More public affairs integration = Less risk

How can you minimize risk in an increasingly regulated world where political process and public opinion matter more than ever?

What happens when you are regulated by not one but two or even three levels of government? How do you harmonize approvals and timing when federal and provincial processes overlap?

Our clients at NATIONAL Public Relations increase their success by looking at the big picture and taking an integrated approach to their government relations, using trusted advisors who provide public affairs and government relations advice and support across the country. Integrated government relations saves time and cost while increasing the likelihood of success by reducing duplication and improving coordination.

What is NATIONAL’s role in this integrated approach? To begin, we are one team across multiple jurisdictions. Our government relations consultants are experts in building data-driven engagement plans that bring together team members’ deep policy understandings and wide range of relationships to work together seamlessly to benefit clients. We produce joint strategies, coordinated work plans and even track clients’ activities across the country in shared calendars. This creates real value for our clients.

We live in the era of social license and community approval. Now more than ever, governments expect stakeholders (particularly including project proponents) to not simply navigate a regulatory process, but implement a strategy for engaging the public and politicians as a step towards approval.

There is nowhere we see this more than in British Columbia. The interests of the federal and BC governments overlap in many places: environmental issues; climate action; First Nations consultation and accommodation; harmonized environmental assessments; water and fisheries issues; the Pacific Gateway and trade. The list goes on.

Innergex is one of Canada’s leading renewable energy companies, with 803 MW of installed capacity and projects in development in multiple jurisdictions in Canada. NATIONAL supports the Innergex team across the country, including in Ontario, BC and many other provinces.

“Innergex has worked with NATIONAL Public Relations for many years,” said Colleen Giroux-Schmidt, ‎Senior Director, Governmental and Regulatory Affairs at Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. “We appreciate how our company’s offices across Canada get customized but fully coordinated services. This not only saves my colleagues time and money, but adds value as we are able to leverage the broad expertise and knowledge of the team across our different markets.”

Our approach supporting Innergex is only one example of value and integration across NATIONAL’s network. Your team is integrated, so shouldn’t your public affairs consultants be too? In the end, the value of this integration will increase your positive engagement with governments, whichever they may be.