Corporate Issues Management

Corporate issues management is the internal process by which a firm attempts to assess potential and future threats from unfolding events, situations, and interactions that either arise from organizational actions and past history or are externally driven. Issues that arise externally can be a result of nongovernmental organizations' activities; from events outside the organization's control, as a result of legislation and regulation; and as a consequence of changing societal mores. Issues management is the long-range planning tool of the corporation (and its public affairs department) to assess potential areas of concern and prepare the organization to lead the issue development or to respond in a reactive manner to the issue that is led by others.