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Corporate Interlink |
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The Business/Government Communication Process To be effective, the processes of communication between business and Government must be seen as a two-way affair. Just as it is important for industry to appreciate the domestic economic and social issues and the international environment which drives Government towards a particular policy stance, so it is equally important for Government to have brought to its attention the competitive environment and practical issues in which particular business and industries are operating. It is very seldom that a Government decision or legislative initiative is made without a reasonable period of assessment within the bureaucracy, and a commensurate degree of public exposure - either through direct Ministerial or Departmental statement, or by inspired leaks from "authoritative sources" within Government. Regardless of this public exposure many businesses still fail to note the signs of impending policy change, or, even if they do note the media coverage they fail to read through the delphic phraseology of Government ‘code language’ which characterises such statements. Conversely, the bureaucracy has an on-going requirement for timely, factual, detailed and economically balanced information from the business sector - so that its briefings and advice to the executive of Government are as relevant as possible. This provides a substantial opportunity for business to ensure that the background to their activities, and the impact of prospective policy initiatives are taken into account in the Government assessment process. There remains, however, considerable differences in the objectives and perspectives of the business sector and the bureaucracy of the Public Service. While a company sees a situation in terms of the solution which would provide it with the greatest benefit, the bureaucracy of Government tends to approach an issue in terms of broader and longer terms concepts of the State or the 'national interest', and against a background of the overall policy stance of the Government of the day. Additionally, within Government [particularly between Departments], there can be a spectrum of views on the same issue, with each Department pursuing its own ‘policy objectives’ - regardless of the overall position of the Government . Business, in presenting its views to Government, must therefore first appreciate what are the policy lines being pursued within Government, and then present its views in "the language of Government", i.e. in terms which reflect the political, economic, legislative and policy realities and constraints within which each relevant Department must operate. Corporate Interlink has the background and experience to assist business in this task |