Member of ParliamentNow that you finally have been able to secure the meeting with your Member of Parliament (MP) how do you get the most out of it?

One very effective method is to prepare a briefing document.

The benefit of preparing a brief is that you are taking to opportunity to inform the MP on the key points that you plan to discuss.  It doesn’t mean you provide masses of documents or information but more of an overview that saves the MP the time and effort to undertake their own research.

The brief should include the following:

  • An agenda for the meeting.  If this is the first meeting try to keep the meeting to under 30 minutes.  If there is a need for a follow up meting then that can be agreed to at the end of this first meeting.
  • Who will be attending the meeting from your organisation.  Ideally it should be no more than 2 or 3 people and unless agreed to never the whole board.  If you want to involve the board consider inviting the MP to a board meeting at a later stage.
  • Clearly outline the purpose of the meeting why it is relevant for the MP to be involved.
  • Outline the objectives you hope to achieve from the meeting.
  • List the key points that you plan to discuss during the meeting.
  • If you quote or need to rely on any facts or figures from any other reports then either include a copy of the report or an extract from the report. 
 

Try and send a copy of the briefing document prior to meeting but also ensure you take additional copies to the meeting in event that the MP has some staff attend the meeting.  The main purpose of the briefing document is that you are informing the MP of the issues and it is intended to result in a more effective meeting that achieves your objective.

Importantly, it also avoids surprises during the meeting which can make the meeting a waste of time and in some cases adversely impact on your credibility and the reputation of your organisation.  While this level of preparation doesn’t guarantee a successful outcome it can make an important impression that can help in the future.