issued prior to an election.
This means that once the election is called, the Fire Authority and Fire and Rescue
Service cannot publicise:
• Any material which refers to a political party or members of a political party
or promotes their own policies or challenges the policies of another political
party. This means Authority Members (with the exclusion of the Chair in
certain and clear circumstances) should not be included in any press releases,
publications, photographs or responses to press inquiries issued by the
Service, unless representatives of all parties are included.
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• Any material, which is part of a campaign and is identified as promoting the
policies of a political party.
• Material covering controversial issues, which could be seen to be influencing
public opinion or promoting the image of an election candidate or reinforcing
the stance of a particular party.
The external publication of any promotional material should always be run through
the Corporate Communications Department.
Use of Fire Authority property during elections
The following issues apply during the elections period, however at all other times,
similar visits need to be approved by a line manager and notified to Corporate
Communications.
It is not appropriate for Fire Authority property (stations and other sites) to be used
for:
• An organised visit either by a candidate or prominent political figure, which
may – or may appear to – promote a candidate or political party. The
exception to this is where all candidates are participating.
During election periods all visits must always be cleared with the Government
Liaison Officer.
• ‘Flyposting’ of any party posters or other political propaganda. Property
includes lamp-posts, signs, buildings and windows – including Day Crewing
Housing.
Any political party attaching their propaganda material to Fire Authority
property should be asked to remove it immediately. If this is not dealt with as
a matter of urgency, Service personnel should remove it and send a bill for
any costs incurred to the candidate’s election agent.
• Staff should be conscious of displaying prominent political material in private
cars and vehicles, when parked in public view at Service sites. Personnel need
to be aware of the possible impact this might have on public perception and
the reputation of the Service.
• No political material is to be displayed in any Fire Authority vehicle.
At all times, employees should be conscious of the fact that the Fire and Rescue
Service is a public body and they are required to adhere to the requirements of the
Officer Code of Conduct and the Protocol on Member/Officer Relations.
For further information, or if you have questions/queries, contact
39
Matthew Maguire
Government Liaison Officer
T: 01606 868775
Tim Bevington
Head of Corporate Communications
T: 01606 868657
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Appendix 5 – CIPR Code of Conduct
Section A
CIPR Principles
1. Members of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations agree to:
1. Maintain the highest standards of professional endeavour, integrity,
confidentiality, financial propriety and personal conduct;
2. Deal honestly and fairly in business with employers, employees, clients, fellow
professionals, other professions and the public;
3. Respect the customs, practices and codes of clients, employers, colleagues,
fellow professionals and other professions in all countries where they
practise;
4. Take all reasonable care to ensure employment best practice including giving
no cause for complaint of unfair discrimination on any grounds;
5. Work within the legal and regulatory frameworks affecting the practice of
public relations in all countries where they practise;
6. Encourage professional training and development among members of the
profession;
7. Respect and abide by this Code and related Notes of Guidance issued by the
Institute of Public Relations and encourage others to do the same.
Principles of Good Practice
2. Fundamental to good public relations practice are:
Integrity
• Honest and responsible regard for the public interest;
• Checking the reliability and accuracy of information before dissemination;
• Never knowingly misleading clients, employers, employees, colleagues and
fellow professionals about the nature of representation or what can be
competently delivered and achieved;
• Supporting the CIPR Principles by bringing to the attention of the CIPR
examples of malpractice and unprofessional conduct.
Competence
• Being aware of the limitations of professional competence: without limiting
realistic scope for development, being willing to accept or delegate only
that work for which practitioners are suitably skilled and experienced;
• Where appropriate, collaborating on projects to ensure the necessary skill
base.
• Transparency and conflicts of interest
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• Disclosing to employers, clients or potential clients any financial interest in
a supplier being recommended or engaged;
• Declaring conflicts of interest (or circumstances which may give rise to
them) in writing to clients, potential clients and employers as soon as
they arise;
• Ensuring that services provided are costed and accounted for in a manner
that conforms to accepted business practice and ethics.
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Confidentiality
• Safeguarding the confidences of present and former clients and employers;
• Being careful to avoid using confidential and ‘insider’ information to the
disadvantage or prejudice of clients and employers, or to self-advantage
of any kind;
• Not disclosing confidential information unless specific permission has been
granted or the public interest is at stake or if required by law.
Maintaining professional standards
3. CIPR members are encouraged to spread awareness and pride in the public
relations profession where practicable by, for example:
• Identifying and closing professional skills gaps through the Institute’s
Continuous Professional Development programme;
• Offering work experience to students interested in pursuing a career in
public relations;
• Participating in the work of the Institute through the committee structure,
special interest and vocational groups, training and networking events;
• Encouraging employees and colleagues to join and support the CIPR;
• Displaying the CIPR designatory letters on business stationery;
• Specifying a preference for CIPR applicants for staff positions advertised;
• Evaluating the practice of public relations through use of the CIPR Research
& Evaluation Toolkit and other quality management and quality assurance
systems (e.g. ISO standards); and constantly striving to improve the
quality of business performance;
• Sharing information on good practice with members and, equally, referring
perceived examples of poor practice to the Institute.
© Chartered Institute of Public Relations, 2010
