Development Cooperation Handbook/Partnership Management/Associations and Networks

Professional Associations and Competitors        Organizations have many concerns, needs, and goals in common with their competitors. That is why professionals and organizationions that regularly compete head-to-head in the marketplace often band together as members of associations. It is important for an organization to know how to communicate with others in its sector of activity; that is, how to demonstrate solidarity with common interests, but still maintain its organizational identity and individuality—and competitiveness. In most cases, organizations speak for themselves. After all, they are separate project/programme purpose entities competing with the rest of their sector of activity for product or service excellence, market share, and consumer spending. However, in a time of crisis, uncertainty, or change, needs regularly arise that call for the entire sector of activity to speak with one voice. As a result, organizations have to learn how to maintain an effective spirit that does not get in the way of any necessary cooperation that will benefit everyone involved.

           It is also important to remember that competitors in any specific sector of activity usually have more in common with one another than they do with their beneficiaries.
           Since members of one organization quite often wind up working—or have worked—for a competitor in the same sector of activity, there are personal as well as professional links that draw people together. After all, everyone likes to “talk shop.” There are few places better suited to talking shop than a gathering of people in the same sector of activity.

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How You Talk to the Competition

           Aside from belonging to the same association, you might not think that you spend a lot of time talking to your competition. You are actually doing so almost every day. Not only that, but you are also telling them quite a bit about you and how you are doing. They are doing the same.  The most obvious way that organizationions communicate with their competition is through their advertising campaigns.             When you say that you are “Number One” in sales, service, beneficiary satisfaction—or anything else, for that matter—you are really telling the competition that you are better than they are. You are also saying what you think your products or services are actually worth, and if you think you need any special sales or incentives to get people to buy them. 

Associations at Work: Lobbying

           Trade and professional organizations also offer your sector of activity a unified voice when dealing with politicians, governments, and regulatory agencies. They can act as a lobbying group to make sure that your specific needs and concerns are recognized and addressed.    In the same way that an organization’s CEO has more prestige and impact and gets more attention when speaking than a junior executive would, the head of a trade association—often a CEO of a major member organization—has more prestige and impact and gets more attention when speaking than a single CEO would in similar circumstances. 
           This is true when talking to the government and to the news media.
           The American League of Lobbyists, with more than 500 members representing organizations, trade associations, public interest groups, labor unions, and law and lobbying organizations, points out that the practice of lobbying is an ancient art that is as old as government itself. 
           “Simply put, lobbying is advocacy of a point of view, either by groups or individuals,” the league explains. “A special interest is nothing more than an identified group expressing a point of view—be it colleges and universities, churches, charities, public interest or environmental groups, senior citizens organizations, even state, local or foreign governments. While most people think of lobbyists only as paid professionals, there are also many independent, volunteer lobbyists.”
           The American League of Lobbyists says that lobbying involves more than just persuading legislators to vote or act in a certain way. It also includes researching and analyzing legislation or regulatory proposals; monitoring and reporting on developments; attending government or regulatory hearings; working with coalitions interested in the same issues; and then educating not only government officials but also employees and organizational officers as to the implications of various changes. 
           “What most lay people regard as lobbying—the actual communication with government officials—represents the smallest portion of a lobbyist’s time; a far greater proportion is devoted to the other aspects of preparation, information and communication.
           “Lobbying is a legitimate and necessary part of our democratic political process. Government decisions affect both people and organizations, and information must be provided in order to produce informed decisions. Public officials cannot make fair and informed decisions without considering information from a broad range of interested parties. All sides of an issue must be explored in order to produce equitable government policies.”
           Since trade and professional associations are so involved in lobbying, it makes sense for organizations to be part of the effort, to make sure that their individual organizational concerns are also heard along with those of their entire sector of activity.