CIPR; strategic public relations will be key to delivering National Infrastructure Strategy
The role of public relations will be key to delivering the National Infrastructure Strategy, according to the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). The professional body for the public relations industry has called on the public and private sectors to put public relations and communication functions at the heart of organisational plans to deliver the strategy through the management of stakeholder relations, strong community engagement, and strategic internal communications.
The Strategy details the government's £100bn investment in physical infrastructure projects that is tied to the Prime Minister's recently published 10-point plan to transition to Net Zero emissions by 2050. It was published alongside the Chancellor's Spending Review, which outlines how the government will create and protect jobs as part of the economic recovery following the pandemic.
Public relations is a function that creates, sustains, and strengthens relationships. Those relationships - with stakeholders, local communities, and staff - are highlighted within the paper as the government sets out its ambition to create an integrated approach between the public and private sectors through new initiatives such as the infrastructure bank. Strategic communication must be a key element of this ambitious strategy. We should applaud the positive, sustainable, and inclusive vision for the whole country post-Covid and I urge businesses and public sector employers to position their skilled PR teams at the centre of their efforts to deliver this.
Spending Review - off-payroll working rules
Within the Spending Review policy costing, the government confirmed the introduction of the off-payroll working rules (known as IR35) on April 6 2021. The rules, first announced in the March 2018 budget, were postponed due to the pandemic and extend the rules from the public sector to the private and voluntary sectors.
The CIPR has a range of resources via this link for members:
- Member guidance - 'Freelancer Members and IR35'
- Template contracts for personal service companies to offer to clients, in versions for England and Scotland.
The existing CIPR 'client consultancy contracts' have also been updated.
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).