With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, DC consultants, lobbyists, data specialists and others are scrambling for their lives, and indeed, their very livelihoods.
Clients representing both vast sectors as well as smaller sub-sectors of the U.S. economy are shelling out big money for the expertise and clout required to access the spigot of federal funding to become available from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act.
Longtime friend and colleague Doug Goodyear, a founding partner of DCI Group, is a stickler when it comes to the vital importance of not just finding and hiring the specialist team brought together to do battle on behalf of a client, but also effectively managing their activity.
“It amazes me how often I see industries load up on high-profile consultants when a big battle looms,” Goodyear said between meetings one recent day. “It’s almost as if they think that hiring more prominent consultants than the other side determines who wins.”
Says Goodyear: “Most public affairs consultants mean well and want to help. But success comes from good ideas, organization, and execution; not merely talent and connections. It requires an “outside game” to complement the “inside game.” And it matters that everyone understands the goals, works together on the same game plan, and remains accountable to each other.
“But without a strong manager pulling all of the consultants together as a cohesive unit, the only certainty is that it will cost lots of money. In sports, a general manager can put together a great roster of superstars, but the manager who picks the lineup each day and demands accountability from each player plays a key role in the ultimate success or failure of the team.
“An organization with a public affairs challenge must first identify the goals and decide what resources may be needed to achieve them. From the very beginning there needs to be a strong manager to coordinate activities and demand accountability. The manager may be an internal resource or it could be one of the consultants themselves. The important thing is for it to be a strong individual with experience herding cats — or consultants.
“Well-managed public affairs consultants deliver value. It’s not about the actual dollars paid. Plenty of money gets wasted on low-priced consultants and well-spent on more costly ones. Expensive consultants may be expensive because they’re the best. A good manager will make sure to get the most out of every consultant on a project to help achieve victory for the client.”
Well said.