THE ACCJ ADVOCACY GUIDE

Advocacy is the act of effecting change in policy and practices at the government, business, and individual levels through information sharing, dialogue and development of policy proposals on specific topics in order to further the ACCJ's mission of developing commerce between the United States of America and Japan, promoting the interests of U.S. companies and members, and improving the international business environment in Japan.

Through an active advocacy program, the ACCJ represents the collective interests of ACCJ members to the Japanese and U.S. governments and other stakeholders. The ACCJ works to effect the course of targeted laws, regulations, and policies, and also contributes to the shaping of public opinion through its relationship with fellow business organizations, academics and think tanks, the press, and others. The ACCJ advocacy efforts are driven by the ACCJ's Core Advocacy Principles.

 

DEVELOPING POLICY POSITIONS AND ADVOCACY DOCUMENTS

A policy document is defined as any document originating from the ACCJ that expresses the ACCJ’s position or makes a recommendation on a government policy, law, rule or regulation. Committee leaders develop effective policy positions by obtaining a consensus on key issues that will drive the committee’s advocacy activities consistent with the committee’s vision.

Developing Policy Positions
In developing a policy position, the committee leaders should consider the following:

  • Identify key issues by studying market and regulatory trends and consulting with committee members, other industry experts, and experienced ACCJ External Affairs staff.

  • Focus on issues that affect the entire committee, which helps to ensure that ACCJ positions are for the benefit of an industry as a whole, and not any single member or company.

  • ACCJ advocacy positions must be consistent with the ACCJ’s Core Advocacy Principles.

  • Transparency is key. Committee leaders should inform their committee members of potential advocacy issues and consider the impact of these issues on other committees.

  • Opportunities for synergistic cooperation between two or more committees on a given issue should be sought whenever relevant. The ACCJ’s advocacy pillar framework is the ideal framework for working across committees.

  • The ACCJ represents the collective interests of its members and committees are usually composed of members from several different and often competing companies. If a consensus cannot be achieved, the committee leader should consult with the External Affairs Advisory Council (EAAC).

  • Once consensus is achieved, committee leaders should begin planning initiatives to address the issue. Committee initiatives must be focused and consistent with each other and the ACCJ’s overall objectives as described below (i.e., vetted through the proper approval process).


Converting Policy Positions into Advocacy Documents   

  1. Draft: Having identified an issue and reached a consensus on the desired changes sought, committee leaders lead their committee through the process of drafting an advocacy document. See a list of commonly created documents below.

  2. Review: Drafts of advocacy documents are shared with all committee members to ensure consensus on the draft text. Once the committee members have signed off on the draft, the draft is shepherded through a thorough review and approval process by the External Affairs Advisory Council (EAAC) and the Board of Governors (BOG) by External Affairs staff.

  3. Translation: Once review is completed, documents are translated into Japanese, a time-consuming but important step to ensure that the message gets through to its intended audience. The ACCJ does not provide translation services and translation costs will be borne by the committee. Committee leaders should also proactively manage relevant processes by allowing adequate time for not only internal ACCJ processes, but also Japanese government processes (i.e., timely submitting public comments within the set time period). Since the validity of a viewpoint begins once the paper is approved, not once it is released, committee chairs should begin working with External Affairs as early in the process as possible.

  4. Design: Once the English and Japanese drafts are approved and no more changes are to be made, the Communications Department works to create a bilingual, read-only PDF file. The PDF file will serve as the official version of the policy position. Depending on the committee's advocacy strategy, the advocacy position paper can be posted on the ACCJ public website, shared on social media, and sent to appropriate stakeholders.

ADVOCACY DOCUMENTS

VIEWPOINTS: As a first step, a committee will often write a viewpoint, which is a brief position paper that expresses the ACCJ’s official position on the identified key issues. Viewpoints are written in a standardized format. Please see below for a detailed breakdown of the format. Examples of current approved viewpoints can be found here on the ACCJ’s website.
                                            
A viewpoint should be prepared in the following standard format:

  1. Recommendation: A specific, solution-based recommendation to address a specific issue. Be very clear about whom (e.g. a specific ministry or the Diet) you are asking to do what (e.g. revise a specific law or regulation), and toward what end.  

  2. Issue: A concise explanation of the factors contributing to the creation of the issue, the negative effects of the issue, and what the ACCJ recommends to address the issue.                  

  3. Background: A committee may wish to provide some context to the policy or policies for which it is requesting a change. Committees that have been very active in advocacy often chronicle some of the steps that have led to the issuing a particular viewpoint. The background section can bolster the rationale for the committee to o er specific recommendations precisely at the time that it does. Not all viewpoints contain a background section. 

​Ideally, drafts should be no more than 1-5 pages long. Attachments, addendums, and graphics may also be used, but should be kept to a minimum. The draft can include bullet points and numbering as needed, but should not have any other formatting (e.g., multiple fonts, bolding, italicizing, underlining, centering/ indenting, columns, and nondefault line spacing). The Communications Department will format the finished Viewpoint once it has been approved.
                        
                    
WHITE PAPERS: A white paper is an extended document expressing the Chamber's official position on a specific issue in detail or on a broad range of issues.

PRESS RELEASES: Press releases can be an effective way to share a position on a time-sensitive or otherwise press-worthy matter.

JOINT STATEMENTS: Joint statements offer positions on specific issues written and issued in conjunction with third-parties. Often these third parties are trade organizations working on similar issues.

PUBLIC COMMENTS: ​A public comment is a statement written in response to a government issued request for comment on a proposed policy or regulatory change.Often public comments have format guidelines required for submissions. Please follow these guidelines and ask the External Affairs staff if you have any questions about the process.

  • If the public comment is based on an outstanding viewpoint or policy document,  leaders of relevant committee(s) working on the public comment should present the comment text to the External Affairs Department for review by the EAAC leaders only, giving as much lead time as possible.                   

  • If the proposed public comment is not based on an outstanding viewpoint or policy document, the issuing committee must submit, for approval by the BOG and EAAC, the full-text public comment. If the comment is to be submitted in Japanese, the public comment should be submitted for review with an English summary.    

 

ADVOCACY REVIEW PROCESS

Once a committee reaches a consensus on a draft, the committee chair submits the draft to the Review Process Manager, i.e., the External Affairs staff in charge of advocacy documents.
                        
Advocacy Review Process
                        

  1. ACCJ Staff Review: The Review Process Manager handles the review process and works with the Communications Department to ensure that the draft’s structure is consistent with other viewpoints and that its tone is appropriate and its meaning clear. If the Communications Department recommends only minor edits, the Review Process Manager will accept the revisions on the committee chair’s behalf and take the viewpoint to the next stage of the approval process. If the Communications Department recommends substantial edits, the Viewpoint Process Manager will submit the edited draft to the committee chair and explain the changes being suggested.

  2. BOG and EAAC Review: Once the External Affairs and Communications Departments have reviewed the document, the document is submited to the Board of Governors (BOG) and the External Affairs Advisory Council (EAAC) for content review. Please see below for an overview of the typical process.                          ​

5-Day Review Period for Documents Under 1,400 Words
​
The Review Process Manager submits the draft simultaneously to the BOG for a three-working-day review and to the EAAC for a five-working-day review. As a matter of procedure, the BOG delegates document review to the EAAC. However, individual BOG members are given three working days during the EAAC review period to:            

  • Submit comments or questions for EAAC consideration

  • Participate in any EAAC discussion on the viewpoint (via teleconference, email, in person, meeting, etc.)

  • Request a formal review by the BOG, which will be performed if another BOG member seconds the request


The EAAC has five working days to review the viewpoint. At the end of this period, the EAAC may:

  • Approve the viewpoint as is

  • Approve the viewpoint with minor revisions (in which case the EAAC does not review the revised version before dissemination)

  • Request substantial revisions (in which case the committee must revise the viewpoint and submit the revised draft to the EAAC for a three-working-day review period)

  • Request a formal review by the BOG (if substantial revisions are requested, the committee must revise the viewpoint and submit the revised draft to the BOG for a three-working-day review period)

10-Day Review Period for Documents Over 1,400 Words

ACCJ advocacy documents should be short and to the point. As a matter of ACCJ policy, viewpoints should be under 1,400 words. However, occasionally, more lengthy explanations are needed to effectively present an advocacy argument. In such a case, specifically when an advocacy document exceeds 1,400 words and is less than 3,000 words, a ten-working day review period will be required. In urgent cases, committee leaders may issue special requests to the EAAC for an expedited review period; as a general rule, however, ten-working days will be required for documents over 1,400 words.
                        
Once the viewpoint is approved, the Review Process Manager works with the committee chair(s) to finalize the dissemination strategy.

TRANSLATIONS

Advocacy documents should be translated into Japanese before being released. The issuing committee is responsible for providing a Japanese translation of the viewpoint. The issuing committee can wait for approval of an English-language draft before beginning to prepare the Japanese translation. However, it is highly recommended to have a translation ready for adjustment and quick finalization upon approval of the English language draft. The Review Process Manager will work with the committee chair and other ACCJ staff to ensure the accuracy of the translations. Translations are considered “unofficial” documents, and official approval is not required. If a committee is unable to arrange for a translation, the Review Process Manager can facilitate outsourcing, with the costs borne by the committee. The committee chair will decide how the cost/work burden will be shared among committee members.
                        
In the vast majority of cases, the committee must pay the translation costs. In special cases where the EAAC agrees that a viewpoint addresses an issue that affects the interests of the ACCJ membership as a whole, rather than those of a specific committee or committees, the ACCJ will cover the translation costs.

VALIDITY PERIODS

White Papers: Three-Year Sunset Rule
A three-year sunset rule for white papers is in effect to ensure that the ACCJ’s advocacy positions remain relevant, particularly since such documents are often the basis on which new advocacy positions are approved. At the end of the three-year period, the issuing committee or committees will have the option to renew the document for an additional one-year period by resubmitting it to the EAAC to confirm the document is still consistent with the ACCJ Core Advocacy Principles. All expired positions will be removed from the ACCJ’s public website upon expiration.
                        
Viewpoints and Public Comments: One-Year Validity
Viewpoints and the public comments issued by the ACCJ will remain valid for one year from the date of approval. The issuing committee or committees that wish to renew a viewpoints should review the contents and resubmit it to the EAAC to determine if additional review is necessary. All expired positions will be removed from the ACCJ’s public website upon expiration.

 

DEVELOPING YOUR COMMITTEE'S ADVOCACY STRATEGY

ACCJ Staff as well as ACCJ External Affairs Advisory Council (EAAC) leaders and members are available to support your committee in developing an advocacy strategy to ensure effective and strategic advancement of ACCJ advocacy positions. The ACCJ typically uses the following tools, but please note that the preferred tool will depend on the issue, stakeholders involved, and specific timing:

  • Sharing with the U.S. or Japanese government (e.g., discuss with your embassy liaison, share with the appropriate ministry or Diet member)

  • Distributing to the media (e.g., issue a press release, conduct a media briefing, issue a media alert, etc.)  

  • Working with other business and trade associations

  • Engaging thought leaders (including by holding speaker events, conducting informal study sessions, requesting targeted meetings, etc.)

  • Leveraging other ACCJ advocacy initiatives (i.e., DC / Diet Doorknocks, etc.)


The ACCJ’s External Affairs Department has well-established channels and is equipped to support you as appropriate with your advocacy initiatives. Please contact External Affairs staff to discuss. We look forward to working with you and your committee to advocate for your solutions-based policy recommendations.

ACCJ EXTERNAL AFFAIRS STAFF RESOURCES

As a member driven organization, ACCJ policy positions are defined by the members who work through the committee system to gain a consensus before finally having their positions approved by the Board of Governors (BOG) and the External Affairs Advisory Council (EAAC). The role of the External Affairs Department is not to define ACCJ policy, but rather to support the committee leaders in executing their advocacy goals while following ACCJ procedures.

The primary role of the External Affairs Department is to:

  • Serve as a hub for the Chamber’s advocacy positions

  • Support committees and advocacy pillars with their overall advocacy strategy and approaches to the U.S. and Japanese governments     

  • Arrange meetings between committee leaders and U.S. and Japanese government officials and/or relevant business organizations for the purpose of furthering the ACCJ’s advocacy objectives     

  • Work with committee leaders to coordinate the drafting, review, approval, and dissemination of all advocacy documents        

  • Oversee and support the strategic planning of major advocacy events such as the Diet and DC Doorknocks

  • ​Monitor the ACCJ in the media and coordinate the ACCJ’s press activities such as interviews, press conference and press releases


Please contact External Affairs staff with questions or to talk through advocacy at the ACCJ.

 

EMBASSY LIAISON PROGRAM

To ensure the steady exchange of information between the U.S. Government and the ACCJ on issues of mutual interest, U.S. Embassy and Consulate staff members can be appointed as liaisons to ACCJ committees, subcommittees, and task forces.
                        
The committee leader has the discretion to determine whether his or her committee, subcommittee, or task force requires an Embassy Liaison. Not all committees have an Embassy Liaison, and some committees have more than one because they encompass multiple industry areas.
                        
In cases where the committee leader has identified the need for an Embassy Liaison, the ACCJ External Affairs Department will coordinate between the committee leader and Embassy staff to identify the appropriate liaison in the Embassy (i.e., Commercial, Economic, Political, Consular, etc.).
                        
For more information about the ACCJ Embassy Liaison Program, please contact the External Affairs Department.