How exactly do you Quantify your Public Affairs Work. The Internal Side of Public Affairs (38).

Alan Hardacre, PhD

Co-Founder Advocacy Academy, Advocacy Strategy

May 27, 2025

In my last post, I laid out a structured approach to identifying and prioritising Public Affairs issues. But once you’ve done that, the real question becomes: how do you quantify Public Affairs risks and opportunities? Here’s a short guide on how you do it — step by step:

1. Frame the Issue in Business Terms

Don’t jump straight to numbers. First, define what is at stake:

·      What changes because of this regulation or policy?

·      What part of the business is exposed (or could benefit)?

·      What timing are we talking about — immediate impact or next budget cycle?

This framing helps ensure you're not quantifying in a vacuum.

2. Start with Assumptions and Ranges

Work with internal experts to define best, base, and worst-case scenarios. This often includes:

·   

(% or €)

·      Compliance or operational cost impacts

·      Delays to market or approval timelines

You won’t have perfect data — and that’s OK. Being explicit about your assumptions is far more valuable than trying to be overly precise. And the dialogue will benefit everyone.`

3. Co-own the Numbers — Don't Go It Alone

Public Affairs should never “own” the numbers. Instead collaborate with Finance, Strategy, Market Access, Regulatory or Commercial teams. Let them validate and help shape the assumptions. Your role is to frame the risk, structure the question, and drive the process.

4. Track and Tighten Over Time

This is not a one-off estimate. As the legislative or political process evolves, so should your numbers:

·      Update ranges as policy proposals become more concrete.

·      Refine scenarios with better internal data or market insight.

·      Add probability and timing to align with planning cycles.

You move from directional estimates to forecastable impacts.

5. Feed it into Internal Decision-Making

Translate your quantification into familiar business tools such as risk heat maps, dashboards and traffic-light reports linked to key business metrics. Connect your outputs to resource or decision asks. What does the business need to do now?

When Public Affairs quantifies risk and opportunity — even roughly — it makes a real difference. Not because you have “the answer,” but because you ask the right questions and bring others into the solution. In the comments, I’ll share a few examples. If you've done something similar, I'd love to hear how you approached it.