Strategies for Working with Congress: Effective Communication and Advocacy on Capitol Hill, from TheCapitol.Net

Strategies for Working with Congress Strategies for Working with Congress
Effective Communication and Advocacy on Capitol Hill
Build important relationships with key players

Agenda Rave Reviews When Where Tuition Policies Related Information

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.

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 it's topics are available as custom on-site training for your organization. For more information about how this training can help your members and staff, please contact your client liaison.

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

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
May 21, 2010:
For location in Washington, DC, see below.
$395

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

Approved for .4 CEUs from George Mason University.

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

Course materials include the Training Edition of Lobbying and Advocacy

"There are lots of books on lobbying, but, until now, none has provided a comprehensive treatment of what lobbyists do and how they can best do it. Deanna Gelak�s Lobbying and Advocacy exhaustively covers the basics of lobbying history, legal framework, congressional processes, and ethics. But the strength of this volume is in its practical advice, checklists, and collection of best practices covering direct advocacy, media relations, grassroots organizing, and coalition building. It is a unique volume and should be on the bookshelf of both beginning lobbyists and senior government relations executives. College and law school professors also now, for the first time, have a single textbook for lobbying courses."
-- Thomas M. Susman, Director, Governmental Affairs Office, American Bar Association

Course Details

Agenda

Strategies for Working with Congress
9:00	Tools and Techniques for Communicating Effectively with Capitol Hill This session sets the context by defining the political environment in the 111^th 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.
10:30	Break
10:45	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.
11:45	Break
12:00	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.
1:00	Complete Course Evaluations; Course Concludes

This is a sample agenda: the actual program 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

"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."

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

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

See more testimonials about this course.

Time and Dates

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Friday, May 21, 2010 (Hall of the States)
Friday, September 10, 2010 (Hall of the States)
Thursday, February 24, 2011

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

Location

May 21, 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 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC will be announced before course. Many of our courses are held at these locations:

Cannon House Office Building (HOB), First and C Streets, SE, Washington, DC (Capitol South Metro stop) Our map | Google Map
Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street SE, Washington, DC (directly across the street from the Capitol South Metro stop) Our map | Google Map
College of William & Mary Washington DC Office, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 810, Washington, DC 20036 (two blocks southeast of the Dupont Circle Metro stop) Google Map
DC Bar Conference Center, 1101 K Street NW, Suite 200 (12th and K Streets NW), Washington, DC (McPherson Square station) Our map | Google Map
Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 (Gallery Place / Chinatown Metro stop) Our map | Google Map
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
The Liaison Capitol Hill, 415 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC (2 1/2 blocks from the Union Station Metro stop) Our map | Google Map
Longworth House Office Building (HOB), New Jersey Ave. and C Streets, SE, Washington, DC (one block west of the Capitol South Metro stop) Our map | Google Map
National Democratic Headquarters, 430 So. Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003 (Capitol South Metro stop) Our map | Google Map
Rayburn House Office Building (HOB), Independence Ave. SW and South Capitol Street (two blocks west of the Capitol South Metro stop) Our map | Google Map
Reserve Officers Association, One Constitution Avenue NE, Washington, DC (3 1/2 blocks from the Union Station Metro stop) Our map | Google Map

Course Materials

Course materials include the Training Edition of Lobbying and Advocacy.

Tuition

$395 **

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

Discounts

** Group Discount! 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

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 For all registrations received on or after September 1, 2007
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

We accept checks, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express

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 Information

Congressional Deskbook
Congressional Directory
Congressional Documents Online
Congressional Leadership and Committees (listing)
Congress - Published Schedules
Essential Hill and Political Washington Web Sites
Essential PAC Web Sites
How to Contact Congress
Legislation and Legislatures, including national, state and local links
Lobbying and Advocacy links
Pay and Perquisites of Members of Congress
Politics and Political News
Selected Media Web Sites - from the Congressional Deskbook

Educational Tracks

Related Training

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.

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