Political advisers, or staff who work for politicians, play an essential role in supporting politicians to do their jobs. However, the management of political advisers can be problematic, hindering their ability to improve how government functions. An article in Public Policy & Management presents guidance to professionalise the management of political advisers. The advice is grounded in the experiences of advisers and public servants in the UK, Australia, Canada and Aotearoa New Zealand who were asked share positive practices they experienced, developed or observed as well as ideas for improving future behaviour.
About political advisers
Political advisers are a fundamental part of government. They work on political and partisan matters to support political actors and organisations and have a temporary role. The number of such advisers has grown significantly worldwide in response to the increased challenges facing politicians in government including the rise of 24/7 media, volatile voting behaviour and more complex policymaking.
It is difficult to provide a definitive overall number for political advisers or a breakdown by each type of office or role because such statistics are not available. Each country records and groups them differently, employs and oversees them under different legislation. Some countries have federal and lower-level government staff while others do not, and some staff work part-time. However, the research was able to find over 400 advisers working for prime ministers in Australia, Canada, Aotearoa New Zealand and the UK as of May 2022.
Their work includes a diverse range of roles in office management, policy, media management, communications, event management, research, strategy and stakeholder management. They also have confusing and divergent line management and governance. Nevertheless, they share one common task: they assist politicians in doing their jobs.
About the research
The research was explicitly designed to generate practical solutions and suggestions for future reform. This was grounded in the experiences of practitioners by collecting new primary data in the form of interviews with those who had worked as a political adviser or as civil servants in close proximity to them. Eighty-seven practitioners from Australia, Canada, the UK and Aotearoa New Zealand were interviewed.
Recommendations to manage political advisers
The research found there is a lack of comprehensive management and support for political advisers including limited appropriate human resource management infrastructure, ineffective orientation, a lack of training and limited performance management.
By asking advisers about what positive practices they had experienced, observed or developed, the research identified a range of positive tools that can be used, including:
- support new colleagues learning on the job
- give impactful feedback within a fast-paced environment
- manage the office to help colleagues cope with high workloads
- build a positive culture with a clear purpose
- maintain wellbeing through acknowledging the pressure and ensuring colleagues get short break.
Because these are directly sourced from those who have worked in multiple political offices in four countries, they are also ‘doable’ within a challenging political environment.
Proposal for an Office of Political Staff Support
The article proposes the establishment of an Office of Political Staff Support. The new office would seek to connect staff across offices, prepare those who manage them, promote positive behaviours and improve the functioning of political offices.
Its scope would include all political advisers and political staff who work for politicians. This includes those who work for elected MPs, ministers, shadow ministers, political parties and party leaders. Tasks would include:
- professional talent management
- bespoke orientation and professional development
- community-building events
- HR policies, employment issues, and workforce data
- preserve and disseminate institutional knowledge in the management of political advisers.
Because the office needs to engage in diverse activities that involve both management and politics, it has to involve different types of practitioners, combining expertise from the civil service, HR and political advisers. All of those involved need to be HR literate, politically astute, and understand the demands and the pressures and the working environment that political staffers operate in.
The bottom line
Political advisers who work for MPs, ministers and prime ministers have historically received little support, let alone effective management. An Office of Political Staff Support would train political advisers and the people who manage them, thereby improving their individual performance, the functioning of the political offices they work in and the retention of high-performing political staff and advisers. This investment of public money would bring multiple benefits in supporting elected politicians to do their job and make government more effective.
Want to read more?
- Professionalizing the management of political advisers – Jennifer Lees-Marshment, Public Policy & Management, August 2025
Each fortnight The Bridge summarises a piece of academic research relevant to public sector managers.
Recent Research Briefs on the role of political advisers include:
- Published Date: 8 October 2025