CIPR and PRCA call for volunteers for COVID-19 Observatory Project
The CIPR and PRCA are inviting calls for volunteers to work on a project to evaluate and share the experiences of communications professionals responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Observatory Project – led by Rod Cartwright MPRCA - was initially conceived by the PRCA Global COVID-19 Taskforce and aims to deliver a global repository of communications practice as it relates to COVID-19. The project draws together the leading PR and communications associations from across the world.
Each country taking part will establish a volunteer panel to manage a call for evidence before sifting through the content submitted to the Observatory. The Observatory will publish the country panel summaries and supporting evidence freely for the global community to use.
The CIPR and PRCA are now looking for volunteers to form the UK national panel to contribute to the Observatory. Self-nominations are sought before 5pm on Monday 30 November and the panel will begin work in January 2021.
The requirement for volunteers is that they should:
- Be able to elicit a wide range of evidence from business, the voluntary sector and the public sector about the strategic and tactical use of communications, the research that supported it and the measurement of its impact.
- Be able to read and evaluate evidence elicited from other panel members.
- Work collaboratively with other panel members to sift the material submitted and agree a common response to the observatory’s standard questions.
- Be available to undertake this work between 1 January and 31 May 2021.
- Take due account, in their work, of the differences in approach between the different nations of the UK.
There will be many shared experiences and differences in the communication approaches between countries, in the handling of the pandemic. This Observatory will explore and examine these lessons to help establish best practice - as well as what didn't work - making it an invaluable resource as we seek ways of better managing the impact of the pandemic.
Four positions on the panel are available. Expressions of interest are sought from professional communicators in all sectors across the UK and should be made by sending a CV with a covering letter stating how you meet the above criteria to Neha Khatwani before 5pm on Monday 30 November.
Notes to editors
About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations
Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the world's only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners with nearly 10,000 members.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).