Interactions with the Businesses Community

The Office of Public Liaison (OPL) is the main White House component that is responsible for outward facing interactions with the private sector, specifically businesses and trade associations.

It is crucial that OPL stays on message and communicates the correct information to the private sector. Often, leaks and rumors on policy changes or impending executive actions from the press will send the business community into a frenzy. The most important job of OPL is to make sure it is effectively communicating the policy to the business community. This requires staying in a lock step approach with the press and communications teams to ensure that the exact information (not too much or too little) is being released to quell concerns or speculation from the business community.

All communications and talking points from the OPL to any outside group are typically cleared with the press and communications offices to make sure the “left hand and right hand know what each other are doing”.

This is especially important when dealing with market sensitive policies. Take for example, a presidential executive order aimed at increasing the domestic content requirements of goods procured by the government.

Changes in domestic content

Any changes in domestic content requirements to a component in a company’s product could require shifting supply chains, or reworking procurement practices to comply with the order. Businesses will often times try to get a jump on what the government is doing based on press reports.

New Policy Effects

A new policy could mean the difference between millions of dollars in profit for a company. In order to try and maximize profit, companies will attempt to shift practices before the government announces policy. If communication is not clear between the OPL and private sector on what to expect, it could mean trouble for companies who are trying to shift resources to effectively deal with government regulations.

Failure to Communicate

A failure to communicate effectively with the business community could lead to numerous economic problems, including dips in the stock market or layoffs. If done correctly with seamless communication from OPL, policy should be implemented with its intended effect and hopefully little to no detriment to the business community.