Each year, the Foundation for Public Affairs conducts and supports groundbreaking research that helps public affairs executives and managers understand emerging issues and trends in the field of public affairs. The Foundation also produces comprehensive benchmarking studies on compensation for public affairs professionals.

The following is an overview of the Foundation's most recent publications and those that are in production for this year.

2012 Research Agenda

• Managing Public Affairs in Russia — This report, the fifth in our international series, will explore government relations and public affairs in Russia. It will complete our collection of studies on the BRIC countries and the EU.
   
• The Relationship Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Government Relations — This report will address CSR trends, CSR programs that match public policy priorities, effective sustainability initiatives, the role of associations in promoting CSR and how brand-based companies differ from business-to-business firms in the way they approach corporate citizenship.

Newly Released Reports

The State of Corporate Public Affairs, 2011-2012 — This report is the most comprehensive, up-to-date source of data on how major corporations fund, staff, manage and evaluate their public affairs departments. It provides useful data on public affairs budgets and staffing; the highest-rated political strategies; performance measurement; emerging issues and challenges; engaging CEOs in politics; and the use of consultants and associations. To order a hard copy, click here.

Beyond Control: How Social Media and Mobile Communication Are Changing Public Affairs — This report, which explores the Internet’s impact on the field of public affairs, is a valuable guide for PA professionals who are either developing a social media strategy or expanding an existing one. This in-depth report features case studies from GE, Eli Lilly, Union Pacific and others; excerpts from the social media policies of Intel Corp., Ford Motor Co., Duke Energy and more; tips on pitfalls to avoid and strategies to embrace; and much more. For a free PDF of the report, click here. To order a hard copy, click here.

O Momento Mágico: Managing Public Affairs in Brazil — The fourth installment in the Foundation for Public Affairs’ series on working with officials, the media, associations and others in major overseas markets, this report explores the art of navigating the world’s eighth largest economy — which is expected to rise to fifth place, overtaking both France and Britain, by 2016. The report, sponsored by PATRI, examines public and private partnerships, the use of social media, corporate citizenship programs and much more. For a free PDF of the report, click here. To order a hard copy, click here.

International Public Affairs Reports

Opening Doors in Brussels: Managing Government Relations in the EU — With the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the institutions of the European Union are coming into greater focus. International public affairs practitioners need to be well-acquainted with these institutions in order to develop key relationships with European stakeholders. Based on interviews with practitioners and experts on the EU, this study is a primer for conducting effective government relations activities in Brussels. For a free PDF of the report, click here. To order a hard copy, click here.

The Jugaad Principle: Managing Government Relations in India — Jugaad, a Hindi term that suggests an innovative fix to a challenge, is a notion worth embracing by companies looking to do business in India. Sponsored by APCO Worldwide, this report utilizes case studies and interviews with corporate practitioners and Indian experts to provide a picture of government relations in this important emerging economy. For a free PDF of the report, click here. To order a hard copy, click here.

Good Guanxi: Managing Government Relations in China — In this groundbreaking report, you will find case studies and interviews with Chinese experts to provide an up-to-the-minute picture of government relations in China. The report also offers practical advice on securing meetings with government officials, overcoming intellectual property disputes and finding "win-wins" for both sides in a negotiation. For a free PDF of the report, click here.

Risk, Transparency and Crisis Research

 Managing Risk: Public Affairs and Enterprise Risk Management   — As companies recover from an intense global downturn, they find themselves subjected to a host of operational, political, economic and governmental risks. In response, the discipline of enterprise risk management (ERM) attempts to aggregate the management of these risks into a single set of processes. This new study examines how public affairs practitioners can participate in and influence ERM in their companies. For a free PDF of the report, click here. To order a hard copy, click here. 

The Role of Transparency in Corporate Public Affairs — With companies being asked — or even required — to be more open about their operations, community activities and political involvement, public affairs practitioners are struggling to identify the appropriate level of transparency for their organizations. This study, based on interviews with corporate practitioners, consultants and academics, examines how companies are adapting their public affairs strategies to account for today's greater emphasis on transparency. The report provides case studies and guidance to help companies manage their efforts toward greater openness. For a free PDF of the report, click here. To order a hard copy, click here.

When Disaster Strikes: A New Guide to Crisis Management — With the Internet, blogging and the 24-hour news cycle, companies must manage crises with fundamentally new stakeholders and timelines. The report provides ideas for corporate public affairs managers to prepare for a crisis by anticipating needs and potential responses, integrate public affairs strategies into their processes, understand the impact of new media and technology and rebuild reputations following a crisis. For a free PDF of the report, click here. To order a hard copy, click here.

Emerging Trend Research

Promoting CEO Engagement in Public Affairs — An in-depth look at the best strategies for developing and enhancing CEO interaction with external audiences, as well as selecting the most appropriate engagement opportunities for CEOs. Highlights include success stories in which enhanced CEO involvement in public affairs produced measurable benefits for the company. For a free PDF of the report, click here. To order a hard copy, click here.

Compensation Surveys — Published every year, our compensation surveys contain key findings on salaries, bonuses and long- and short-term incentives for corporate and association executives. These must-have resources will help public affairs practitioners negotiate compensation packages, benchmark their organization's salary structure, hire new staff or promote from within, or seek a new position.

For the corporate report, click here.
For the association report, click here.

To access more of the Foundation's previous research projects, visit our archive.