Public Affairs is an increasingly important part of every day business, but there is often a lack of understanding of what Public Affairs is and how effective Public Affairs provide value.

Definitions

Public Affairs: PA is an organisation’s efforts to monitor its environment including its relationships with external stakeholders and activities that contribute to policy development. It is an organisation’s analysis and interactions with the outside world to address policy impact.

The Society of European Affairs Professionals (SEAP) counts 304 Members belonging to 114 firms/orgnaisations (see here below)

StrategThe Executive Certificate-Advocacy in International Affairs is designed as a multi-stakeholder, peer-to-peer learning experience that invites diverse participation from non-governmental and international organisations, international companies, unions and associations, national government agencies and diplomatic missions. It targets any professional who currently works or those who aspire to work in advocacy in a global context.

AALEP has elaborated the Questionnaire here below in an attempt to map the skills, knowledge and personal attributes of current GR Practitioners, as defined by them. In particular, the Questionnare will draw out what practitioners believe to be essential skills, knowledge and personal attributes for the GR Practice.This will help also draw conclusions as to which skills and types of knowledge form broader ‘competencies’ within particular cultures across Europe. Such a pan-European study has not been conducted before.

The European Association of Communication Directors (EACD), founded in Brussels in November 2006 by over 100 in-house communicators from 23 countries, is the network for communication professionals from all fields across Europe. It was established to promote diversity, overcome cultural barriers and formulate communicative norms in order to ensure quality and foster professionalism in communications. The association currently has over 2,300 members.

It is incumbent upon the GR industry  

• To map and understand the actions and activities of GR Practitioners specifically in the European landscape;
• To build knowledge and understanding of what GR Practitioners do, but also what skills and knowledge they need to develop to have a shared meaning and understanding of the practice.

Our main focus should be to develop a better understanding of the competencies held by GR Practitioners and the contributing knowledge, skills and personal attributes that are relevant to their role. This calls for:

2016 will see dramatic changes in Ireland’s Public Affairs landscape. There will be a new Dáil elected this Spring with a new Government appointed, while the first returns were made in January under the Regulation of Lobbying Act adopted in 2015. Those working in Public Affairs will be exposed to an unprecedented level of scrutiny and transparency.

This Code was adopted by the 20th annual general meeting of members of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland, held in Dublin on 08 December 2003 The Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) believes that professional public affairs practice and lobbying are proper, legitimate and important activities, which ensure an open two-way communication between national and local government (including the Oireachtas, the entire public service, as well as other bodies funded wholly or mainly from public funds), the institutions of the European Union (EU) and bodies whose activities and interes

The BVPA stimulates the development of the PA field, provides a knowledge platform for the profession and promotes the interests of public affairs professionals in the Netherlands. The Association counts 600 members who are working as public affairs professionals in companies, trade associations, consulting firms, NGOs or governments.

EU LEVEL

1. AALEP- Association of Accredited Public Policy Advocates to the European Union
2. EPACA- European Public Affairs Consultancies’ Association
3. PACE- Public Affairs Community of Europe
4. SEAP- Society of European Affairs Professionals

EU Member States