The following features can increase the effectiveness of a legislative advisory program:

• Credibility.
  Each legislative advisory program should be based on sound economic analysis, and background papers should be readily available for technocrats and others to study and critique.
  
  
• Simplicity.
  Summaries should be written in clear language and stated in terms of the country’s general interests, as opposed to the interests of one particular group, such as business or labor.
  
  
• Availability.
  Summaries should be printed and disseminated to a broad audience. Where possible, arrangements should be made with the media in order to provide even wider coverage.
  
  
• Policy dialogue with government officials.
  In many countries, bureaucracies represent formidable obstacles to reform. In their attempt to affect public policy, business organizations should try to influence government personnel, as well as legislators.
  
  
• Sources:
  Wallack (1991) — full article available here and Sullivan (1999) — full article available here

Legislative Advisory Programs Worldwide

The Dominican Republic’s legislative advisory service was a trailblazing initiative that has served as a model for similar legislative advisory services worldwide. In the Western Hemisphere, such efforts are underway in Argentina, Brazil, Central America, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. In Central and Eastern Europe, organizations in former Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland are building legislative advisory services. A Sri Lankan organization is the first to launch a similar project in Asia. Each effort is, of course, tailored to the legislative context in each country. As a tool for lobbying and informing politicians, however, the basics remain the same.