PROFESSION-WIDE QUALITY ASSURANCE IN GR

It is our belief, that the GR industry should have a system to ensure quality in the performance of GR engagements by its members. Professional standards should integrate ethical issues, structural issues and service quality issues, all of which are interdependent. Standards would be needed at both the corporate and individual levels. A corporate standard would allow GR firms to show that they have met certain requirements; an individual standard could extend to those working in-house as well as for freelance consultancies. The business advantage of such standards is to allow potential clients as well as targets of lobbying to judge the quality and reputation of those involved in GR.

Necessary elements of the system should include:

• Providing continuing education and training on recent GR developments;
• Providing an effective monitoring system to ensure that
  • firms comply with applicable professional standards;
  • firms have reasonable systems of quality control;
  • there is an in-depth, substantive and timely study of firms' quality controls, including reviews of selected engagements;
  • deficiencies and/or opportunities for improvements in quality controls are identified; and
  • results of monitoring are communicated adequately to the appropriate parties.
• providing an effective and timely disciplinary process when individuals or firms have not complied with applicable firm or professional standards.

For implementation we propose the setting up of a Council for the Advancement of Standards in GR (CAS-GR)

Vision: Setting the standards for quality in GR practice

Mission: CAS-GR would be a consortium of professional GR associations that would promote the use of professional standards for the development, assessment, and improvement of quality GR learning, programmes and services.

Purpose

The overall purpose would be to develop and promulgate professional standards in GR.Specifically:

• To establish, adopt, and disseminate unified and timely professional standards to guide GR learning and develop support programmes and services and related GR educational initiatives.
• To promote the assessment and improvement of GR services and programmes through self-study, evaluation, and the use of CAS-GR standards.
• To establish, adopt, and disseminate unified and timely professional preparation standards for the GR Practitioners.
• To promote the assessment and improvement of professional preparation graduate programmes through the use of CAS-GR standards for assessment, evaluation, and self-study purposes.
• To advance the use and importance of professional standards among GR practitioners.
• To develop and provide materials to assist and support practitioners in the use of professional standards in the GR field.
• To promote GR inter-association efforts to address the issues of quality assurance, student learning and development, and professional integrity in the GR field.

As these purposes imply, CAS-GR would exist to accomplish several complementary tasks.

1. A primary purpose would be to provide a forum in which representatives from GR organisations can meet and interact for purposes of seeking consensus on the fundamental principles of “best practices” that can lead to enhanced professional standards.
2. The CAS-GR initiative would provide a forum wherein all voices can be heard in the creation of timely and useful standards to guide contemporary practice. This approach would encourage the establishment of viable linkages among professional associations. This professional collaboration would result in the creation of standards that represent a profession-wide perspective rather than a narrow and limited viewpoint.
3. Not only would the CAS-GR initiative provide a vehicle for the development of functional area and academic preparation standards, but it would also provide a well recognized and credible profession-wide entity to publish and promulgate standards and related materials and to encourage and educate practitioners to apply the standards effectively in their work.
4. Further, and of special significance, the CAS-GR consortium would speak with a single voice and represent the profession-at-large on matters concerning professional standards and quality assurance.

Of key importance: The GR industry needs to set aside rivalries in the interests of genuine joint commitment to the effective development of profession-wide standards. This calls for an unprecedented unity of purpose on a global basis.

CAS-GR Board of Directors

Representatives from professional GR  associations that have joined the CAS-GR consortium would pay annual dues (based on the number of members per association) and keep their memberships informed about CAS-GR standards and related initiatives. Each member association would designate two official representatives (Director and Alternate) to act on its behalf at CAS-GR Board meetings and each association would have one vote during Board meetings. All new or revised standards would have the approval of the full Board, by consensus.

While some GR  professional associations may have established standards for their constituent members, a primary benefit of the CAS-GR standards is the fact that they would represents a profession-wide effort to develop, promulgate, and encourage use of its professional standards. Consequently, the professional credibility of the CAS-GR Standards and Guidelines would tend to exceed those proffered by a single organisation.

Proposed Dues for GR Associations

1. 11-50 members: € 500
2. 51-100 members: € 1,500
3. 100 + members: € 2,500