Here’s What I Can Do For You!

When I tell people I mix my political skills with my library science and information management skills to provide research and intelligence for public affairs a lot of people either look at me puzzled, smile and nod politely or exclaim “that’s so cool”!

The majority of people fit into the first two categories, while I am sure that some of the third category have no idea what I am talking about fit into the “fake it ‘til you make it” category.
So I wanted to put together a cheat sheet of all the ways I could help you and your organization through my company, Connect Public Affairs.

So here goes!

Do you need to find that unique/elusive fact or information to make your pitch to government more impactful?
I can do that! This is where my knowledge of what government is looking for combined with my crafty, library research skills go to work to uncover information and intelligence that others fail to, partly due to my array of research techniques, but frequently by accessing my vast network of senior-level contacts in industry, not-for-profits, and all levels of government, both in Canada and abroad.

Do you want a better picture of who you are pitching a proposal to? Competing against?
I can do that! Creating in-depth and thorough profiles of people and organizations is one of my favourite things to do. My research skills allow me to dig deeper into the obscure sources of information that most people either ignore or don’t know about. My political and intelligence acumen allows me to get to cut through the noise to provide you with the valuable information you need for strategic decision making.

Have you ever wondered how your reputation or that of your organization is viewed/perceived but have no idea where to begin looking?
I can do that! I provide comprehensive reputation analysis and profiles by both doing online searches and interviews with those in your industry to get an unbiased, outside look at how you or your organization is perceived. This is a thorough examination of what you have written, said yourself, as well as what other’s have written about your organization. What you don’t know can hurt you.

Do you need comprehensive policy research for a white paper, budget, or committee submission?
I can do that! This is another one of my favourite things to do. I research, write, and put together the complete package to get your organization’s point across in a clear, professional, and comprehensive document. Through my extensive research and intelligence gathering, I ensure that your organization’s message is heard ad your objectives are met.

Are you looking to run for political office but aren’t sure what people might find?
I can do that! Take today’s 24/7 news cycle and ever-expanding array of social media platforms available online, add some powerful search tools and processes, and you will be amazed at what you can find. Forgot about the one-off comment or post you made 10 years ago on a friend’s Facebook page? How about that op-ed you wrote for some obscure blog or community newsletter? Your opponents will be able to find them so you should take steps to be proactive or reactive to whatever they find. The key to this is how long it takes and how difficult it is for them to find it. My research and intelligence skills help you find it first.

Want to know what your competitors are up to? New product launch? New marketing campaign? Lobbying for regulatory change?
I can do that! Perhaps one of my unique skills is that of my knowledge of competitive intelligence analysis and methodologies. This is where I really get to use all of the tools in the toolbox to help your organization understand the environment that they operating in. Here, I can help you build your own competitive intelligence system or I can provide a wide range of formats such as alerts, briefs, and more comprehensive reports.

Are you looking for government funding, have no idea where to begin to look and need help sorting it all out?
I can do that! Having worked in a number of government departments at both the federal and provincial level of government in Canada, including ones that gave out billions of dollars, I have a great understanding of where the money is and how your organization can access those funds. Far too often it’s the same groups that are getting government funding. It doesn’t mean that they have a better product or service than you. It just means they know the system, how it works and what they need to say to get funded.