Here’s what you need to know about the candidates’ manifestos in the forthcoming CIPR Election.

It’s CIPR Election time. There are two candidates, Rachel Royall and Mandy Pearse, going head-to-head for the role of President in 2021. In this blog I’ve set out each candidate’s statements and blogs to understand their proposed policies.

Both candidates have focused on three broad themes: practice, education and CIPR membership. Rachel addresses each theme via a statement, whereas Mandy breaks it down into a series of pledges.

Public relations in practice

Mandy

Promoting PR as a board discipline – I strongly believe that organisations need public relations to thrive. I will continue the excellent work, which has positioned the profession as a strategic management function through active engagement with the business community showing how ethical communication can enhance economic performance.

Working with Chartered Practitioners and Fellows to set agenda – The CIPR needs to be seen nationally and globally as a thought leader on business issues such as AI and big data. I will draw upon our talent pool of Fellows and Chartered practitioners to deliver this.

Rachel

I’ll be an ambassador for the strategic leadership role PR plays and create board level advocates for PR.

With the CIPR Board and Council, I’ll build on work that’s already begun to strengthen our relationships with business and public sector organisations, and advocate for PR’s contribution to good governance, sustainability and corporate decision making.

To maintain our relevance, we will listen to business, government, recruiters and academia so we can understand and influence their priorities. To enable this we will set-up a PR Business Value Forum with representatives from these sectors to better understand their needs and to prioritise our research to impact where it needs to. We will run development sessions for boards to increase understanding of PR as a strategic management function.

Education and skills

Mandy

Modernise CPD and sharing best practice – My ambition is to continue the CIPR’s modernisation delivering more online learning, live streaming, engagement opportunities and building reciprocal arrangements with allied professional organisations. I also want to share the best practice I have seen within the public sector with the wider industry.

Research fund to promote community of practice – I will create a research fund to promote the study, research and development of PR where the results are published for the benefit of the wider PR community.

Rachel

As an industry we need to recognise our responsibility to the next generation, growing up surrounded by fake news, a rapidly changing media environment and digital technologies. We’ll help them navigate, understand and enhance our industry. We’ll promote PR as an exciting career choice, open to all and bring PR industry awareness and education into schools to develop a professional community that better reflects our diverse and socially mobile society.

Qualifications and training will focus on both strategic and tactical skills for future leaders and practitioners at all levels. We need to be excellent at strategy and tactics, developing and delivering communication plans that have clear outcomes.

Supporting the CIPR community and growing membership

Mandy

Greater regional engagement and investment – Volunteers are the lifeblood of the CIPR and I will reward them with development opportunities as well as provide support to deliver greater member engagement in the nations, regions and sectors.

Member led, promoting value – I will ensure membership represents value for money by ensuring learning opportunities are available to all regardless of location. Similarly, I will actively engage with members to ensure we truly are a member-led organisation.

Rachel

I will welcome diverse views and embrace debate from all people working in PR and communication management so that the CIPR learns about the issues that need to be addressed. For example, the CIPR Health Group that I chair has been considering how we can support PR professionals’ wellbeing and help tackle the mental health issues facing society. If we don’t have a happy, healthy profession, we won’t achieve our great potential.

We’ll also focus on member engagement, making it easier than ever to reap the benefits of membership, and promoting opportunities to get more closely involved in the institute’s work. And recognising that our PR industry is world-leading, we’ll seek opportunities to export our qualifications and grow our international membership base.

Voting

Voting in the CIPR Election kicks off on Monday, 2 September and runs to Monday, 16 September. The successful candidate will be announced shortly thereafter.

Further information

Mandy has shared a plan for each of her six pledges on a campaign Tumblr.

Rachel has launched a personal website as a platform for her campaign.

Personal disclosure

I’m supporting Mandy Pearse. We worked together during my time as President in 2014. I appreciated her counsel on CIPR governance and knowledge of the public sector. As a MBA she’s among a group of practitioners that have been driving communications at board level for more than two decades. In my view she has the most progressive platform for the evolution and growth of the CIPR and public relations practice.