M & A believes that effective government relations work is proactive rather than reactive. This approach requires a clear understanding of a client's goals, as well as the substantive legal areas of relevance, and the development and implementation of strategies that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate changing circumstances. Perhaps most importantly, effective lobbying requires consistent and focused work - not simply "hanging around" to respond to crises as they develop. Even for a client that simply wishes to preserve the status quo, thereby guarding against legal or regulatory changes that may be hostile to its interests, there are a number of fundamental tasks: Educating key legislative and executive staff on the client and its interests; Identifying preexisting allies in the legislative and executive branches; Establishing good working relationships with those organizations that have similar interests and could be allies in legislative or regulatory battles; Making legislative leaders and key administration officials aware of the presence of the client, as well as its background and interests; and Developing at least one "champion" for the client within each of the four legislative caucuses in Springfield. Of course, additional preliminary work is required for a client that seeks the enactment or adoption of a significant new law or regulation. In the end, it is far easier to produce desired governmental results when a proper and early foundation is established. Increasingly, crisis management does not produce success in Springfield or in other governmental bodies throughout Illinois.