A Workflow for Turning Political Change into Action

Let's face it, if you work in public affairs, political communications, or government affairs, there’s a lot going on at the moment. It may be an exciting time, but keeping on top of all the change increases demands on your time and resources.

It also means that the carefully crafted strategy you developed just a few months ago might need a complete—and ongoing—refresh. Or you’re getting questions from colleagues about what’s happening, what the risks are, what the impacts might be, and most importantly, what you’re going to do about it.

So, how can you use your time effectively to understand the risks, prepare for the changes that may come, and align and communicate internally?

I've put together the following workflow to help you make sense of this period. It brings structure to interpreting political and policy shifts, helping you make informed decisions and bring your internal stakeholders along with you.

It’s developed to categorise how significant a political risk might be, map out scenarios to anticipate different outcomes, and prioritise what you can or should (or shouldn’t) do about it.

Why might you need help to do this?

Implementing any new workflow requires change—in how you work, in how your organisation operates, and in behaviour. Change is always the hardest part of delivering any project. That’s where I can help. I work with clients to embed this kind of change, ensuring political risk management becomes a structured, repeatable process rather than a one-off exercise.

How can I help you do this?

• Helping organisations define their workflows and integrate them into your decision-making.

• Identifying and building the right capabilities within public affairs teams.

• Facilitating workshops that bring stakeholders together to co-create responses.

• Supporting internal communication and leadership alignment to make change happen.

Step 1: Categorising Political Risk – How Big a Deal Is It?

Some political and policy developments demand immediate action. Others can be tracked without disrupting current priorities, and some may not require action at all. The first step is working out where an issue sits on that spectrum.

A simple impact vs. likelihood matrix helps determine whether a policy change is a background issue or a serious business risk. It’s a tried-and-tested approach, but because it’s simple and visual, it’s useful in making agile assessments.

Completing step helps organisations from overreacting to minor shifts while ensuring major risks get the attention they deserve.

Strategic Checkpoint:

Before moving to Step 2, ensure you can clearly articulate:

1. The priority level of the risk (high, medium, low).

2. The time sensitivity—does it require immediate attention or ongoing monitoring?

Step 2: Scenario Planning – Preparing for Different Outcomes

Once you’ve prioritised the most critical issues that may need escalating internally, it’s time to understand how they might play out and what the implications might be.

You could, of course, sit back and wait things out, but it’s best to at least try and anticipate how things will develop so you can plan for the worst.

Good scenario planning maps out a range of possibilities so teams aren’t caught off guard. It also identifies trigger points—moments when the organisation needs to adjust its position or escalate its response.

A simple way to do this is to consider best-case, worst-case, and most likely scenarios.

Strategic Checkpoint:

Before moving to Step 3, make sure you have:

1. A scenario plan with trigger points that defines when action is required.

2. An internal assessment of whether your organisation is prepared for different scenarios.

Step 3: Aligning Internally – Getting the Right People on Board

Public affairs professionals need to make sure your internal decision-makers understand political risks in a way that is relevant to them. It’s easy to assume that senior leaders and other business functions understand the political landscape in the same way public affairs teams do.

For political risk management to be effective, public affairs teams need to frame risks in a way that resonates with different internal audiences:

• For Legal & Compliance: What does this mean for regulatory requirements?

• For Finance: Will this affect revenue, investment, or costs?

• For Sustainability & Corporate Affairs: Does this align with or challenge company commitments?

• For Executive Leadership: What’s the value at stake, and what’s the recommended action?

Effective internal alignment requires:

• Short, clear updates that focus on implications and recommended actions, not just information.

• A structured, agile reporting group—a small team that provides timely, efficient updates to key internal stakeholders without creating unnecessary reports.

• Regular update cycles to refine engagement strategies based on new developments.

Strategic Checkpoint:

Before moving to Step 4, confirm that:

1. Key internal teams understand the risk and their role in managing it.

2. There’s a shared approach on how to track and respond to changes.

Step 4: Monitor & Adapt – Keeping Strategy and Tactics Relevant

Political and policy risks evolve. What seemed like a secondary issue last month may now require immediate attention, while some high-priority concerns may lose momentum. Public affairs professionals need to ensure their strategies and tactics remain relevant, responsive, and proportionate to the latest developments.

This step is about structured monitoring and agile adaptation, ensuring that insights translate into practical adjustments rather than just routine reporting.

Key actions in this stage:

• Establish a monitoring rhythm – Define a structured process for tracking developments without overloading teams with unnecessary updates.

• Use signposts to trigger action – Set clear criteria for when a shift in policy, political sentiment, or regulatory action requires a strategic or tactical response.

• Refine engagement approaches – Assess whether advocacy efforts, coalition-building, or internal briefings need to be adjusted based on new information.

• Evaluate and recalibrate tactics – Regularly review whether messaging, stakeholder priorities, or lobbying efforts are delivering the intended impact, and make adjustments when needed.

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