Toward a New Measurement of the Value of Government Relations: Adapting Sustainability Measurements to Demonstrate Greater Business Value

Government relations professionals know the work they do is often neither well understood nor valued correctly. Traditional measures of quantifying success are either process oriented (number of meetings, favorable mentions) or focused on policy achievements (bills passed, regulations altered), and they focus on value to shareholders alone rather than a broader constituency. The true value of government relations is better quantified with models used by the sustainability rating agencies, geared directly to government relations activities and outcomes. This approach allows government relations practitioners to clearly, forcefully, and concretely present the value of their work to their key stakeholders.