The Public Relations Consultants Association of Ireland (PRCA Ireland) is the representative body for the country’s leading public relations (PR) agencies.
The Association is currently embarking on an exciting new phase of work: over the past two years, we have undertaken an extensive value proposition review, spearheaded by our voluntary Board of Directors. This involved widespread consultation with our membership, as well as with relevant external stakeholders. The result of this review is a new vision, mission and strategic business plan for the PRCA.
We have ambitious plans for the coming years, and we are now seeking executive support services to help us achieve them.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday, 28th June, and we expect to hold interviews with shortlisted applicants in early July.
Services Required
We are seeking a contractor to deliver the following services for PRCA Ireland:
Governance and Operational Excellence
- Day-to-day running of the Association, to include:
- Serving as point-of-contact for members and all other stakeholders.
- Scheduling, organising and supporting all meetings of the Association’s voluntary Board of Directors (to include minute-taking and timely furnishing of meeting agendas, minutes, financial reports, etc.). The Board meets approximately eight times per year at present.
- Supporting working groups associated with the Board.
- Managing the Association’s AGM, including the efficient and transparent election of new Board-members, when required.
- Liaison with the relevant statutory and regulatory authorities on behalf of PRCA Ireland (CRO, Standards in Public Office Commission / Lobbying Register, Revenue, etc.).
- Financial management, including the issuing of invoices, managing supplier payments, and the management of all financial records (including yearly budgets and accounts) for the Association, and working closely with the external auditors each year to ensure full compliance with all financial reporting requirements.
- Ongoing review and updating of the key documents underpinning the work of PRCA Ireland – namely the Memorandum of Association and the business plan – to ensure they are up-to-date and fit-for-purpose.
- Managing the day-to-day relationship with key external stakeholders, in particular the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII), with which we partner on the annual Awards for Excellence in Public Relations.
- Reviewing current PRCA Ireland membership categories and associated pricing; and updating same to reflect new value proposition and enhanced offering for members.
- Managing the Consultancy Management Standard (CMS) process (PRCA Ireland’s quality assurance process for members, which is run every 3 years).
- Reviewing the current process and implementing enhancements aimed at ensuring the CMS is focused on demonstrating the value and impact delivered by member agencies. (NOTE: Further information about the current CMS process is available at: https://prca.ie/29717-2/).
Supporting and Growing the Membership of the Association
- Maintaining regular communications with member agencies to ensure they are fully informed of all developments of relevance.
- Developing a register of PR agencies operating in Ireland; and a system for monitoring developments in the PR agency industry (new openings, closures, mergers, etc.).
- Developing a system for tracking potential new member contacts / leads.
- Exploring new membership revenue streams, e.g. new membership categories or offerings for different types of PR service-providers.
Advocating for the Value and Impact Delivered by Member Agencies
- Maintaining awareness of key policy issues with the potential to impact on the PR industry, advising members and / or advocating on the industry’s behalf, as appropriate.
- Monitoring relevant developments in relation to public procurement and the Office of Government Procurement.
- Monitoring, maintaining and enhancing PRCA Ireland’s digital presence and the Association’s brand identity, to include:
- Undertaking a branding review and refresh for the Association; and developing a suite of branded materials that can be used both on PRCA Ireland channels and by the wider membership.
- Undertaking a refresh of the PRCA Ireland website.
- Developing a vibrant social media presence for PRCA Ireland, with a content calendar that includes profiling of members, career opportunities, the value and impact of PR, etc.
- Day-to-day management of the Association’s website and social media channels.
- Continuing the work (initiated by a working group of the Board in 2023) on reviewing the annual Awards for Excellence in Public Relations, ensuring that – in future years – they fulfil PRCA Ireland’s aim of demonstrating the impact and valued delivered by PR.
- Event management support and coordination for the Awards (which take place annually in June), including close liaison and management of the relationship with the PRII, with which we partner on the awards.
- Ongoing review, updating and management of PRCA Ireland’s sector survey to ensure it serve as both a useful source of information for members and a promotional tool for the Association, showcasing the size, economic impact and societal impact of our member agencies. (This is a survey that is run annually – with support from an external market research agency in every second year – to capture data from all member agencies on industry trends.)
Building Members’ Capacity to Achieve Better Business Performance
- Monitoring sectoral developments and undertaking horizon-scanning for emerging threats and opportunities for member agencies.
- Management and organisation of a year-round programme of events for member agencies (online events approximately every two months; two flagship in-person events each years, as well as the AGM, PR Awards and a Christmas social).
- Managing the relationship – at Executive level – with the International Communications Consultancy Organisation; and continuing to build strong relationships between our Association and relevant international partners.
- Ensuring all international best-practice developments of relevance are disseminated to member agencies.
- Undertaking a training needs analysis of member agencies; and exploring the options for meeting agency-specific training needs and generating additional revenue for the Association re. same.
- Developing and implementing a plan for promoting careers in PRCA Ireland member agencies.
Budget
The maximum budget available for this contract is €50,000 ex VAT, where applicable, per annum (to be agreed for a set number of hours per week). In addition, we are open to offering a financial incentive for contractors who can bring in new revenue streams for PRCA Ireland.
Requirements
We are looking for a service-provider who is ambitious, dynamic and highly organised – and who can work closely with our Board and wider membership to drive future growth for PRCA Ireland during an exciting time of change.
We are open to the required services being provided by either an individual or an agency / team. The successful applicant will be working on a ‘contract for services’ basis, providing an agreed average number of hours each week to PRCA Ireland.
The ideal applicant will have:
- Strong leadership skills and experience of working at a senior management level with demonstrated ability to manage and navigate relationships with a wide cross-section of stakeholders.
- A proven track record of successfully supporting and enhancing membership-based organisations.
- A strong understanding of governance and financial management.
- An excellent understanding of Ireland’s political and current affairs landscapes, and of media, communications and general business trends.
- Excellent digital skills – with the ability to maximise the impact of PRCA Ireland’s website and social media.
- Past experience of working in or with the PR industry is desirable, but not essential.
- Similarly, we welcome applicants with past experience of industry-specific quality assurance processes, awards schemes, sectoral research projects, and industry-specific training programmes.
Application Process
To apply, please send a short proposal to the Board of PRCA Ireland, c/o Martina Quinn, PRCA Ireland Chairperson, Email: martina@alicepr.com. Please include:
- Your credentials and suitability for this contract.
- Your understanding of our requirements – and of the PR sector more generally in Ireland.
- Case studies of similar or relevant work you have undertaken in the past.
- Your budgetary and service hours proposal.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday, 28th June, and we expect to hold interviews with shortlisted applicants in early July.
About PRCA Ireland
Currently, 35 agencies from across Ireland are members of the PRCA, employing over 500 people and contributing approximately €50 million to the economy each year. PRCA Ireland showcases the positive impact delivered by member agencies to organisations, to society, and to the Irish economy.
The vision of PRCA Ireland is that there is strong public understanding of the value of professional communications; and that our member agencies are recognised as indispensable contributors to social and economic prosperity and organisational success.
Our mission is to drive excellence and innovation across our member agencies; and to advocate for the value and impact that our members deliver.
We will fulfil our mission by working across four pillars:
- Ensuring PRCA Ireland achieves operational excellence.
- Growing the membership of the Association.
- Advocating for the value and impact delivered by member agencies.
- Building the capacity of our members to achieve better business performance.
The priority actions associated with these four pillars of work are included in our new business plan, which covers the period from summer 2024 to the end of 2025.
Further Information
For further information in relation to this opportunity, you are welcome to contact the Chairperson of PRCA Ireland, Martina Quinn, Email: martina@alicepr.com, Tel: 087-6522033.
