Political party agent

Political party agents manage the administrative tasks of a political party, such as budget management, record keeping, writing of agendas, etc. They also ensure productive communication with governmental bodies, and with press and media.

Excludes membership administrators.

The following job titles also refer to political party agent:

political organisation manager
chief whip
party agent
political organization manager
political party whip
whip
public relations agent

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as political party agent. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Political party agent is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to political party agent.

election agent
political campaign officer
civil service administrative officer
political scientist
defence administration officer

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of political party agent. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of political party agent with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of political party agent.

Election law: The regulations concerning the procedures during elections, such as voting regulations, campaign regulations, which procedures candidates must follow, how votes are counted, and other electoral procedures.
Political science: The systems of government, the methodology concerning the analysis of political activity and behaviour, and the theory and practice of influencing people and acquiring governance.
Budgetary principles: Principles of estimating and planning of forecasts for business activity, compile regular budget and reports.

These skills are necessary for the role of political party agent.

Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
Advise on public relations: Advise business or public organisations on public relations management and strategies in order to ensure efficient communication with target audiences, and proper conveying of information.
Maintain professional records: Produce and maintain records of work performed.
Analyse election procedures: Analyse the proceedings during elections and campaigns in order to monitor the voting behaviour of the public, identify ways in which the election campaign can be improved for politicians, and to predict the election outcomes.
Perform public relations: Perform public relations (PR) by managing the spread of information between an individual or an organisation and the public.
Liaise with politicians: Liaise with officials fulfilling important political and legislative roles in governments in order to ensure productive communication and build relations.
Maintain financial records: Keep track of and finalise all formal documents representing the financial transactions of a business or project.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of political party agent. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Political campaigning: The procedures involved in conducting a succesful political campaign, such as the specific research methods, promotional tools, liaising with the public, and other strategic aspects concerning the organising and conducting of political campaigns.
Scientific research methodology: The theoretical methodology used in scientific research involving doing background research, constructing an hypothesis, testing it, analysing data and concluding the results.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of political party agent. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Coordinate events: Lead events by managing budget, logistics, event support, security, emergency plans and follow up.
Manage volunteers: Manage volunteers’ tasks, recruitment, programmes and budgets.
Communicate with media: Communicate professionally and present a positive image while exchanging with media or potential sponsors.
Help coordinate promotional activities: Help establish a schedule for promotional activities. Define the content of promotional activities. Select resource person or people to delegate and share relevant information with them. Prepare the necessary material.
Maintain relationships with government agencies: Establish and maintain cordial working relationships with peers in different governmental agencies.
Advise politicians on electoral procedures: Advise politicians before and during elections on campaigning procedures and on the politician’s public presentation and courses of action which may beneficially influence elections.
Respond to enquiries: Respond to enquiries and requests for information from other organisations and members of the public.
Fix meetings: Fix and schedule professional appointments or meetings for clients or superiors.
Create campaign schedule: Create a timeline and establish final goals for the procedures and tasks of a political or promotional campaign.
Ensure cross-department cooperation: Guarantee communication and cooperation with all the entities and teams in a given organisation, according to the company strategy.
Brief volunteers: Brief volunteers and introduce them into the professional work environment.
Manage fundraising activities: Initiate fundraising activities managing the place, teams involved, causes and budgets.
Develop media strategy: Create the strategy on the type of content to be delivered to the target groups and which media to be used, taking into account the characteristics of the target audience and the media that will be used for content delivery.
Present reports: Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
Maintain operational communications: Maintain communications between different departments of an organisation, between the staff, or during specific operations or missions, to ensure that the operation or mission is successful, or that the organisation functions smoothly.

2432 – Public relations professionals

 

 

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References

1. Political party agent – ESCO