Integrity and Political Savvy (Practising)

70% on-the-job learning

• Understand the Government’s goals, including competing goals, and other political parties’ priorities and narratives for the specific policy issues you are working on.
• Prepare free and frank advice to deliver or for others to deliver to the minister.
• Use networks, including junior and senior colleagues, and involve the right people at the right time in a way that strengthens complex relationships.
• Build relationships with staff in the minister’s office, and understand their respective roles and responsibilities (e.g. private secretaries, political advisors, media advisors).
• Be responsive to requests from the minister’s office. If uncertain whether a request is political or policy-related, seek guidance from more senior colleagues.
• Know your minister’s style and preferred way of working. This includes trigger points and concerns for your minister.
• Know your agency’s chief executive’s style and preferred way of working.
• Seek opportunities to work in your minister’s office, or to be seconded to other agencies.
• Understand key stakeholders’ interests and level of influence on policy issues.
• Build strong and respectful relationships with key agencies and stakeholders.
• Work with a lead advisor on a select committee process.
• Know how to influence key people in your organisation to support your work.
• Understand your agency’s priorities, key relationships, and any external factors impacting the organisation.
• Know when to escalate issues to your manager and others.
• Know and demonstrate sensitivity to competing interests and views by responding with diplomacy.

20% learning from others 

• Seek opportunities to attend or lead discussions with the minister or senior colleagues, in which you are the subject matter expert.
• Seek mentoring or coaching from more experienced staff on how to deal with projects involving several ministers.
• Attend meetings in which senior staff have a key role in influencing the thinking and behaviour of others.
• Do role plays where you have to present policy findings to the minister or deliver reports to select committees.

10% formal learning

• Talk to your manager about any formal learning opportunities available to you.