The Enigma of Information Management. The Internal Side of Public Affairs (28)

Alan Hardacre, PhD

Co-Founder Advocacy Academy, Advocacy Strategy

In Public Affairs, information is everything - but only if it’s managed effectively. Every meeting, stakeholder interaction, policy development, or media story generates data that could shape your strategy. Yet, managing the flow of information—from capture and storage to access, sharing, and turning it into actionable internal reports—is one of the most persistent challenges Public Affairs teams face. Why is this such a struggle?

1.    Volume Overload

Public Affairs teams operate in a sea of information. Keeping up with the sheer volume can overwhelm even the most organised teams.

2.    Fragmentation

Information often exists in silos—email inboxes, personal notebooks, or standalone databases. Without a unified approach, it becomes difficult for teams to collaborate or draw connections between critical pieces of information.

3.    Urgency vs. Access

In high-stakes environments, Public Affairs teams are under pressure to deliver insights quickly. But how often have you lost valuable time searching for that one email, document, or note that holds the key to an urgent question?

4.    Transformation into Insights

Raw data rarely speaks for itself. Extracting actionable insights from information and presenting them in a clear, concise way that resonates with leadership is a skill—and a process—many teams struggle to refine.

5.    Consistency and Structure

Without clear protocols, how information is captured, stored, and shared can vary widely between team members, leading to inconsistencies that reduce the quality and usefulness of internal reporting.

When managed effectively, information becomes one of the most powerful assets a Public Affairs team has. It’s the foundation for strategy, the key to influence, and the glue that connects organizational goals with external realities. A team that masters information management can deliver insights and clarity at the speed of business, ensuring they’re not just participants in decisions but drivers of them. Next week I will look at some ideas on how to be that team!

For now share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!