Certificate Course in Strategic Communication

Participants can diagnose the organisational conditions shaping a communication challenge.

• PESTLE analysis identifies external forces affecting communication choices and reputation
• SWOT analysis converts organisational evidence into communication implications and priorities
• Reviewing strategy documents for commitments, risks, dependencies and contested claims
• Issue trees separate symptoms, root causes, audiences and communication responses
• Assumption mapping tests what leaders believe about audiences and behaviour
• Problem statements specify the communication gap, consequence and desired change

Participants can prioritise stakeholders and design appropriate engagement approaches.

• Power-interest grids rank stakeholders by influence, interest and engagement requirements
• Stakeholder salience assesses power, legitimacy and urgency of competing claims
• Mapping formal decision-makers, informal influencers, allies, critics and intermediaries
• Audience personas combine needs, barriers, media habits and decision triggers
• Engagement ladders distinguish informing, consulting, involving, collaborating and partnering
• Sequencing stakeholder contact before announcements, decisions, consultations and implementation

Participants can commission and interpret evidence for communication planning decisions.

• Research questions distinguish awareness, attitudes, trust, behaviour and information needs
• Qualitative methods: interviews, focus groups, observation and open-ended response analysis
• Survey design addresses sampling, wording bias, scales and response rates
• Social listening identifies conversation themes, sentiment signals and emerging issues
• Media analysis separates volume, prominence, framing, tone and message inclusion
• Triangulating research sources improves confidence before communication decisions are made

Participants can set communication objectives and choose a coherent strategic approach.

• SMART objectives specify audience change, timeframe, target and evidence source
• AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework links inputs, outputs, outtakes, outcomes and impact
• Behavioural objectives distinguish knowledge, belief, intention, action and advocacy
• Strategy statements connect organisational priorities, audiences, barriers and communication choices
• Theory of change maps assumptions between communication activity and intended results
• Prioritisation matrices compare urgency, importance, feasibility, risk and resource demand

Participants can create disciplined messages that support organisational positioning and credibility.

• Positioning statements define category, audience, difference, evidence and competitive context
• Narrative frameworks connect organisational purpose, tension, action and future direction
• Message houses organise core message, supporting pillars, proof points and examples
• Framing techniques shape interpretation through values, language, context and contrast
• Proof-point audits test claims against evidence, specificity, relevance and defensibility
• Message matrices adapt consistent themes for audiences, channels and likely objections

Participants can select and coordinate channels based on audience behaviour and communication purpose.

• PESO model coordinates paid, earned, shared and owned media activity
• Channel selection weighs reach, credibility, control, interaction, cost and speed
• Customer and stakeholder journeys identify communication moments, friction and reinforcement
• Editorial calendars sequence announcements, content, engagement and follow-up communications
• Content pillars maintain relevance while supporting strategic messages and priorities
• Cross-channel governance prevents duplication, contradiction and unplanned message drift

Participants can plan and manage media engagement with sound judgement and preparation.

• Media mapping identifies priority outlets, journalists, beats, audiences and influence
• News values assess timeliness, significance, proximity, conflict, novelty and consequence
• Media pitches state the story, evidence, spokesperson and audience relevance
• Press materials distinguish releases, statements, backgrounders, fact sheets and Q-and-A
• Briefing spokespeople on key messages, proof points, boundaries and likely questions
• Correcting inaccuracies without escalating minor errors or extending hostile coverage

Participants can advise senior leaders on credible and purposeful public communication.

• Executive communication audits assess voice, consistency, visibility, credibility and risk
• Thought-leadership platforms define signature themes, evidence sources and audience value
• Speech structures use purpose, audience insight, argument, evidence and memorable close
• Briefing notes provide recommendation, rationale, risks, decision points and next steps
• Difficult-question preparation builds bridges, acknowledgements, proof and response boundaries
• Authenticity tests align leader statements with organisational conduct and stakeholder experience

Participants can design internal communication that supports understanding, involvement and action.

• Employee segmentation distinguishes frontline, hybrid, managerial, technical and dispersed audiences
• Cascade communication equips managers with messages, context, questions and feedback routes
• Change narratives explain rationale, impact, choices, timing and required actions
• Listening loops gather employee questions, concerns, ideas and implementation signals
• Town-hall design balances executive visibility, dialogue, clarity and follow-through
• Internal channels match urgency, sensitivity, complexity, access and managerial ownership

Participants can identify reputation vulnerabilities and prepare proportionate issue responses.

• Reputation drivers include performance, conduct, leadership, citizenship and stakeholder experience
• Issue scanning tracks policy developments, activist concerns, customer complaints and media signals
• Risk matrices assess likelihood, consequence, velocity, visibility and response readiness
• Materiality assessment identifies issues significant to stakeholders and organisational value
• Issue positions state principles, evidence, commitments, boundaries and approved language
• Early-warning indicators trigger review before concerns develop into public controversy

Participants can establish crisis communication arrangements and lead early response decisions.

• Crisis classifications distinguish operational incidents, misconduct, cyber events and public backlash
• Crisis teams assign incident lead, communications lead, legal counsel and spokesperson
• Holding statements acknowledge facts, concern, action, uncertainty and update commitments
• Response protocols define approval routes, escalation thresholds, monitoring and record keeping
• Dark-site content prepares public information before urgent publication is required
• Post-crisis reviews identify decision failures, message gaps, recovery actions and lessons

Participants can manage digital communication choices, online engagement and platform risks.

• Platform strategy matches audience behaviour, content formats, objectives and moderation capacity
• Community guidelines establish acceptable conduct, response boundaries and escalation rules
• Social response matrices classify enquiries, complaints, misinformation, abuse and threats
• Content performance measures reach, completion, engagement, referral and conversion signals
• Misinformation response assesses harm, source credibility, spread and corrective evidence
• Accessibility standards address captions, alt text, readable formats and inclusive language

Participants can plan ethical communication around policy, regulation and public interest issues.

• Policy landscapes map institutions, consultation processes, decision stages and political sensitivities
• Public affairs strategies define objectives, evidence, messengers, alliances and engagement routes
• Consultation submissions structure evidence, stakeholder impact, recommendations and supporting data
• Coalition mapping identifies aligned organisations, divergent interests and collective influence
• Public-interest arguments connect organisational positions with societal outcomes and accountability
• Transparency registers and disclosure requirements shape ethical public affairs practice

Participants can apply ethical standards and governance controls to communication decisions.

• PRSA Code of Ethics principles: advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty, fairness
• Ethical decision models test intent, consequences, rights, duties and stakeholder impact
• Approval workflows assign accountability for claims, legal review, brand and publication
• Data protection obligations govern consent, retention, access and audience targeting
• Conflict-of-interest declarations protect independence in media, advocacy and influencer relationships
• Inclusive communication reviews language, representation, accessibility and unintended exclusion

Participants can scope communication resources and manage external partners against clear expectations.

• Communication budgets separate fixed costs, production, media, research and contingency
• Business cases state problem, options, costs, benefits, risks and recommendation
• Agency briefs define objectives, audiences, deliverables, timetable, budget and evaluation
• Supplier scorecards assess strategic quality, responsiveness, creativity, governance and value
• RACI matrices clarify responsibility, accountability, consultation and information flows
• Procurement criteria balance technical capability, sector knowledge, cost and cultural fit

Participants can build measurement systems that demonstrate communication contribution and inform decisions.

• Evaluation plans align objectives, indicators, methods, baselines, targets and reporting cycles
• Output metrics track content, coverage, events, reach, frequency and channel delivery
• Outtake measures assess attention, understanding, recall, relevance and message acceptance
• Outcome measures identify attitude, trust, intent, behaviour and stakeholder relationship changes
• Dashboards present trends, exceptions, insights, actions and decision requirements clearly
• Barcelona Principles guide valid measurement beyond advertising-value equivalency

Participants can plan communication that supports adoption during organisational change.

• Change-impact assessments identify affected groups, losses, gains and transition requirements
• ADKAR model addresses awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement
• Sponsor roadmaps define leader actions, visibility, conversations and accountability points
• Change communication plans sequence announcement, explanation, involvement, support and reinforcement
• Resistance analysis distinguishes information gaps, capability gaps, mistrust and competing priorities
• Feedback mechanisms convert employee experience into change communication adjustments

Participants can give concise, evidence-based communication counsel to senior decision-makers.

• Counsel frameworks separate facts, interpretation, options, recommendation and decision required
• Scenario planning prepares communication choices under plausible future developments
• Red-team reviews test plans against critics, journalists, regulators and employees
• Trade-off analysis compares speed, transparency, certainty, legal exposure and trust
• Decision logs record assumptions, approvals, rationale, actions and subsequent learning
• Board papers communicate reputation implications, stakeholder concerns and recommended controls

Participants can build, review and present a complete strategic communication plan for a defined organisational priority.

• Capstone brief defines organisational priority, decision context, constraints and success criteria
• Situation analysis integrates organisational evidence, issue mapping and audience insight
• Stakeholder strategy prioritises audiences, engagement objectives, sequencing and relationship risks
• Message architecture specifies positioning, narrative, proof points and objection responses
• Channel plan coordinates PESO activity, executive communication, media and internal channels
• Implementation roadmap assigns milestones, owners, budget assumptions and governance controls
• Evaluation dashboard links objectives, indicators, baselines, targets and reporting cadence
• Peer review tests strategic logic, ethical risks, feasibility and presentation clarity