Why APA?
- Living in democracy allows intervening and participating to decisions concerning companies; because individuals’ professional activities, the defence of individuals’ interests are legitimate. The population of the West Africa region developed awareness. This implies the necessity for the companies and political actors to do a deep communication campaign compared to few years ago.
- Competent institutions take decisions that could question or modify the course of individuals’ job, companies or the market. Interests could be threatened and there is a need to know how to defend those interests in efficient and pertinent manners. People struggle in a complex environment in a constant evolution. The challenge is not only the competitors but legislatives modifications in politic, social, financial and ecological areas. These changes are predicable.
- Being informed is essential but not sufficient. There is a need for companies, governments or any other interested actor in a country to:
- know the intervening parties at national, regional and international (ie European Commission) levels and address messages accordingly;
- build up a flexible communication strategy;
- Make pertinent interventions on time and address them to the relevant authority.
- Due to globalization, African branches of multinationals are as well as their pairs in Europe, Asia or America, concerned by the requirement of a social responsibility of companies, then sustainability. There is a dynamic in process and almost independent of the actors. APA wants to take part of this process.
- The regulations or policies contained in globalization, the lateness and the hesitating initiatives of the politics in this region, the gap between the countries (considered separately), are among the various factors that justify for us the necessity of public affairs professionals in the region.