THE NEED FOR A CERTIFIED LOBBYIST PROGRAMME AT EU LEVEL

Effective lobbying is an increasingly sophisticated process. It involves many players, a range of institutions across several levels of government, understanding of key decision drivers, the need for rational argument, clever presentation and a long range focus. If lobbyists are going to continue to play an important role, they must continuously seek to improve their skills and knowledge.

The practice of lobbying has become more and more sophisticated and the dossiers are becoming more complex, more technical calling for increasing cross-cutting skills. To succeed in Brussels’ complex political environment, a lobbyist must have not only an in-depth knowledge of the legislative and political processes, but also a comprehensive understanding of the rules governing lobbying.

There is too much “lobbying work” being delivered to clients - by untrained practitioners, by management consultants and ill-trained people. This practice has a major negative impact on user organizations and it greatly depreciates both the profession and the practice of lobbying.

There are no standards or minimum qualifications for entering the field of lobbying. It is common knowledge that today in Brussels anyone can set up as a lobbyist and start looking for work. Many of these individuals have no way of “proving” their competence except through word-of-mouth on the basis of jobs satisfactorily performed.  Anyone can claim they are a professional lobbyist without knowing a single thing about what's correct or incorrect procedure. There are cases where individuals representing themselves as lobbyists have been accused of incompetence against which- because of the unstructured, unregulated nature of the profession- no recourse is available to the client except not use that person again. Unfortunately, too many of these "pseudo-lobbyists" do some really bad work and the whole profession gets a black eye for the ridiculous results they deliver. 

On the other hand, many user organizations hire or promote unqualified people into lobbying positions because they have no guidelines on proper credentials - be it training or experience.

Too many people engaged in lobbying are not following ethical practice. Most are not doing this maliciously, they just don't know any better. Understanding ethical rules for the conduct of lobbying as well as the nature of possible conflicts of interest is of paramount importance.

Outside of the handful of dedicated masters programmes in lobbying and public affairs, training of lobbyists is, for the most part, haphazard and unorganized. Again, there are no standards or generally accepted credentials for the profession. Outside of the graduates of the few masters-level programmes, most practicing lobbyists enter the field by happenstance. Their training is haphazard and most often incomplete. Even some of the most experienced lobbyists have major gaps in their basic knowledge set.  Lobbyists for the most part learn "on-the-job" and most jobs do not leverage the entire skill set of a well-rounded lobbyist.

Today there is an absence of an EU available set of course at entry, professional and advanced levels. There is a drift away from in-house training and the proliferation of tertiary courses that cover lobbying in a superficial fashion. Private independent training institutes have emerged that charge exorbitant fees without really teaching the basics of lobbying. Many progarmmes being offered  are deceitful programmes even if they are taught by so-called top experts in the field.  

There are few entry points in the profession for those who truly want to become a professional lobbyist. Most employers want to hire experienced lobbyists. They do not want to spend the time and money to train motivated, but inexperienced personnel. Those who are highly motivated, but need training therefore have few options to enter the field.

What a Certification Programme will do?

A Certified Lobbyist Programme will be a standard for certifying government relations professionals. The certification will mean that the “Certified Lobbyist” possesses in-depth knowledge of legislative, executive and regulatory procedures along with the rules, regulations and ethical standards to which all lobbyists must adhere to . A Certified Lobbyist Programme will strengthen the aptitude and effectiveness of government relations personnel in lobbying firms, corporations, trade associations and not-for-profit organizations. The programme will be useful for both new and veteran lobbyists. New lobbyists will  be introduced into the lobbying world through the programme, while experienced lobbyists will have the opportunity to hone existing skills. Additionally, the programme will serve as an important tool for GR professionals to comply with all ethical and legal standards. GR professionals will earn professional certification and recognition as leaders in the Brussels lobbying community by earning the designation of “Certified Lobbyist.”

• Certification will establish standards for the lobbying practice and provide the profession for the first time an agreed level of performance at which to aim. Certification will establish a recognized process to support that standard.
• Certification will link certification appropriately to education and continuing professional development for lobbyists.
• A comprehensive, well-publicized certification programme will finally establish the field of  lobbying as a recognized profession.
• Certification will improve the practice of lobbying by promoting a core body of knowledge that can be studied and mastered by those wishing to practice in the field.
• Certification will improve the practice of lobbying  by promoting a set of ethical standards to which those in the field would adhere.
• Certification will provide a visible signal to employers that the lobbyist possesses the basic knowledge and experience to practice the craft.
• Certification will represent a distinctive qualification that serves as an indicator for potential employers seeking qualified government relations employees.
• Certification will help strengthen the relationship between purchasers and providers of lobbying services by providing a common knowledge base and a common code of professional practice.
• Certification will provide a starting point for those wishing to enter the profession.
• Certification will greatly assist professionals, especially younger professionals, in planning their career.
• Certified lobbyists will be able to expect improved rates of remuneration- rates genuinely commensurate with the skills deployed.
• Certification will improve the image of lobbying  in the eyes of external constituencies - consumers, the business press, government, and business managers. If the perceived value of the lobbying practice is enhanced, the wide public, constituents and clients will be more likely to decide that the use of a lobbyist is beneficial (if not indispensable) to a particular project.
• Certification will further differentiate lobbyists from public relations specialists, political marketers and others.
• Certification will provide a professional identity for both those in the profession and those who use the services of the profession.
• A comprehensive, well-publicized certification programme will provide a signal to the entire community that not just anyone can do lobbying work. Good lobbying takes a trained, experienced professional.

Certification is not something new and radical? Many other specialized professions have developed successful certification programmes, including Business Communicators, Public Relations, Customer Service, Business Marketing, Direct Marketing, Project Management, to name a few.

All the pieces are in place to develop a comprehensive certification programme in lobbying at EU level. What is needed is to bring it together, organize it, and administer it.

AALEP is committed to doing just that !