What does a senior policy advisor do?

Um conselheiro político sênior deve ser hábil negociador, bom ouvinte e excelente observador da linguagem não verbal. Ademais, ser imbuído de bom-senso e experiência de vida em várias áreas do conhecimento e relacionamento, para poder opinar mais com a prática e vivência e menos com o imaginário empírico e acadêmico!

A senior policy advisor usually has a great lot of experience under his or her belt. In particular, the advisor should know the three decisive factors when it comes to policy; knowing when, how and to whom the advisor is going to advocate for his or her cause. This is particularly important for any governmental or intergovernmental-oriented senior policy advisor, where the stakes are higher and the window of advocacy closes quickly. A senior policy advisor should also have a great and vast network and should be able to easily reach out to key contacts within their network to receive both official or inofficial information when needed. To constantly monitor key developments in their field is also imperative.

A Senior Policy Advisor is considered the gatekeeper of the organization, constantly keeping an eye on its performance and ensuring that everything is proceeding smoothly while striving to improve outcomes. Meanwhile, they also work to mitigate proposed and unpredictable risks or obstacles. The ability to analyze situations, engage in strategic thinking, make decisions, and utilize tracking tools are crucial for the success of a senior policy advisor.

There are basically three key skills: one is system thinking as an approach to complexity; the second is enough experience to see and recognize the multifold implications of whatever decision; the third is the ability to detect the network of alliances and oppositions raised by any attempt to foster change.

Além da excelente habilidade de comunicação oral e escrita, é preciso gostar de construir e nutrir relacionamentos. É por meio dos relacionamentos construídos que o trabalho ficará mais qualificado e prático. Além, disso, o consultor deve se acostumar a procurar e encontrar novas informações valiosas em diversas fontes, incluindo as não óbvias. Portanto, é preciso circular em outros círculos sociais, ler outros veículos de comunicação e acompanhar redes sociais de stakeholders.

In my experience the key skills and qualifications of a senior policy advisor should include: building trust and confidence among the concerned stakeholders regarding the necessity of formulation or revision of policies; proper knowledge regarding context, legal aspects, loopholes and effectiveness of the existing laws; public speaking; good knowledge regarding social media influence; and good network with the press.

A policy advisory needs to also be somewhat expert in the field whereby he or she is laying down policies. There needs to be certain insight and industry feel in order to draft policies that will take industries in the right direction.

I would add that the political advisor, an expert in his/her field of expertise, must be able to adapt to navigate between his/her sector and the political system in which he/she works. The codes, languages and priorities are sometimes very different. Disseminating knowledge to political world is an area of particular interest.

Challenges are immense for senior policy advisor, as they have the burden of the nation when working directly with the head of state. Singapore Airlines is one of the best airline in the world and the way it was taken from nowhere to be the best was the work of Mr Lee Kuan Yew and the advisors. His speech at the Fullerton square to a rapt crowd in rain where he explains anyone who ever governs Singapore must have that iron within them. Running policy needs a strong mind and vision and they bear the fruits with the right intention. Pressure is part of life and the way we handle it shows our mettle. Nations and great companies are built by advisors who can handle pressure and work for the betterment of their society.

Civil dialogue is not codified at national or European level on equal footing with social dialogue, for instance, so working for the third sector means one must be much more resourceful to get their message across. Lack of recognition, respect, and resources are great challenges. For the right type of geek, however, this job is immensely rewarding, very intellectually stimulating.

A senior policy advisor has massive challenges ahead of them. The issues they work could potentially impact hundreds of thousands, if not millions or tens of millions of people. Therefore, having a cool head is imperative when confronted with situations that require swift and rapid responses. This does however of course come with great benefits, as he or she grows and develops quick decision-making and high tolerance of managing stress and tight deadlines.

In my experience, a senior policy advisor has good chances to contribute to the long awaited positive changes through formulation or revision of certain policies. He/she would be a part to this noble work. But on the hand, he/she has to go through tremendous pressure for bringing all stakeholder on the same platform and coming to a common consensus.

Change is the only Permanent feature of the universe. The actual problem lies with Politico. If there is Positive political wills, only then one can go through.

It's important to ensure that when working as a senior policy advisor in the government sector, we understand our people and their aspirations and not serving those who are lobbying to the government. This trend has its own implications as people suffers due to policy mismanagement and higher taxes which is evident by the fact that food prices continue to rise, healthcare is becoming unaffordable, tuition fee ensures every student is under huge debt by the time they pass out from colleges. Policy makers should see the data and understand what can be done to get rid of these issues which ultimately be a challenge for citizens survival and makes few rich and the rest of the population subservient to those few.

In my experience, working as a policy adviser in the government is an excellent exposure opportunity. As a young professional at NITI Aayog, the think tank of the Government of India, I had the opportunity to work on revolutionary Electric Vehicle policies in a cross-ministerial endeavour. Alongside, I got to work on outcome-based governance which also reflected in the National Budget of the country as well as got to front centre-state engagements with states. Overall it was a fantastic learning opportunity and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in exploring a career in the public sector.

On a personal level, for one to excel in this role- there's need to strike the balance between being neutral and being empathetic. Being neutral to ensure your personal preferences, biases and potential prejudices do not discolor the advise/inputs you are to render. Empathy comes in being able to 'step in the shoes' of the stakeholder(s) you are dealing with- but allowing the said stakeholder to "invite you in" and not impose yourself into their shoes.

É preciso aprofundar conhecimento nas seguintes áreas: 1- Processo legislativo no Congresso Nacional; 2- Direito Constitucional e Eleitoral; 3- Federalismo e políticas públicas; 4- Analise de informações.

Além das competências mais práticas, julgo necessário que o consultor político que esteja inserido no mercado privado, conheça intensamente o mercado do setor ao qual está inserido. Isso inclui estar em contato constante com outras entidades do setor, empresas, associações, sindicatos, enfim. Quanto melhor administradas as fontes de informações, melhor serão executados os trabalhos.