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Lobbying has a bad name - and rightly so, if it is about buying influence or exclusive access. Scottish churches have been part of the campaign for an open and accessible Parliament, and we cannot undermine that by seeking special influence. But lobbying is also about persuading decision-makers. At the burning bush, God called Moses to go and "lobby" Pharaoh - "let my people go"; not just to preach about the evils of slavery or write a report on it but to persuade Pharaoh to do it. Because of our commitment to the welfare of our nation (and especially those most vulnerable or excluded within the nation) Scottish churches (and individual Christians) will want to lobby the Scottish Parliament as effectively as possible. Our new Parliament will do its job much better if we (and others) make that contribution on the basis of our experience, reflection and vision - a truly participative Parliament will make better decisions. That partnership between people and Parliament is the context for our lobbying, and it is a demanding one. One of the perils of supporting a minority football team is not only that the players might hear what you shout at them but they might even do what you ask. A participative Parliament demands much more of us than abuse from the sidelines! Alongside the earlier SCPO Briefing on Accessing the Parliament ("SCPO Access") - with details of Committees, Executive, etc - this paper is aimed at helping churches, committees, groups and individual Christians to make an effective contribution to the political process. The enclosed flowchart shows the pattern of legislative procedure that is taking shape, and the windows of opportunity at different stages. You don't need to be an expert on procedure to make a contribution, but you should get advice about what can be done when (from SCPO or elsewhere). Most "lobbying" is likely to be reactive - responding to proposals for policy or legislation, or to consultation papers - but it is also possible to be proactive, even on an issue not currently on the Parliament's agenda. This could mean anything from talking to your MSP to sending copies of a report to members of a Parliamentary Committee, to presenting a petition to Parliament. First, there are questions you need to ask yourself (or discuss in your Committee). 1. What is the issue? Although the Scottish Parliament can discuss anything it wishes to discuss, its legislative powers are limited. The Scotland Act defines powers reserved to Westminster (see "SCPO Access"), and you should decide whether the Scottish Parliament is the right forum for what you want to say. 2. What do you want to say? If you can't express it crisply and simply yourself, you are unlikely to catch the attention of politicians or civil servants. Of course, not everything fits into a soundbite and there is a vital place for longer reports targeted at those who will be interested. Consultation responses should be submitted in time and address the questions posed (although wider/deeper issues can also be raised at this stage). Briefing papers which offer sound evidence for your case - experience and research (including some statistics and vivid examples) - will be useful tools for MSPs; and a constructive argument offering alternative solutions is more likely to be fruitful. But you have to catch attention first, and then balance the need for a deeper analysis with the likelihood of its being read.
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