Starting Point: The issue on your desk

• How would you briefly describe the regulatory or legislative issue you want help with?
• Which state or federal bodies are central to this issue? Options: State public utility commission(s), Federal energy regulator, State legislature, Congressional committee, Local siting or permitting board, Multiple of the above
• Is the primary risk financial, schedule related, or reputational? Options: Financial, affecting rates or revenues, Schedule, affecting permits or interconnection, Reputational, Market rule exposure, Legal or litigation risk, Combination
• When do you need a definitive outcome to protect project economics or avoid contract penalties? Options: Immediate (within 30 days), Near term (1-3 months), This regulatory cycle (3-12 months), This legislative session, No firm deadline yet
• Who from your executive team must be visible and accountable for this engagement? Options: CEO, CFO, General Counsel, Chief Regulatory Officer, VP Government Affairs, VP Legal, Other
• List the immediate deliverables you expect from an external advocacy partner. Options: Regulatory filing and briefs, Expert testimony and exhibits, Legislative strategy and bill language, Coalition recruitment and coordination, Docket or bill monitoring, Confidential data handling plan, Other

Where this issue is hurting you

• Which recent filing, order, or bill amendment has most changed your risk profile?
• Quantify the commercial impact this change has caused in the last quarter. Options: Under $1M, $1M to $5M, $5M to $25M, Over $25M, Prefer to describe
• Describe the operational steps you already took to limit exposure.
• When did leadership first flag this as a top strategic priority? Options: Within the last 2 weeks, Within the last 2 months, Within the last 6 months, Longer than 6 months
• If the situation remains unchanged for six months, which project decision would you be forced to make? Options: Pause the project, Re-scope development, Seek emergency rate adjustments, Pursue litigation, Unsure

Assumptions that could be wrong

• What assumption about how regulators or legislators will respond are you basing strategy on?
• Provide the three strongest pieces of evidence that support that assumption. Options: Prior rulings or votes, Technical studies or models, Direct conversations with staff, Pre-filed testimony trends, Analogous cases in other jurisdictions, Other
• Have you run that assumption past former regulators, external counsel, or experienced lobbyists? Options: Yes, former regulators, Yes, external counsel, Yes, industry lobbyists, No, not yet
• Name any internal models or forecasts that rely on this same assumption.
• If that assumption proves false, what single decision will you change within 30 days? Options: Abandon current legal or legislative path, Refile with revised evidence, Expand coalition outreach, Delay project milestones, Other

The people who decide and influence outcomes

• Who are the top three government officials or influencers whose view most directly affects the outcome?
• Tell me about preexisting relationships your team or allied organizations have with each of those figures.
• Rank those contacts by accessibility and likelihood to engage with your position. Options: High influence, high access, High influence, low access, Low influence, high access, Low influence, low access
• Identify external organizations or coalitions that could publicly back your case. Options: Industry trade groups, Neighboring utilities, Large commercial customers, Environmental groups, Local governments or counties, Other
• What alternative influence path would you pursue if a key contact refuses to meet? Options: Mobilize coalition voices, Prioritize legal filings, Focus on public comment and hearings, Change messaging to a technical argument, Other

What's getting in the way, operationally and legally

• Where do legal, data, or confidentiality constraints most limit what you can disclose or argue?
• Explain past instances when data access or privilege concerns delayed your filings.
• Are there pending legal reviews, conflict checks, or procurement approvals that could block engagement? Options: Legal review required, Conflict checks ongoing, Procurement approval required, No gating approvals known
• How often have coordination gaps across legal, regulatory, and project teams caused missed deadlines? Options: Almost every project, Often, Occasionally, Rarely
• Identify the single operational constraint that would stop us from starting fieldwork as planned. Options: Data access insufficient, Legal privilege issue, Procurement barrier, No available internal staff time, Other

Competitive landscape and alternatives

• Name the other firms, consultancies, or internal teams you are evaluating for this work.
• Under what conditions would you choose to remain with your incumbent or internal team rather than switch? Options: Equivalent or better outcome at lower cost, Improved internal capacity to handle scope, Regulatory risk materially reduced, Stronger senior team commitment, No compelling reason to change
• Has anyone inside your organization proposed solving this without an outside partner, and who would lead that effort? Options: Yes, internal regulatory team proposed it, Yes, legal proposed internal handling, No internal proposal, Undecided
• Select the reasons you might stick with your current supplier rather than change. Options: Lower cost, Existing institutional knowledge, Faster ramp time, Contractual terms, Track record on this exact issue, Strong relationship with leadership
• List the remaining objections that would make you switch even if price and team matched.

Operational readiness and constraints we must clear

• Pinpoint the single missing approval or dataset most likely to kill the effort before it starts.
• Confirm whether APIs, docket portals, or records systems require separate credentials or a vendor integration approval. Options: Standard credentials or SSO, Separate vendor credentials required, API integration required, Portal has export restrictions
• Do you have a centralized data owner who can pull load forecasts, cost studies, permit records, and discovery materials for our review? Options: Yes, named data owner exists, No, ownership unclear, Multiple owners across teams, Not sure
• Estimate the headcount and time your team can assign to support discovery and testimony preparation. Options: 0-2 person days per week, 3-5 person days per week, Dedicated 0.5 to 1 FTE, More than 1 FTE
• Are there regulatory or company policies that require preclearance before sharing internal analyses with outside counsel or consultants? Options: Yes, legal review required, Yes, regulator preclearance required, No formal preclearance, Unsure
• Would you pause the engagement if required approvals or critical data cannot be produced within two weeks? Options: Yes, pause until cleared, No, proceed with limited scope, We would re-negotiate timeline, Unsure

What success looks like and acceptance criteria

• Tell me the smallest regulatory change that would still be unacceptable to your CEO or CFO.
• Select the top three metrics you want reported and their target thresholds. Options: Rate impact (bps or $), Project delay days, Permitting approvals secured, Market rule changes enacted, Litigation progress milestones, Coalition membership active
• Provide the named owners who will sign off on each deliverable to trigger acceptance and billing.
• Choose the reporting cadence that will keep your executive team confident. Options: Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, Ad hoc alerts only
• Would you authorize a longer-term retainer within seven days if the pilot shows the expected progress at the first milestone? Options: Yes, Yes with executive review, Not without additional proof points, No

• Draft and File Regulatory Comments and Briefs
• Prepare and Deliver Expert Testimony
• Manage Discovery and Data Exchanges
• Represent Client at Technical Conferences
• Negotiate and Document Regulatory Settlements
• Prepare Legislative Position Papers and Briefings
• Conduct Direct Lobbying and Legislator Outreach
• Manage Coalitions and Joint Advocacy Communications
• Ongoing Docket and Legislative Monitoring with Alerts
• Regulatory Litigation Briefs and Court Filings
• Expert Witness Preparation and Deposition Support
• Deliver Technical Analyses and Economic Modeling
• Prepare Executive Testimony for Legislative Hearings
• Implement Confidentiality Protocols for Multi-Client Matters

Draft and File Regulatory Comments and Briefs

• Do you have an existing regulatory docket number (for example a public utility commission docket) to which comments must be filed? Options: Yes, No
• Which filing format does the commission require for written comments (e.g., efiling portal PDF, Word with signature page, or email filing)? Options: Efiling portal PDF, Word with signature page, Email filing, Unknown / need assistance
• How many distinct issues should be addressed across comments (for example rate design, cost recovery, or interconnection standards)? Options: 1, 2-3, 4-6, More than 6
• Provide the primary technical exhibits you expect to attach (for example cost-of-service study, load forecast table, or interconnection queue analysis).
• Identify any intervenors or parties whose positions we must respond to in briefs (list party names or docket intervention numbers).

Prepare and Deliver Expert Testimony

• Which expert disciplines are required for testimony (for example regulatory economics, engineering production cost modeling, or distribution planning)? Options: Regulatory economics, Production cost modeling, Transmission planning, Distribution planning, Environmental/compliance, Other
• How many expert witness direct testimony filings (by exhibit number) do you anticipate needing for the docket or hearing? Options: 1, 2, 3-4, More than 4
• Who will be the authorized signer for sworn testimony and CV attachments for each expert (name and title)?
• Confirm the criteria that will validate acceptance of expert testimony (for example judge admission of testimony, docketed exhibit with signed affidavit, and completion of prefiled errata).
• Provide the deadline for prefiled testimony and any hearing dates already set by the commission or legislative committee.

Manage Discovery and Data Exchanges

• Specify the types of discovery you expect (for example interrogatories, requests for production of workpapers, data requests to the system operator, or technical data submittals). Options: Interrogatories, Requests for Production, Data request to ISO/RTO, Production of workpapers, Other
• Identify any sensitive data that will be subject to discovery (for example customer-specific usage, market bid data, or non-public contract terms).
• When do you expect the first discovery response to be due (calendar date or number of days after request)? Options: Within 14 days, 15-30 days, More than 30 days, Unknown
• Attach or describe any existing protective order or confidentiality agreement that will govern produced materials. Options: Protective order provided, Need us to draft, No protective order
• Indicate who on your team will be the primary point of contact for producing workpapers and supervising data extracts (name, role, email).

Represent Client at Technical Conferences

• List the technical conference topics where representation is needed (for example transmission study review, interconnection cluster study, or NERC compliance workshop).
• How many in-person or virtual conferences do you expect before the final decision or hearing? Options: 1, 2-3, 4-6, More than 6
• Identify any pre-conference deliverables we should prepare (for example slide decks, exhibit lists, or a one-page technical memo).
• Specify whether you require on-the-record speaking (for example formal Q&A before the commission) or off-the-record stakeholder briefings. Options: On-the-record speaking, Off-the-record briefings, Both, TBD
• Provide the names of the regulators, ISO/RTO staff, or technical panel members who will attend the conference, if known.

Negotiate and Document Regulatory Settlements

• Would you consider a negotiated settlement in the docket (for example a stipulated rate agreement or negotiated compliance schedule)? Options: Yes, No, Depends on terms
• Indicate the key settlement objectives you require (for example guaranteed cost recovery, timeline for asset retirement, or avoidance of adverse precedent).
• Describe parties you anticipate will be part of settlement talks (for example consumer advocates, large industrials, environmental intervenors).
• Specify any non-negotiable terms or legal constraints that must be included in the settlement agreement (for example commitment to rate base treatment, confidentiality clauses, or mitigation obligations).
• Identify who on your side has final signatory authority for settlement documents (name and role).

Prepare Legislative Position Papers and Briefings

• Which bill numbers or legislative proposals should the position paper cover (for example SB 123, HB 45, or an omnibus energy bill)?
• Provide the principal policy asks and metrics (for example amendment to procurement rules, fiscal impact under the state fiscal note, or amendment to siting timelines).
• Name the legislative committees and committee chairs where briefings or testimony will be targeted.
• Estimate the briefing audience needs (for example one-pager for staff, technical appendix for counsel, or slide deck for legislator briefing). Options: One-pager, Technical appendix, Slide deck, All of the above
• Identify any required fiscal or legal analyses you need attached (for example fiscal note review, legal counsel opinion, or regulatory crosswalk).

Conduct Direct Lobbying and Legislator Outreach

• Who are the primary legislators, staff, or committee members you want targeted for outreach (list names and offices if known)?
• When do you want direct lobbying to begin relative to bill milestones (for example at bill introduction, committee markup, or floor vote)? Options: At introduction, At committee markup, Before floor vote, Ongoing
• Describe the preferred outreach channel for each target (for example in-person meeting, staff briefing, or constituent letter campaign). Options: In-person meeting, Staff briefing, Constituent letter, Phone call, Email
• Specify any gift, reporting, or disclosure constraints relevant to lobbying in the jurisdiction (for example registration thresholds or gift prohibitions).
• Provide the approved messaging points or spokespersons for outreach (for example CEO statement, regulatory director talking points, or technical appendix).

Manage Coalitions and Joint Advocacy Communications

• List potential coalition partners and their contact points (for example trade association, large municipal, renewable developer).
• Are coalition members expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) or joint statement? Options: Yes, MOU, Yes, joint statement only, No formal document
• Indicate required approval workflows for joint communications (for example draft circulated 3 business days before release and legal sign-off).
• Specify whether you need a shared document repository and whether it must be segregated by member (for example per-member redaction or read-only access). Options: Shared folder read/write, Shared folder read-only, Per-member segregated, No repository needed
• Provide the anticipated frequency of coalition coordination (for example weekly strategy calls, monthly briefs, or ad hoc as events arise). Options: Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, Ad hoc

Ongoing Docket and Legislative Monitoring with Alerts

• Select the coverage scope for monitoring (for example state public utility commission dockets by docket number list, FERC dockets, or specific state bills by bill number). Options: State PUC dockets list, FERC dockets, State bills by bill number, All of the above
• Choose alert channels and cadence for updates (for example email alert within 1 hour of filing, daily digest, or SMS for hearing notices). Options: Immediate email, Daily digest, SMS for hearings, Platform dashboard only
• Indicate the minimum monitoring accuracy SLA required (for example 99% of filed documents captured within 2 hours of posting). Options: Standard (95% within 24 hours), High (99% within 2 hours), Custom SLA required
• Provide the list of individuals who should receive escalation alerts for critical docket events (names and emails).
• State any integration endpoints needed for alerts (for example the source docket RSS, your team's Slack channel, or an API endpoint for your monitoring platform). Options: RSS feed, Slack channel, API endpoint, Email only

Regulatory Litigation Briefs and Court Filings

• Identify the court or tribunal where filings will be made (for example state appellate court, federal district court, or U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit).
• Provide the procedural timeline and key dates (for example filing deadline for motion to stay, merits brief due date, or oral argument date).
• Specify record items to be included with briefs (for example certified copies of the underlying commission order, hearing transcripts, or administrative record extracts).
• List any electronic filing system requirements for the court (for example efiling PDF with embedded bookmarks or specific exhibit labeling).
• Indicate whether you require coordination with outside appellate counsel and, if so, provide contact details. Options: Yes, provide contact, No, in-house only, TBD

Expert Witness Preparation and Deposition Support

• Describe the expected deposition schedule and location for experts (for example remote deposition on specified dates or in-person in the regulator's city).
• Name the specific documents and workpapers the expert must be prepared to defend (for example spreadsheet model tabs, data extracts, or calibration reports).
• Would you like mock deposition sessions and court-style cross examination practice for the expert? Options: Yes, full mock deposition, Yes, limited Q&A, No
• Indicate whether deposition exhibits must be pre-marked and filed with the court or commission prior to the deposition. Options: Pre-mark and file required, Pre-mark only, No pre-marking required
• Provide a list of potential opposing expert topics or methodologies to prepare rebuttal lines (for example different production-cost assumptions, discount rate, or load shape inputs).

Deliver Technical Analyses and Economic Modeling

• Specify the modeling deliverables you require (for example production cost model runs, locational marginal price (LMP) forecasts, or avoided cost calculations). Options: Production cost model runs, LMP forecasts, Avoided cost calculations, Cost-benefit analysis, Other
• Provide the datasets we must use or reconcile (for example historical dispatch data, interconnection queue inputs, or utility load shapes by meter class).
• Indicate the modeling platform preferences or constraints (for example PROMOD, Plexos, in-house spreadsheet model, or require reproducible Python notebooks). Options: PROMOD, Plexos, Spreadsheet model, Python notebooks, No preference
• Confirm the acceptance criteria for technical models and analyses (for example replication of historical system costs within X%, delivery of model input documentation and run logs, and peer-review signoff).
• Estimate the revision budget (number of model reruns or analytic iterations) you want included under the fixed fee or retainer scope. Options: 1-2 iterations, 3-5 iterations, Unlimited during period, Custom agreement

• Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
• Conflict of Interest Certification
• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Fee Model Election & Payment Terms
• Data Access & Security Authorization
• Engagement Commencement Authorization

• Assessment Fieldwork Kickoff
• Executive Stakeholder Interview Session
• Technical Document Review and Findings Validation
• Regulatory and Stakeholder Mapping Workshop
• Evidence Consolidation and Assessment Scope Decision

• Produce the stakeholder map deliverable in the agreed format.
• Request missing datasets or model inputs needed to resolve high-impact gaps.
• Commission any short analyses or expert reviews specified to address critical uncertainties.
• Map decision points and timeline
• Completed stakeholder map with influence and interest ratings for each named role.
• Prioritized outreach list with rationale and suggested first contact timing.
• Documented influence pathways and any permissions or confidentiality constraints for outreach.
• Confirm engagement assumptions and success criteria
• Draft initial outreach messages or briefing notes for the top-tier contacts.
• Record any access or confidentiality constraints that affect outreach plans.
• Present consolidated evidence dossier
• Ratified evidence dossier or a documented list of disputed items with required next steps.
• Signed scope of work for the Strategic Assessment and Plan with specified deliverables and timeline.
• Agreed decision-readiness scoring method and acceptance criteria to be used in the assessment.
• Finalize and publish the evidence dossier and disputed items register.
• Update the SOW or scope document to reflect agreed deliverables and timeline.
• Schedule the Strategic Assessment delivery milestone and any interim checkpoints.
• Signed evidence collection checklist and access list for documents and datasets.
• Confirmed interview roster with target dates for each session.
• Fieldwork timeline with named milestones and a date for evidence consolidation.
• Produce and distribute the evidence collection checklist with access instructions.
• Provide remote access or copies for the agreed document set and datasets.
• Publish the interview schedule and templates for interview notes.
• Brief framing and objectives check
• Accepted assumptions log with each assumption marked accept, dispute, or needs-more-data.
• Catalog of executive-level constraints and decision criteria for the assessment.
• Prioritized list of follow-up evidence items required to close open assumptions.
• Produce interview summaries in the agreed template and append to the evidence repository.
• List and request the follow-up documents or datasets identified during interviews.
• Update the accepted assumptions log with evidence references and outstanding questions.
• Confirm document set under review
• Annotated findings list showing validation status and source references for each technical claim.
• Prioritized data gap register with impact ratings and next-step actions.
• Agreed plan for resolving critical technical gaps before the strategic assessment.
• Produce the annotated findings document with evidence citations and validation status.
• Define evidence inventory and access requirements
• Identify and categorize stakeholders
• Review outstanding disputes and unresolved gaps
• Walk key technical findings against source evidence
• Structured assumption validation
• Clarify constraints and nonnegotiables
• Identify and prioritize data gaps
• Decide assessment scope and deliverables
• Agree interview roster and scheduling approach
• Determine influence pathways and engagement levers
• Finalize fieldwork timeline and decision points
• Prioritize outreach targets and sequence
• Set timeline and decision-readiness criteria
• Identify follow-up evidence needs
• Agree next steps for resolving high-impact gaps
• Confirm data handling and confidentiality procedures

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• Launch Readiness and Early Health Check
• First Outcomes Measurement
• Monthly Tactical Operations Review
• Quarterly Strategic Outcomes Review

• Update the Strategic Assessment & Plan with any agreed changes to advocacy sequencing or decision-readiness assumptions.
• Document actions required to raise the decision-readiness score to the expected range published in Strategic Assessment & Plan, with owners and dates.
• Publish the gap analysis and corrective action plan for the two tracked metrics to the shared workspace within 48 hours.
• Add agreed remediation items to the issue tracker with due dates and expected verification criteria.
• Docket and filing activity review
• Confirm operational SLAs for filing response time and stakeholder engagement completion are being met or have a remediation plan.
• Ensure the tactical backlog is prioritized with clear next steps and target dates for resolution.
• Update the shared issue channel with prioritized tickets, remediation ETAs, and verification criteria for each operational item.
• Deliver an updated docket tracker export showing response times and engagement completions before the next monthly review.
• Restate advocacy objectives and target success criteria
• Confirm progress against each Advocacy Objective and decide whether the current plan requires adjustments to meet targets recorded in Engagement Scope.
• Produce a documented next-quarter plan that links tactical actions to changes needed in the decision-readiness score from Strategic Assessment & Plan.
• Publish the quarterly outcomes summary with evidence and the agreed next-quarter plan to the shared workspace within 3 business days.
• Reconfirm deliverables and named owners
• All launch prerequisites are confirmed as complete or have a documented remediation plan with owners and dates.
• Open blockers that prevent execution are recorded in the shared issue channel with target resolution dates.
• Publish the launch readiness checklist status and outstanding remediation plan to the shared channel within 24 hours.
• Record and circulate final points of contact, access permissions, and confidentiality confirmations in the shared workspace.
• Present first-period outcome data vs targets
• Determine whether active dockets monitored meet the minimum target recorded in Engagement Scope, or document the gap and remediation.
• Stakeholder engagement completion
• Verify access, permissions, and confidentiality controls
• Present cumulative outcome data vs targets
• Diagnose root causes for any gaps
• Open issues and enhancement requests in shared channel
• Validate launch activities and early engagement signals
• Coalition and stakeholder influence assessment
• Agree corrective actions, owners, and dates
• Prioritize tactical backlog and agree next actions
• Surface blockers and open issues
• Confirm timeline to steady-state reporting
• Agree strategic adjustments and next-quarter priorities
• Agree immediate remediation and next steps