GR-analysis of the process of law initiative passage in state bodies in the context of lobbying activity

Introduction: the value of a GR-specialist is measured by the understanding of procedures and stages of circulation of official documents and legislative acts in state bodies. Despite the increasing influence of the executive branch of power, the legislative bodies remain among the key institutes shaping the regulatory context within which commercial and non-government organizations operate. At the same time, often the formal-legal aspect of the lobbying work, connected with the deconstruction of the government processes in formal structures and placed at the crossing of public administration and law, is underestimated because of the emphasis on the lobbying communication. Consequently, GR-analysis of the particularities of the state bodies functioning lacks in depth. This limits the understanding of possible access points in decision-making process, especially for young specialists. Objectives: analysis of the process a law initiative undergoes in state bodies taking in account stakeholders at each stage, and identifying possibilities to exert influence from lobbyists. Methods: institutional approach (“old institutionalism”), policy cycle model to analyze how the decision goes through legislative process, access points theory supported by expert opinions of GR-specialists. Results: detailed and structured analysis of the process of a legislative initiative in the State Duma of the Russian Federation and in other state bodies; each step of the process is described from the point of view of a GR-analyst; the actors influencing political decisions have been identified; access points available for lobbying are listed; lobbying campaign of 2013-2016 was analyzed to verify the results. Conclusions: successful passage of a legislative initiative favorable for lobbyists critically depends on the interaction with the leadership of the responsible committee of the State Duma, while the apparatus of this committee is the most important channel for obtaining information on the progress of work on the document. Given the increased influence of the Russian Government on the process of developing federal laws, another important component is to conduct preliminary consultations with federal executive bodies to inform them about the initiative and provide enough expert data.