Services
Government & Public Affairs
For organizations whose success depends on the decisions government makes and the public conversation around them.
Government and public affairs covers the full range of work at the intersection of business, government, and the public. The permits and licenses a business needs to operate, the regulators it has to satisfy, the agencies it sells to or competes for contracts with, the elected officials whose decisions affect the bottom line, and the public affairs campaigns that build support and shape the conversation around what the client is trying to do.
Our work focuses on the local and regional level where Knoxville and East Tennessee organizations operate, with selective state-level engagement on matters that warrant it. We build the case, shape the message, coordinate the right voices, navigate the agency and political relationships, and stay in the work through the outcome.
Beyond the consulting work, Howard Strategic Partners is also developing GovTech: software tools for government leaders, campaigns, and policy operations. The products are in development. If you would like to be among the first to hear when they ship, get in touch.
The work we do inside this service line.
Public Affairs & Communications
The public-facing side of the work and a growing part of what we do. Shaping the narrative around an issue, op-ed drafting and placement, earned media strategy, advocacy campaigns, and the communications infrastructure that turns a policy position or a development into a public conversation people can get behind.
Regulatory Navigation
Permits, licenses, compliance matters, and ongoing agency relations. The day-to-day work of operating in a regulated environment without losing time or capital to administrative friction.
Political Strategy
Reading the political landscape, advising on timing and positioning, and helping leadership understand how a decision in city hall, the county commission, or a state agency will land. The work before the move, not after.
Procurement & Government Contracting
Helping organizations win and execute on government work. Identifying the right opportunities, positioning the bid, navigating the procurement process, and managing the relationship through the life of the contract.
Coalition & Stakeholder Work
Building the coalitions that move outcomes. Bringing together other businesses, trade groups, community partners, and constituencies on a given issue, and managing the stakeholder map across the life of a campaign.
Direct Advocacy
Direct engagement with elected officials, staff, and agency leaders on specific matters. When the work crosses Tennessee’s lobbying threshold, the engagement is registered and disclosed as required.
How does a government and public affairs engagement work?
Most government and public affairs work is built around specific decision points. A council vote, a rulemaking, a procurement window, a hearing, a public campaign, a legislative session. We scope the engagement to the calendar and stay in it until the outcome is settled.
For clients with regular exposure to local or regional decision-making bodies, the work continues as an ongoing relationship. Permits do not stop, agency relationships do not maintain themselves, and the next matter is always closer than it looks.
Who is government and public affairs work for?
Owners and developers working through planning, zoning, or permitting decisions. Companies competing for government contracts or pursuing incentives, credits, or favorable treatment of a line of business. Operators in sectors where a city council vote, a county commission decision, or a state agency action moves the value of the business. Organizations that need to build public support for a project, a position, or a development and shape the conversation around it. Organizations preparing for a regulatory matter that has been on the calendar too long without a plan.
If there is a council chamber, a county commission, a regulatory agency, a procurement office, or a public conversation you need to shape in the picture, this is the right place to start a conversation.
What people ask before getting in touch.
What is government and public affairs?
Government and public affairs is the work at the intersection of business, government, and the public. Government affairs covers regulatory navigation, procurement and government contracting, coalition building, and direct engagement with the elected officials, staff, and agencies whose decisions affect the business. Public affairs is the public-facing side: shaping the narrative around an issue, earned media, op-eds, and advocacy campaigns that build support for what the client is trying to do. Howard Strategic Partners focuses on local and regional matters in Knoxville and East Tennessee.
What does public affairs work involve?
Public affairs is the practice of shaping how a project, a position, or an organization is understood by the public and the stakeholders around a decision. The work includes narrative and message strategy, op-ed drafting and placement, earned media, coalition and stakeholder communications, and the campaigns that build public support for a development or a policy position. It is a growing part of what Howard Strategic Partners does, and it often runs alongside the government-facing side of an engagement.
How is government affairs different from lobbying?
Lobbying is one part of government affairs, specifically direct advocacy with elected officials and staff. Government and public affairs is broader: it includes regulatory navigation, procurement, coalition work, public-facing campaigns, and the strategic positioning that sits behind any of those. When the work crosses Tennessee’s lobbying threshold, the engagement is registered and disclosed.
What kinds of matters does Howard Strategic Partners take on?
Planning and zoning matters. Permitting and licensing situations. Procurement opportunities and government contracting bids. Regulatory inquiries and compliance questions. Council, commission, and agency votes that move the value of the business. Public-facing campaigns to build support for a policy position or development.
Do you work at the federal level?
No. Howard Strategic Partners focuses on the local and regional level where Knoxville and East Tennessee organizations actually operate, with selective state-level engagement on matters that warrant it. Federal work is outside the firm’s scope and we will say so clearly when an inquiry calls for it.
What does a government affairs engagement look like?
Most engagements are built around a specific decision point: a council vote, a rulemaking, a procurement window, a hearing. The work is scoped to the calendar and stays in it until the outcome is settled. For clients with regular exposure to local decision-making bodies, the work continues as an ongoing relationship.
Who should consider working with Howard Strategic Partners on government and public affairs?
Owners and developers working through planning, zoning, or permitting. Companies competing for government contracts or pursuing incentives in East Tennessee. Operators in sectors where a council or commission decision moves the value of the business. Organizations preparing for a regulatory matter that has been on the calendar too long without a plan.
Let’s talk about what you’re working on.
Every engagement starts with a conversation. Tell us about the situation and we will follow up to see whether we are the right firm for it.