Getting the policy right the first time saves you years of tweaking and amending. Knowing what you can accomplish, what your bottom line is, and how to negotiate a winning policy from the start allows you to get it right the first time. We can:

• Research comparable policies in other states or cities and the process taken to get there - legislative, executive action, rule making, or ballot measure

• Develop model policies

• Develop policy options reflective of organizational goals and the political landscape in target state or municipality

• Work with policy drafters to identify multiple ways to meet goals and spot unintended side effects and language considerations for each
  

When no one is paid to prioritize the work, sometimes it just doesn’t happen. When partners don’t have pre-built trust, choosing a leader is a leap of faith. Even when trust is built, sometimes no single group has the capacity to lead the work. Our coalition management services allow all partners to focus on their piece of the work while we focus on making sure the bottom line goals are achieved. We can:

• Build your coalition, including identifying strategic new partners

• Lobby on behalf of the coalition

• Run coalition meetings

• Interview stakeholders individually and moderate group processes to determine common bottom lines and establish group goals

• Clearly identify areas of agreement and areas of work that have majority support but not consensus, help build consensus, and navigate processes for managing areas without consensus
  

You don’t know what you need to get there, but you have a goal in mind. We can develop a plan for success - at the ballot box, in the legislature, with your municipal agencies, through rule making, or in changing public opinion. If you need help making sure all of the pieces are lined up, the possible pressure points are identified, and the barriers - and the paths past them - are clear, we are your team. We can:

• Work with you to understand your goals, resources, and the time and money you can commit to a solution

• Complete background research to identify all your options

• Identify partners and potential allies

• Create a campaign plan, or multiple campaign plan options

• Facilitate brainstorming sessions when your team is ready to drive but still needs a little support

• Provide ongoing consulting and support throughout the campaign

• Create a package that includes just creation of a plan you implement, or creation and implementation work
  

We are the strategic ally you need to win. We have the experience and relationships to see your policy through to implementation - including lobbying, negotiating compromises on your terms, ensuring you’re at the table during rulemaking procedures, finding alternative paths if lobby efforts fail at the legislative level, and keeping you bottom line goals front and center through every step of the process. We don’t offer full-service defensive lobby contracts at this time but are open to conversations about expanded lobby work. We currently offer:

• Comprehensive lobbying for policies we develop together

• Comprehensive lobbying for coalition clients

• Guidance to help you navigate political systems

• Relationship building with key elected allies

We have experience designing print materials, creating messages from your polling, writing speeches and talking points, and drafting testimony. We are not currently offering communications support as a stand alone service at this time, however we can include this work in our policy, coalition, lobbying, and campaign project contracts.

With years of experience bargaining labor contracts and negotiating letters of agreement in unionized workplaces (management and employee side), and negotiating policy agreements between stakeholders and amongst elected leaders, as well as select experience supporting the mediation of labor disputes and the negotiation of public packages to support corporate investments, we know how to find a deal. We can come in as a neutral third party to help find a path forward that gets all sides their bottom line wins and sets up a better relationship moving forward.

Change is exciting, but it’s also threatening. With our policy, messaging, and mediation, experience we can help you craft a plan for rolling out big changes in your workplace and amongst your stakeholders. We can mediate conversations and problem solve perceived barriers to progress.