PR Department reviews lead to better performance

Better performance can often following and independent review of the structure and functions of PR Departments.

The internal demands on Australian PR Directors to contribute to the organisation have never been greater. However, the task becomes even more difficult if the PR Department can’t function as it should.

A review often provides the opportunity for a Department’s structure and functions to be fine-tuned so that it can better meet the demands of the business.

In my experience some of the signs that it’s time to take a look at your internal PR organisational structure include:
• If you are coming under budget pressure to do all that you want to do, or what you are being asked to do.
• If the nature of the PR work the Department does is changing – either at your instigation or as a result of pressure from others. Or because the organisation is changing.
• If you have concerns about your Departmental staffing and resources – either gaps in your skills and capabilities or some people who have been with you for a long time appearing to ‘coast’.
• If you retain a PR agency and issues are arising about whether it’s more efficient, and effective, to have some activities undertaken externally or done internally.
• If the very existence of the PR Department is under threat because management think the PR function would be better outsourced.
• If you think PR can play a more significant role in the organisation and you want an independent assessment to show how this might be achieved.

The process to be followed in such a review depends on the scope of the project.

A basic study will simply examine the PR competencies and skill set of the Department and how well equipped it is. It will normally also assess the use of external resources, whether to a retained PR agency or through the use of specialist contractors.

A more complex study might be charged with also determining where best the PR Department fits within the total organisation and recommending reporting lines and accountabilities.

An exercise will typically take 15-20 working days from obtaining a full brief; more if organisational structure were part of the brief.

Conducting an external PR professional assessment of the PR Department’s structure is a way to demonstrate to management that PR is equipped to lift its contribution to the business.

If you wish to have a no obligation chat about your issues, challenges and vision then please contact me.