Summary

The International Association of Political Consultants (IAPC) is the global professional body for political-consulting practitioners. Its self-regulation code, regional congresses, and international “Political Consultants of the Year” awards are the global field’s primary professional-organisation structures.

Body

IAPC’s history traces to the 1960s professionalisation of US political consulting; the body expanded internationally as consulting went global. Its events rotate between regions (the Americas, Europe, Africa/Middle East, Asia-Pacific) and are the principal networking venues for senior practitioners worldwide. [source: iapc]

IAPC’s self-regulation framework is the global-code equivalent of EAPC’s Lisbon Declaration: members pledge to refuse undemocratic clients, to maintain candidate-relationship confidentiality, and to disclose financial sources. The international code is voluntary; enforcement is variable. [source: iapc]

IAPC’s “Political Consultant of the Year” awards and its ICPA (International Campaign of the Year) recognition are influential within the profession — they provide methodological benchmarks that the consulting industry uses to evaluate quality. The ICPA shortlists are useful surveys of what the global consulting industry considers exemplary work. [source: iapc]

Use it for

Citing the international political-consulting profession’s self-regulation framework; reading ICPA-winning campaigns as case studies of contemporary consulting practice; arguing for professional-ethics reform in a domestic context using IAPC global benchmarks.

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