The Difference Between Objectives and Tactics – And Why It Matters. The Internal Side of Public Affairs (31)

Alan Hardacre, PhD

Co-Founder Advocacy Academy, Advocacy Strategy

One of the most common pitfalls in Public Affairs is the confusion between objectives and tactics. Too often, teams jump straight into action—organizing meetings, running events, launching campaigns—without defining what success looks like. I want to focus on this because I see the damage that this can cause for Public Affairs teams. Let’s be clear if your Public Affairs strategy is built on tactics rather than objectives, you risk being busy but ineffective. You also risk disengaging your organization. A double loss.

So, what’s the difference?

Objectives define what you want to achieve. They should be clear, measurable, and aligned with your organization’s broader strategy – and ideally, they should have clear metrics for success (in financial terms).

Tactics are how you get there—the specific actions that support your objective. They are the means, not the end. They should be time-bound and clear.

The objective is critical for your internal visibility and value. The tactics are more your things to look after. If you confuse the two then you will damage how you are seen in your organization. Let’s start with objectives. You can get these very wrong. Take the following examples:

-      Raise awareness of our issue

-      Engage with policymakers

-      Monitor policy developments

-      Improve our reputation

-      Shape the policy environment

Each of these statements is too broad / vague and almost impossible to measure afterwards. They describe activities or aspirations, but they don’t define success. What you want to create are objectives that speak to your organization backed by tactics that speak to your function and team. Let’s look at example that I see a lot.

Objective: Ensure the final version of [specific law] does not include a / b / c provisions.

Tactics:

✔ Work with legal team to draft alternative legal language and share it with at least 5 of the identified tier one stakeholders in Q1 2025.

✔ Organize a joint industry letter signed by 75% of our industry to advocate for our position in Q1 2025.

This defines a specific policy outcome (avoiding clearly identified provisions) and outlines how to achieve it through direct engagement and coalition-building in Q1 2025.

Have you seen objectives and tactics get confused in your work? How do you set strong objectives in Public Affairs? Let’s discuss below!