IAS VIRTUAL ADVOCACY℠:

DOING MORE WITH LESS

If you've ever crossed the country to attend a meeting of just a few hours, you understand the cost in terms of time and money.  Thanks to technological advances, it is now possible to mount an effective government relations program at a substantially reduced cost.  Using "GoToMeeting" or a similar service, individual companies, smaller trade associations and ad hoc groups can streamline the process of educating themselves, reaching joint decisions, and delivering messages to government officials and the media.  IAS has developed the concept of "Virtual Advocacy" to encompass all of those functions.

By connecting electronically, the IAS Virtual Advocacy℠ approach obviates the need for participants to meet physically in a single location.  That reduces the cost for all involved and eases scheduling conflicts, permitting the broadest possible participation. Moreover, by creating an alternative to rigidly scheduled meetings, IAS Virtual Advocacy℠ allows for discussions of critical issues on short notice.  The result is more effective participation in the public policy process at a reduced cost.

IAS Virtual Advocacy℠ is backed by staff expertise in a wide range of public policy issues, including trade, currency, tax, infrastructure and energy.  At the same time, it can be used for:

Education

The biggest inhibitor of effective advocacy is an inadequate base of knowledge and understanding.  Without a firm grasp of facts, figures and concepts, it is difficult to make winning arguments.  Moreover, such a grasp of the subject breeds confidence, enabling non-experts to perform expertly.

IAS can help to educate your members on one or a series of public policy issues.  By structuring discussions around a PowerPoint presentation tailored to their needs, participants have a chance to explore issues in depth, to raise and get answers to their individual questions, and to interact with one another.  Without the need to hold physical meetings, briefings and discussions can be scheduled more frequently (e.g. monthly). Over time, a resource library can be assembled on the client's website, enabling even wider participation in the education process.

Decision-Making

IAS Virtual Advocacy℠ enables working groups, task forces and committees to reach decisions in a timely manner and on a uniformly informed basis.  PowerPoint presentations can be used to explain the issue, set forth alternative solutions, and lay out pros and cons.  At the same time, the drafting of positions and messages can be facilitated by displaying the text in progress to all participants.  This can avoid confusion, maximize joint ownership of group positions, and reduce the number of sessions needed to reach a decision.

Message Delivery

IAS Virtual Advocacy℠ can also be used in appropriate circumstances to deliver the agreed message to target audiences, including elected representatives, government officials, industry experts, other companies or industries, and the media.  It can also be used to facilitate communications with foreign experts, industry counterparts, and government officials.  This can enable broader participation while reducing travel costs, improve the timeliness of the delivery of the message, and enhance its impact.

In an age of tight budgets, all players, regardless of size, have to find ways to do more with less.  IAS Virtual Advocacy℠ gives you:

The bottom line is that with IAS Virtual Advocacy℠ you can attempt and achieve more without draining scarce resources. If you want to do more with less, contact the International Advisory Services Group at iasg@erols.com, via its website http://www.iasworldtrade.com, or by telephone at 1.202.904.2475