The Power of a Public Affairs Community. The Internal Side of Public Affairs (57)

By Alan Hardacre, PhD

Co-Founder Advocacy Academy, Advocacy Strategy

In today’s challenging external and internal world, Public Affairs professionals must be fast, informed, and interconnected. But too often, we operate in functional silos—geographically, hierarchically, or by business unit—leading to  isolation, duplication, missed insights, and the lack of a real Public Affairs team feel. The solution? A strong, intentional Public Affairs community within the organisation. And when I say organisation this can mean 45 professionals across the world just as much as it can mean 5 people in the same office. Both will benefit from building a Public Affairs community.

This is not just a network no just an email group. This is a professional community of practice that connects Public Affairs professionals across functions, regions, and levels—fueling alignment, innovation, and collective best practice.

Why a Public Affairs Community Matters

1. Break Down Internal/Organisational Silos

Policy issues don’t respect org charts. Many challenges cut across geographies and functions. Public Affairs objectives, strategies and tactics are all things that can be shared, discussed and improved. A community ensures that insights and experiences are shared—not trapped in local teams.

Result: Faster issue spotting, better-coordinated responses, building of best practice, and a more strategic voice in the organisation.

2. Accelerate Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Even with great toolkits and academies, much of what makes a Public Affairs team effective comes from tacit knowledge: how to engage a tricky (internal) stakeholder, what political signals to watch, which arguments land best or how to improve your internal reporting.

A community allows that expertise to circulate organically—through:

• Storytelling

• Peer mentoring

• Informal case studies

• Local knowledge swaps

  
  

  Result: Continuous learning and improvement, grounded in real-world experience.

3. Build a shared identity and sense of purpose.

Public Affairs is often misunderstood internally—seen as reactive, opaque, or peripheral. A strong community helps shift this narrative by building a cohesive identity, aligned around shared values and strategic contribution.

This includes:

• Celebrating wins across regions

• Recognizing thought leadership

• Defining a clear narrative around what Public Affairs does and why it matters

• Using common terminology and frameworks

• Build best practice presentations, tools and templates

Result: Higher morale, greater internal recognition, and stronger talent retention.

4. Foster Leadership and Visibility at All Levels

A well-connected community helps emerging leaders step up—by creating safe spaces to share, contribute, and be seen. It also allows senior leaders to cascade strategy and culture more effectively.

Result: More distributed leadership and stronger alignment with enterprise goals.

How to Build a Public Affairs Community

It doesn’t happen by accident—it takes intentional design. Here’s how to get started:

1. Anchor It in Purpose

Start with a clear "why." What is the role of this community? Knowledge sharing? Capability building? Culture and identity? All of these? Align it with strategic goals.

2. Design for Connection, Not Just Information

Create forums where people can talk, challenge, co-create. Go beyond newsletters and webinars—enable:

• Thematic working groups

• Local or regional groups

• Storytelling sessions

• Ask-Me-Anything events with senior leaders

• Public Affairs best practice

3. Build Digital and Human Infrastructure

Use platforms that facilitate interaction—not just broadcast. But equally important: designate community stewards or ambassadors who nurture participation, spark conversations, and keep the energy alive. This last point is critical – you need people to animate, drive and own the Community – organic growth is very difficult.

4. Celebrate and Scale What Works

Spot great examples of policy engagement, stakeholder management, or internal influence—and amplify them across the community. Showcase what great looks like.

5. Measure What Matters

Track engagement, feedback, and learning uptake. More importantly, track collaboration outcomes—are people working more effectively across boundaries? Is there faster alignment on issues? You need to run some surveys in here to see what is working and how people are feeling.

What’s the Payoff?

A vibrant Public Affairs community creates:

✔️ Greater agility and alignment

✔️ Deeper insight into global policy dynamics

✔️ Stronger internal culture and function identity

✔️ A sense of belonging in a high-pressure, often misunderstood role

✔️ Enhanced leadership readiness and cross-market innovation

In essence: community is the connective tissue that transforms a group of professionals into a truly strategic function.

Does your organisation have a Public Affairs community in place? What made it work—or what’s holding it back?

Let’s exchange ideas and practices that build stronger, smarter teams.