Want to know what it’s like studying for the CIPR Diploma…? Well I may have bored you enough already with my discussion of the first assignment (the Critical Reasoning Test) but no sooner had we received our results we were given the details of our second assignment, the Planning Assignment.

I can’t really complain – the deadline for the first assignment was the 29th May and I have done very little studying since then but the trouble is that when the assignment details are released there is approx three or four weeks of (almost) hell trying to complete it! I am the type of person who likes to agonise over these things and I do generally aim for perfection so I probably make it harder than it needs to be but I can’t help who I am!

The first assignment tested academic understanding of theory. The next assignment is putting the theory into practise by developing a step-by-step communications plan in response to a crisis or issue. The main plan is 3000 words long and should be accompanied by a 2000 word rationale explaining the theory behind your chosen approach to the task. The deadline is 1st August so it’s a good job I didn’t have much planned for July!

CIPR Diploma Unit 2.2 – Planning Assignment

Aims: to encourage students to demonstrate their ability to apply planning theory acquired in Unit 2.2 to practical public relations activities

Objectives: to produce an action plan and rationale for a charity launching a campaign in the face of competition from a similar campaign launched by a private sector organisation. The plan should detail key issues and develop a strategy for maintaining reputation in the long term.

Scenario: you are the Director of Public Relations and Fundraising for a leading charity devoted to research into the causes of heart disease. Approaching the end of a two-year planning period, you are one month away from the launch of a new campaign, entitled ‘Let’s Kill Heart Disease’. The campaign aim is to raise the equivalent of £3 million over the next two years for distribution to the charity’s medical research units throughout your country.

During your regular Monday morning staff update session, one of your junior press officers mentions that a friend of hers who works for a leading cereal manufacturer has mentioned that her company’s new Corporate Social Responsibility initiative is remarkably similar to your campaign. Entitled ‘Stop Heart Disease. Dead’, the company has set a fundraising target equivalent to £1 million over the next 12 months. The funds raised will be distributed among scientists from anywhere in the world submitting successful funding bids that involve research into the heart-health benefits of cereal. The company has significant backing from a range of existing celebrity endorsers, and will be using high-impact TV and billboard advertising to publicise its campaign.

You are due to present to your charity’s board of directors in two days time, where you will be required to provide:

• A step-by-step plan to manage communication around this issue, providing a clear list of actions in order of priority and a summary of content for any written communication outputs
• A proposal to establish an issues management group, to monitor opportunities and threats, build and maintain the charity’s reputation in the longer term
• A rationale for each step of your approach

So, that’s the task… now to start planning…

P.S. This blog post is not a true reflection of what it is like to be studying for the CIPR Diploma as the opening sentence suggests… you should read the rest of my blog for a fuller picture ; )