by Jenn Gardiner
For any public relations practitioner., evaluation measures the effectiveness of a message, proves the value of the practitioner, and gives insight into how to better communicate with audiences. Few opinions on how best to evaluate have been as widely accepted as the Barcelona Principles.
The Barcelona Principles are a set of seven principles that aid public relations practitioners in evaluating their work and measuring the value they bring to businesses. The principles are widely recognized by many organizations including the Global Alliance.
Sheridan McVean, an experienced PR practitioner, and CPRS member, will share his knowledge and insights on the Barcelona Principles in the upcoming CPRS Evaluation Lunch and Learn to be held Wed. Nov. 23, 2016, in the Barley Mill at Eau Claire Market.
“Evaluation isn’t and shouldn’t be an afterthought, otherwise public relations practitioners handcuff themselves from continuously improving their public relations work,” McVean said. He will explain how to utilize the principles to improve the process of evaluation in public relations work.
“Demonstrating the value public relations brings to an organization is key. Too bad more public relations and communications practitioners don’t understand how to connect evaluation with adding value.”
McVean is looking to “raise awareness among public relations practitioners about, not just Barcelona Principles, but also the importance of evaluating the work we do.”
“As soon as we start evaluating the work we do, or improving the evaluation we do, the sooner we can better demonstrate our value to senior management; which, at the end of the day, if we fail to do that, in an economic time like we currently have been experiencing, they just say goodbye to us,” McVean said.
McVean is president at McVean Communications Inc. a communications firm that specializes in strategic communications, integrated marketing communications, and issues and reputation management. McVean has taught at Mount Royal University in the Faculty of Communications Studies for the past six years.
“PR practitioners that have been out practicing, away from school for ten years, may not recognize the three o’s (outputs, outtakes, and outcomes). I think the Barcelona Principles will be new for a lot of people.”
The International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) introduced the Barcelona Principles in 2010. AMEC meets yearly to discuss the principles and make revisions as needed. A second version of the Barcelona Principles was launched in 2015.
“To me, the only reason it’s important about them changing is that people here generally don’t know version one, now five years later we are in version two,” McVean said. “It’s time for people to figure this out.”
“Searching Wikipedia for Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles won’t get you anything near the same value as attending this CPRS Calgary Lunch and Learn,” said McVean.
Attend the luncheon and “discover the power of starting with evaluation when creating communications objectives, instead of at the end.”
