Why Public Affairs Needs Clear Objectives and Measurable KPIs.The Internal Side of Public Affairs (17)

Alan Hardacre, PhD

Co-Founder Advocacy Academy, Advocacy Strategy

In the fast-evolving world of Public Affairs, it’s easy to set broad or activity-based objectives that don’t truly capture the impact of our work. Without clear, impact-focused we risk losing sight of the real value Public Affairs brings to the organization – and we risk losing the support of the organization itself (as they won't see value). This is, in my view, one of the biggest challenges for any Public Affairs professional. It is also a major source of misalignment and misunderstanding between Public Affairs and organizations. So, how do we get better? Let’s start with some examples of what does not work.

Common Pitfalls in Public Affairs Objectives:

Too often, we see vague goals like:

- “Shape the policy environment” – This is too broad. How do you define success in such a wide-reaching statement?

- “Meet 10 stakeholders” – Counting meetings does not reflect whether these engagements are meaningful or drive impact.

- “Publish 5 newsletters” – This is an activity, not an outcome. The quantity of communications doesn’t equal influence or awareness.

To demonstrate the true value of Public Affairs, we need clear, outcome-based objectives and KPIs, such as:

- Objective: "Secure key amendments to [specific policy/legislation] in line with organizational priorities [listed out in detail] by Q4 2024."

KPI: Number of legislative changes that align with the organization's priorities.

- Objective: "Introduce enabling legislation for product X in 2024 to allow entry into the market in 2025."

KPI: Legislative clauses enabling preferred route to market / time taken to achieve this.

Bonus: If you can quantify the impact that these two objectives would have for your organization you have an even stronger internal story to share (on the journey and when reporting success). 

Why this REALLY matters: Having clear impact-driven objectives and KPIs not only provides a clear roadmap for success but also enables us to communicate and demonstrate the tangible impact Public Affairs brings to an organization. It also makes us accountable in a way that we should be – we are more than just anecdotes. Let’s ensure we’re not just busy—but that we’re driving real outcomes.

Look out for a hands-on Workshop on this subject in Brussels coming soon - and please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! Do you have examples of good or bad Public Affairs objectives (I am sure you do)?