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 Strategies for Working with Congress
Effective Communication and Advocacy on Capitol Hill
Build important relationships with key players 
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Agenda Client Testimonials When Where Tuition Policies Related Resources

Congressional staff aren’t just your way through a member's door; they are the door. How do you get results from these vital, behind-the-scenes individuals?

This course helps you:

  • Understand the dos and don'ts for developing relations with congressional offices

  • Learn the differences between personal and committee staff

  • Schedule, prepare for and effectively conduct congressional meetings

  • Understand common mistakes that will alienate both staff and members

  • Learn how to write a "one pager"

Students learn from a former Member of Congress and find out what tools help entice staff to your side.

 

This is an elective course for the Certificate in Communication and Advocacy.

 

The leadership competencies for this course include:

  • Customer Service
  • External Awareness
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Written Communication
  • Partnering
  • Political Savvy

Bring this course to your site.

This course and any combination of its topics are available as custom on-site training for your organization. We can tailor this course for your agency, association, business, or NGO. For more information about how this training can help your members and staff, please contact our client liaison.


Space is limited. 

If you get a "Wait List Only" message when registering, please select the next available date.
Click this link to add this program to your Google calendar (opens current month in new window or tab).

Next Course
September 10, 2010:
For location in Washington, DC, see below.
$395 
Register for this course
If you get a "Wait List Only" message when registering, please select the next available date.

  CEUs approved by George Mason University
Approved for .4 CEUs from George Mason University.

Educational Tracks
Communication and Advocacy
Strategies for Working with Congress



For a printable course description, agenda with dates, and registration form, click here.  PDF

 
  Course materials include


Persuading Congress: A Practical Guide to Parlaying an Understanding of Congressional Folkways and Dynamics into Successful Advocacy on Capitol Hill

Course materials include the Training Edition of Persuading Congress


In Persuading Congress, Joseph Gibson, a longtime veteran of Capitol Hill, offers masterful counsel to anyone who wants to work well with Congress. In Washington, there are well over 10,000 registered lobbyists. Very few grasp and convey the keys to successful advocacy as well as Gibson does."
-- Martin Gold, Covington & Burling, Washington, DC


  Course Details
Agenda
Strategies for Working with Congress

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

  Tools and Techniques for Communicating Effectively with Capitol Hill

This session sets the context by defining the political environment in the 111th Congress, and discussing the congressional members and staff who work there.  Specific tools and techniques that you can use to communicate most effectively with members and staff will be described, specifically addressing how you need to adjust your communication at the end of one Congress, and the beginning of another. The instructor will provide practical suggestions for making the most of meetings with staff, including how to set-up a meeting, who should attend, and how to follow-up after the meeting.  Learn the importance of and how to write a "one pager".  The session will provide important "do's" and "don'ts" of interacting with the Hill and building good working relationships between Congress and outside interests.
 

  Communicating with Congress and Staff: A Member's Perspective

A former member of Congress provides insight into the many pressures and responsibilities that a member must balance in day-to-day decision-making and policy-making. He will then discuss how members rely on staff to deal with the busy Capitol Hill environment, and how outside interests can communicate effectively with staff and members in this environment. Discussion will include how members set up their offices, what they expect from staff, and whether staff influence members.
 

  The Work of Personal and Committee Staff

A panel of congressional staff members discuss the positions and responsibilities of committee and personal staff, the organization of congressional offices and the work environment on the Hill. They will focus on what staffers need or expect from outside interests, the most effective forms of communication in the post-anthrax era, and how to build strong working relationships with staffers. The staffers will also provide their insights into the dynamics of Congress.

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This is a sample agenda: the actual topics may differ slightly.

  For a printable course description, agenda with dates, and registration form, click here.  PDF

This course is also available as a custom program


Do you need a training course we don't offer or coverage of an additional topic in this course?

If you have suggestions for courses or topics you would like to see us offer, please contact us or complete our online suggestion form.


Suggested Prerequisites None.

If you need help deciding which courses you should take based on your work experience or training, please contact us via email or phone: 703-739-3790.

Rave Reviews "This program has provided me with confidence to present my issue to the congress member or staffer with accuracy and within a short timeframe."
-- Course Attendee  

"Information very useful and it will greatly improve my ability to establish and maintain relationships with staff."
-- Public Policy Fellow, American Psychological Association

"Good pointers on how to interact with Capitol Hill staff in a productive manner."
-- Course Attendee  

"Reinforces experience [10 years working with Congress] & education I have. On target."
-- Course Attendee 

"I work constantly w/ Congressional staffs & I obtained great tips."
-- Congressional Affairs staffer

"Good variety of speakers, beneficial to have broad perspective.."
-- Course Attendee 

"Great tips on how to engage and develop a positive relationship with members and their staff."
-- Course Attendee 

See more testimonials about this course.

Time and Dates

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

  • F, September 10, 2010

  • Th, February 24, 2011

  • F, April 8, 2011

  • Th, February 23, 2012

Register for this course

If you get a "Wait List Only" message when registering, please select the next available date.

Location September 10, 2010 Hall of the States, 444 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC (1 1/2 blocks from the Union Station Metro stop)  Our map | Google Map

Other dates:  Location in Washington, DC will be announced before course.  Our courses are held at these Washington, DC, locations.

 

Course Materials Course materials include the Training Edition of Persuading Congress.
Tuition $395  Register for this course

If you get a "Wait List Only" message when registering, please select the next available date.

Discounts When 4 people from the same organization register and pay together, the 4th person is free. When 8 people from the same organization register and pay together, the 4th and 8th persons are both free. See complete details here
Certificate of Training
and
CEUs
CEUs approved by George Mason University
A Certificate of Training is available for this course. To get a Certificate of Training, your registration fee must be paid in full, and you must attend the entire course.

This course is approved for .4 CEUs from George Mason University.


This is an elective course for the Certificate in Communication and Advocacy.

Policies For this course, substitutions, cancellations, and transfers must be submitted in writing to us. Our transfer and cancellation fees are outlined below.
Transfer and Cancellation Fee
Time Before Course Substitutions Allowed Transfer Fee Cancellation Fee
More than 4 weeks Yes, in writing None None
2 to 4 weeks Yes, in writing 25% of tuition 50% of tuition
3 days to 2 weeks Yes, in writing 50% of tuition 75% of tuition
1 to 2 days Yes, in writing 75% of tuition 100% of tuition
day of program
(no refunds to no-shows)
Yes, in writing 100% of tuition 100% of tuition

No refunds for no shows. We reserve the right to change this fee and time period. 

TCN reserves the right to cancel any course in the event of insufficient registrations.

All statements and discussion at all of our courses, workshops and seminars, public and custom, are off the record and not for attribution, unless specified otherwise. The resulting confidentiality ensures a frank and free exchange of views.

FAQs FAQs about our training including suggested attire.
Register

 

Payment methods we accept include checks, EFT/ACH, and Intuit Payment Network (IPN).

 
   Register for this course

If you get a "Wait List Only" message when registering, please select the next available date.

  For a printable course description, agenda with dates, and registration form, click here.  PDF

Fax or Mail: Print out and complete the registration form (in Adobe PDF). The completed form should include your method of payment. 
  Fax the completed form to us at 703-739-1195. 
  Mail the completed form to us at TheCapitol.Net, Inc., PO Box 25706, Alexandria, VA  22313-5706 

Related Training
Related Resources
Educational Tracks
Available as custom, on-site training?  Yes.  This program can be tailored for on-site agency, association and corporate training.  Please call 703-739-3790 for information.

Need more information? Phone: 703-739-3790
Email: registrar -at- TheCapitol.Net
Complete our online information request.
Non-Partisan TheCapitol.Net is a non-partisan firm, and the opinions of its faculty, authors, clients and the owners and operators of its vendors are their own and do not represent those of TheCapitol.Net. 
 



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Last updated: September 02, 2010

 

 

 

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 Faculty

Our faculty for this course includes registered lobbyists, former members of Congress, current Hill staffers, and other Washington experts.

Selected Previous Faculty

 

Hon. Edwin Bethune

 

Hon. Jim Chapman

 

Hon. Thomas Downey

 

Hon. Dennis Eckart

 

Deanna Gelak

 

William LaForge

 

Bob Levi

 

Hon. Jim Lightfoot

 

Robert McLean

 

Ned Monroe

 

Fred Nesbitt

 

Paul Powell

 

David Rehr

 

Hon. Toby Roth

 

Hon. Patricia Schroeder

 

Hon. David Skaggs

 

Sandra Kaplan Stuart

 

Hon. Al Swift

 


See what others say about this course.

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