5 Big Challenges Small Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigning Teams Face  – and How to Overcome Them

1. Limited resources, big commitment

Small teams often juggle multiple priorities with tight budgets and limited staff. Balancing day-to-day operations while crafting impactful campaigns or policies can feel like an uphill battle. We understand how challenging this can be to navigate, having worked to become an extension of teams on many occasions., What’s key is that you’re able to have extra hands of support you need—when you need it. 

It’s important that stretched leaders are able to remain focussed on gaining internal buy-in from teams, and most importantly, give their full attention to the cause which demands your effort and action. Taking quarterly moments to do a top-level SWOT analysis or PESTLE will massively help you to assess where you can be providing the most impact. It is a sure way to make certain your team are spending efforts in the right places and not spreading themselves too thin. 

2. Navigating complex political landscapes

For small teams, keeping up with policy changes, consultations, and political dynamics can be a real challenge. There’s a lot of updates, a lot of round-ups and a lot of emails. With all the good intentions in the world, you probably signed up to 10s of mailings and Politico briefings with an aim to stay up to date and across what’s happening. 

However, this is of course challenging to wade through and pick out what’s most appropriate, especially when needing to take fast action. We remain committed to helping our clients see the wood from the trees. By providing a free daily monitoring service that highlights sector-relevant updates across Parliament, news, media and even the Today programme we make it easier for you to get on with the actions rather than wade through many options. If you’re not a Principle client but would like to be added to the list, email us and if it’s a sector we already cover we’d be delighted to add you. 

3. Struggling to cut through the noise

With so many voices vying for attention, standing out in Westminster or across the devolved nations is tough. Small teams often feel their hands are tied with gaining the right investment in the tools or resources to ensure their message resonates with key decision-makers. But that doesn’t mean you lack the power! We know how important coalitions, alliances, well-evidenced reporting, building strong networks and relationships is to achieving change that helps smaller charities punch well above their weight.

We are here to support in identifying the best strategy to reach those in a position to make change happen. So you can focus on the right outcomes rather than  straining yourself with a list of outputs. 

4. Data and evidence gaps

This leads us nicely on to our penultimate point. Robust policy and campaigns rely on strong data and evidence. Many small teams struggle to access, analyse, or present this effectively, weakening their case for change.

It’s important for smaller charities to diversify their research without costly implementations. Freedom of Information requests, community consultation processes, surveys, roundtable discussions, focus groups and more are great ways of gaining the data needed to strengthen your messaging. However, often an untapped fountain of gold is the qualitative data – focussed and embedded in lived experience partnerships and case studies! 

Many of these first-person evidence gaps are key to unlocking the change you’re driving to see. Creating an approach that empowers your members or supporters with lived experience to be the message carriers is key to bridging the gap between the issue and the change you want to see.  

5. Creative limitations

Without the right support, even the most passionate teams can lose momentum and which can impact creativity. We are here to provide you with fresh ideas, always with the intention to do the best possible job for the benefit of the cause your organisation represents. We have found hosting workshops to stop and zoom out to be very helpful for both long-standing and one-off clients. They give teams the chance to come together and assess both the opportunities and challenges and think about things from a wider angle.  

We really do understand these challenges because we’ve been there. Our team of experts specialises in providing strategic advice, research, and hands-on support to help any team no matter their size. From crafting compelling campaigns to navigating political complexities and delivering impactful policy solutions, we’re here to amplify your voice and drive change. With 20 years of expertise in the charity sector’s political landscape, we provide the support you need to stay ahead.

If you or your small team would like an extra pair of hands, we’d be happy to have a virtual coffee to discuss what it could look like. Drop us an email using the form here, or find out more about our services here. Together, we can turn challenges into opportunities.