CIPR 'What's new? 2014'

1. WHAT'S
NEW? 2014
@CIPR_UK | #CIPR

2. Chartered Institute of Public Relations: What's New? 2014 2
WHAT'S NEW? 2014
In 2014 the CIPR has focused on the core purpose of its Royal Charter, maintaining its regular programme of flagship conferences and major
events, two hundred sessions of formal training, and several hundred smaller seminars, roundtable talks and networking events across the UK.
Nearly 700 people have earned a CIPR qualification over the course of the year. In addition to this core programme, not a week has gone by
without the CIPR doing something new or different. Here are some of the innovations which have made a difference to 2014.
PROTECTING THE PUBLIC ADVISING MEMBERS
Our Royal Charter requires us to act in the public benefit by setting high
standards of practice and professional conduct. In 2014 we took steps to create
a clearer ethical dimension to professional practice, to require high standards
as a requirement of membership, and to act decisively in the public interest if
members fall short of those standards.
Our members look to us to provide them with reliable and up-to-date
information on how to respond to the emerging challenges of professional
life. In 2014 we produced six major new pieces of guidance to support
members in their work.
01. Made ethics a compulsory element of Continuing Professional Development
from 2015
02. Held a series of roundtables on ethics with groups of senior practitioners
as part of our contribution to the PRSA-led Ethics Month
03. Introduced a requirement to disclose criminal convictions on the application
form and on annual renewal of membership
04. Made it possible to deny membership to applicants likely to bring
the CIPR into disrepute
05. Introduced independent panels to hear complaints against members
06. Introduced a simplified process to allow members to be summarily expelled
if found to have acted contrary to standards of professional conduct
07. Expelled Lord Laird and Colin Higgins from membership
08. Produced new guidance on flexible working
09. Produced new guidance on running internships
10. Produced new guidance on the Defamation Act
11. Produced new guidance on Wikipedia
12. Produced new toolkit on Google Analytics for Public Relations
Measurement and Evaluation
13. Produced new guidance on Measuring the Financial Value of PR
14. Produced Best Practice Guide on using Mobile for PR
15. Produced new skills guide on SEO
16. Produced new skills guide on Financial PR
17. Reviewed and updated 50 existing CIPR skills guides

3. Chartered Institute of Public Relations: What's New? 2014 3
WHAT'S NEW? 2014
SUPPORTING MEMBERS’ BUSINESSES SUPPORTING MEMBERS’ CAREERS
Many of our members run their own business and we have supported them by
establishing a new network, producing a new model contract and introducing
new benefits to support flexible working and identify new business leads.
As the Chartered professional body we have a clear responsibility to
support members’ individual career development. Our research identified
two key areas which needed additional resources and support; midcareer
professionals and women returning to work. In 2014 we took steps to address
these specific needs as well as taking forward initiatives on diversity and the
gender pay gap.
18. Produced a new model contract – with a Scottish variant available in early 2015
19. Argued the urgent need for a single, simple licencefor SMEs with the
Newspaper Licensing Agency
20. Argued the need for the Copyright Licensing Agency to stop creating new,
exotic licences which have an adverse impact on public relations businesses
21. Created a partnership with Neardesk to support flexible working
22. Established a new Independent Practitioners’ Network
23. Joined the Growth Vouchers scheme, enabling members to gain new business
24. Launched a new maternity leave package for members
25. Produced new major new suite of ten
guidelines on maternity and return to work
26. Held a Hack Day to tackle the gender pay gap
27. Created a new mentoring scheme for senior practitioners
28. Established a new Fellows’ Forum
29. Established a new members’ chapter in Switzerland
30. Held the CIPR’s first Diversity Inclusion Summit
31. Introduced Social Shorts series of cutting-edge social and digital conversations

4. Chartered Institute of Public Relations: What's New? 2014 4
WHAT'S NEW? 2014
PUTTING PROFESSIONALISM
AT THE HEART OF OUR WORK ENGAGING WITH MEMBERS
The CIPR is a community of members who are committed to developing
themselves and their professional peers. We do this through providing training
and other opportunities for Continuing Professional Development and asking
members to demonstrate their learning by recording it. In 2014 we increased
the number of members completing CPD and built a requirement for CPD
completion into our constitution. We also took an active part in sharing the
ideas about the future of professionalism with partner organisations.
Our aim over the past year has been to involve more members in shaping our
work, and enabling members to network more effectively with each other, as
well as having their say in the development of the CIPR. To enable this we have
created new opportunities for face-to-face meetings with members, invested in
technology to support wider links across the profession and set a new standard
in accountability.
32. Increased the number of members completing Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) by nearly 30% over the 2013 figure
33. Introduced a new requirement for members to make a commitment
to ongoing CPD when they join and when they renew their membership
34. Made CPD a requirement for serving on Council
35. Required Accredited Practitioner or Chartered Practitioner status
for serving on the CIPR Board
36. Partnered with Creative Barcode to offer members training on intellectual
property
37. Introduced new Training Workshops in Effective Media Relations,
Effective Negotiation Skills and Writing for Online Audiences
38. Contributed to the annual Measurement Week run by the International
Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC)
39. Contributed to the World PR Forum in Madrid
40. Participated in the International PR Conference of the Public Relations
Society of America, Washington DC
41. Held our AGM outside London for the first time since 1948 – in Manchester
42. Encouraged members to join up to five specialist Groups as part
of their membership package
43. Held a regular programme of tweetchats to inform and develop
our policy work
44. Held our consultation on governance on a wiki – the first Royal Chartered
body to do so
45. Created a mobile-responsive website
46. Published quarterly Presidential reports to members

5. Chartered Institute of Public Relations: What's New? 2014 5
SPEAKING UP FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS CHARTERED PRACTITIONERS
Public relations continues to enjoy relatively low levels of trust compared with
many other professions, and public perception is still dominated by stories of
spin and ‘burying bad news’. As well as working to defend the public interest
through our professional standards the CIPR has a mission to speak up for
the profession in public forums, explaining the work our members do and
contributing to wider discussions on current issues. Much of our effort has
been focused on new lobbying legislation, but we have also contributed to a
much wider range of discussions than ever before, reinforcing our credentials
as an ethical and knowledge-based profession.
Chartered Public Relations Practitioners are individuals who have
demonstrated the highest standards of professional practice. This year
we have given them a new form of recognition for their achievement and
completed the preparatory work for a major new publication next year which
we will use to showcase their contributions and encourage others to work
towards Chartered status.
47. Contributed to the process of establishing a register of consultant lobbyists
in Westminster
48. Contributed to the consultation on future lobbying legislation in Scotland
49. Contributed to the ACCA consultation on delivering value through governance
50. Defended public relations in the NHS against attacks by the Taxpayers’ Alliance
51. Undertook a major piece of research into the effectivenessof science
communications for the UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills
52. Spoke against the right to be forgotten in debate at the Cambridge Union
53. Held a debate in the House of Commons on the future of social media
in corporate governance
54. Contributed to the Content Marketing Show, Brighton
55. Contributed to The Economist’s ‘Data Breach’ seminar, London
56. Took part in Upload Lisboa, discussing the management of online crises
57. Took part in the 2014 BledCom Symposium and agreed the groundwork
for a future partnership between academia and practice in public relations
58. Obtained Privy Council authority to grant the postnominal ‘Chart.PR’
to Chartered Practitioners
59. Enabled Chartered Practitioners to link their profile on LinkedIn to the Register
60. Commissioned a book of essays by Chartered Practitioners, to be published
in 2015
WHAT'S NEW? 2014

6. Chartered Institute of Public Relations: What's New? 2014 6
PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
As well as working to serve the current needs of our members, a professional
body needs to devote time and energy to preparing for the future. This year
we have expanded our network of partner organisations to explore emerging
themes and identify key trends. We are also working to ensure that we have
both a pipeline of top-quality young people entering the profession and a
framework of skills and knowledge on which they will build their careers.
61. Commissioned a major study of the future skills needs in the profession
62. Collaborated with the Global Alliance for Public Relations on the
development of worldwide professional standards
63. Held the first public debate on the ethics of wearable tech in any
professional body
64. Promoted Public Relations as a career through sponsoring the Institute
of Ideas’ national Debating Matters competition
65. Partnered with the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education
to promote careers in PR by supporting Adult Learners’ Week
66. Joined Tomorrow’s Company to partner on its work around the future
of corporate governance and the value of relationships to organisations
67. Joined the Business Network of the International Integrated Reporting Council
68. President spoke on ‘The Future of Public Relations’ at the
Festival of Marketing, London
WHAT'S NEW? 2014
Plans are well in hand for another busy programme in 2015, and
there will be many more new ventures to report on in a year’s time.
We’d like all of our members to play an active role in shaping our
future, and we are particularly keen to hear from those who have
never been closely involved in CIPR work before. To find out how
you can get involved, contact Phil Morgan at philm@cipr.co.uk
or 020 7631 6926.