PATRICK RUSSELL

Patrick Russell Consulting is Australia's premiere private company for all lobbying, policy and research related issues. We represent both national and international clients and are considered one of the best placed companies to develop sophisticated solutions within a complex environment.

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+61 2 6287 2709

patrick.russell_optusnet.com.au

Services

Executive Training

BackgroundPRC is committed to training Australian CEOs, Company Directors and Executives on how our political system works and how best to go about the function of government advocacy.We established this part of our business in 2011 due to concerns with the lack of knowledge many senior leaders have in corporate Australia of our political system. It is a mistake to think you understand the system because you read the newspaper or watch the 7pm news bulletin on ABC. The process is so much more complex and those in charge of multi-million dollar businesses need to be better prepared.ProgramsPRC runs three types of programs:1. One-on-one trainingThis is where senior executives hire us to train them on a one-on-one basis. We fly to you and spend no more than a day or two at your office. We cover the main issues but focus on specific strategy related to your line of business or strategic objectives. We can also continue to mentor you through the process on a structured or ad hoc basis.2. Group trainingGoup sessions are popular with key personnel in a particular section of a company. The media unit of an arts organisation is a perfect example, as is the government and public relations branch of a mining company. Group training is very useful in terms of reinforcing key strategies and / or refreshing a branch within a confidential environment. While you may deal with government on a daily basis, you easily become stale. At PRC we know what we are doing so the solution is to allow us to openly challenge current processes / strategies and to provide refreshing alternatives to the way you do what you do.3. Open ForumsPRC will run a series of forums throughout 2012 that business leaders can attend. Seats are limited to around 25 people. The forum stretches an entire day and is conducted in an open environment canvassing all the basic concepts. Specific issues are certainly addressed as they inevitably and organically come from the floor when attendees ask questions or raise key points. In essence we take complex academic themes and apply them to every day business.Tailored PackagesWe can tailor the training for you and for a specific need or objective. For instance, a mining executive may delve into the macro elements of the political system but have a specific focus on resource related policy and strategy that warrants attention.We can also focus on international aspects of your business by addressing the political environment of a particular country that you currently work in or expect to trade with in the future.SumamryOur training is highly technical and comparable to a university campus without the need to do a 3 year degree. We engage specialists where necessary and as noted can easily tailor packages.Our sole objective is to educate corporate Australia so that when you engage the political and/or policy environment you are well prepared. If there is one lesson to be learnt its this: You wouldn't go to Washington D.C without being briefed and across the system, so don't fall into the trap and think that because you live in Australia you can fly to Canberra or enter your State Parliament and achieve an instant result. From our experience far too many executives leave Canberra dissapointed primarily because they've spoken to the wrong people, entered the debate at the wrong time or implemented the wrong strategy.

Lobbying

Lobbying is a distinct and technical discipline in it's own right. Whilst we see politics spread across our televisions and newspapers daily, the art of developing policy is often hidden from the reader primarily because it is rarely analysed by journalists, who in pushing to file story after story, fail to dissect let alone understand the detail of the policy cycle. Lobbyists do what journalists don't do - we represent clients into the political and policy environment and study how policy is developed. We analyse policy, decision makers, policy instruments and a range of internal and external forces that affect, hinder or work to the advantage of our clients. Once we have this information we then develop specific strategies to achieve a pre-determined objective. Another important element to our work is the provision of advice to senior bureaucrats and politicans. We advise of specific trends, impediments to business growth and a range of additional issues to keep those in the 'political bubble' informed.The policy processBusinesses employ PRC to give them an insight into this process - what we call the policy process - or to secure an outcome. The process is so much more complex than politics it's self and entails the following generic terms:ConsultationCoordinationDecisionPolicy instrumentsIdentify issuesEvaluationImplementationOur servicePRC can analyse almost any policy you choose. Some examples include:Foreign policyTrade, tarriff and/or export related policyTaxation, prudential reform, banking and finance policyManufacturing, R&D, IP and related innovation mechanisms developed by government to support businessSocial welfare, Indigenous affairsEnvironmental and policies in around mining, ethanol, gas seam extraction, solar, renewablesPlanning, economic, infrastructure, tourism, science, health, small business etc.How does it work?Analysing the policy process is not simply writing another research paper. Clients often ask us to explore specific policies questioning where key decisions are at within the policy cycle and how external influences are affecting a particular course of action. ActionLobbying is the implementation of this analysis within a pre-determined and agreed strategy. We delve behind the scenes and talk to bureaucrats, politicians and advisers from all sides of politics to assess how the internal political machine is influencing the particular policy. This is useful for a number of reasons:Timing is everything and policy decisions affect the timing of investment strategies by business;Advocacy demands that you enter the 'arena' at the right time;Key players may not actually be key at all. Understanding the difference is crucial;Who is being consulted and why are others left out;Implementation can be driven by noncoercive and coercive forms. For instance, a policy can be driven by legislative changes, a new tax, incentives or a co-regulatory approach where key players volunteer to comply, and;What Department or Agency has carriage over the policy decision, who implements and who evaluates. SummaryThere is so much more than meets the eye when it comes to analysing policy, the policy process and delivering effective lobbying. All of our work is strictly confidential and we don't publish our commissioned research unless our client allows us to do so. More importantly, we are completely and fiercely100% bi-partisan. At no stage will PRC be labelled a specific political party lobbying firm that can secure 'special access'.Feel free to call us to find out more.

Report

Market Report

PRC produces a quarterly political / policy market report that is a must for industry and the market titled - Politic.The research we undertake delves far behind what you see daily on the news and focusses on every political jurisdiction in Australia. We analyse the following:Elections, electoral analysis, margins, swings, balance of power, candidates and likely outcomes;Legislative time frames including priorities and the monitoring of Bills and the passage of Bills before Parliaments;Committees including current legislation, reference, select and joint committee work;Tenders and grant opportunities;Policy cycles and implementation timeframes;Economic analysis and associated policy trends;Future thinking, trends and internal political dynamics;International relations, treaties and inter-jurisdicitonal related matters.What we dont do?Unlike other consultancies PRC DOES NOT speculate on future business and economic trends. We dont forecast retail spending to be X and we don't pre-empt what the next Reserve Bank decision will be. What we do is analyse and provide likely scenarios.PricingPricing depends on the amount of information required. Some clients require specific information relating to tenders and grants only or a specific State election, whilst others want a concise overview of the entire federal political system.Full Quarterly Report - Electronic Per quarter $700Per half year $1200Annually $2200Individual Sections - ElectronicPer quarter $250Per half year $400Annually $700SummaryTo do this work in your own right would take months. By the time you had finished you would need to start again with fresh information. Moreover, most people dont know where to go to find all this information and condense it into one volume. We know exactly where to go and assure you that the information is the most recent and of the highest quality.

If you would like a copy of our pro-forma template that gives you an idea of the detail inside Politic drop us an email at

patrick.russell_optusnet.com.au

Reform

With all this talk about the concerns with our political system what does it mean?A new organisation has been established recently to reform our political system but why is the message so complex? For instance, do average Australians really understand the following terms and more importantly do they care? What on earth is:Tuscany LawConfucian DemocracyDemarchyThe Citizen LegislatureDemoexRecife Participatory BudgetingA Senate drawn by ballotIn our view the fundemental trap with any reform agenda is becoming too complex. Many of those advocating reform are academics who sit around talking about the difference between a theocracy and a democracy. It really isnt that hard. For example - Who in their right mind believes that appointing Senators by a common ballot is a good solution? For instance, anyone under this model can theoretically put their name down and be given the title Senator and run the country.In our view the answer is not wholesale change for the sake of it, but rather incremental re-structure and the abolition or a range of rules and regulations that simply make the entire process so much more complicated than it needs to be. As a recent Fedral Court Judge noted: "Delving into the taxation law is like heading into a parrell universe". Reformist delves into these issues and many more, articulating the need for reform in a less complex manner. Have a look and sign up. www.reformist.com.au

Executive Training
Lobbying
Report
Reform

About Us

PRC has offices in Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney. We are indepdenent and 100% bi-partisan in terms of political alliances. We have worked both nationally and internationally developing joint venture partnerships in the USA, Middle East, London, Asia, New Zealand and South Eastern Europe.

Issues

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Manufacturing

Germany pulled the Eurozone out of financial melt-down because of a 25 year comittment to manufacturing and innovation. What can we learn?

No Frame

Marine Policy

Radical change to Australia's marine environment is occuring that will have long lasting consequences.

Issues

PRC features issues to stimulate debate. We dont on purpose mean to offend or unduly critisize but we will openly and honestly place the issues on the table for you to decide. If you have an opinion or would like to contribute by all means drop us an email and yet us know. Moreover, we are still building this part of our site so some information may not be availiable.

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SMEs

The engine drivers of the economy are often forgotten about in terms of policy development.

Nel Frattempo In The Meantime

Indigenous Affairs

Indigenous policy continues to fail to deliver on outcomes. Why is this the case and what can be done to spend tax payers money better?

Snow Bench

political REFORM

A movement of good ideas or just another overly complicated forum controlled by academics and politicians?

Shinjuku Street

Planning

Well planned cities invite investment and yet many of our cities lag behind the world. What can we learn from Singapore and New York?

Thomas Hirschhorn Concretion Re

Telecommunications

Why is it that we continue to be let down by the telco's. With skyrocketing levels of complaints is genuine reform with a big stick needed?

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Arts Policy

Arts in Australia is at a serious cross roads. Young artists are constantly heading overseas for work. What policies need to change?
Contact

T:+61 2 6287 2709

F:+61 2 6288 1765

patrick.russell_optusnet.com.au

CANBERRA

22 Buvelot St

Weston ACT 2611

SYDNEY

Suite 243/117

Old Pittwater Road

Brookvale, NSW 2100

Executive Strategic TrainingLobbyingMarket Research & AdviceReformist