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Three Reasons For Public Administration Engagement

The article discusses the motivation of companies and the reasons why and when to build relationships with the public administration and other state representatives. It also addresses the advantages that mutual communication brings to both parties.

Communication with public officials, members of Parliament, ministers and other state representatives can often be seen as a waste of time, especially by businesses.  Why share information, attempt for mutual understanding and deepening trust, why build long-term relationships or even strategic partnerships with people, whose profession mostly just burdens companies with more administrative obligations?  

First, the initial motivation for companies to engage and lead a continuous dialogue with public administration should be an attempt to prevent potentially harmful regulation.  Usually, whenever companies explain the benefits, which their industry brings to the economy and society, the politicians and officials lose their immediate need to control the unknown, and thus the risk of approving a harmful regulation significantly drops. Second, if a legislation, relevant for the particular field, is being prepared companies have an opportunity to monitor the entire process, present their opinion, and either achieve a change or at least gain enough time to prepare for the upcoming regulation. The third, and unfortunately very common incentive for companies to engage with public administration appears when businesses realize a threat, but then it is often too late. In such a case, the possibilities to influence policy makers´ opinions are very limited, but nevertheless there is the option to mitigate potential harm.    

From the above mentioned reasons, it is clear that the most effective form of communication with public administration is the creation of mutually beneficial partnership based on information exchange, mutual understanding and trust.

Author: Václav Nekvapil, Managing Partner, CEC Government Relations