Internal Communications is a growing area of PR practice and is strengthening its position within organisations. Sixty percent of respondents to the Internal Communications in Ireland Report 2024 said their influence as a trusted advisor to the C-suite has increased. Bringing purpose and values to life and embedding the business strategy are top priorities for those working in this area of communications practice. As they face the challenges of enhancing people leader communications; addressing disengaged employees and and managing communication overload, effective skills in this area are critical to business to success.
This practical and highly applicable course led by Joanna Parsons MPRII, is geared to specifically develop the competencies needed to succeed in internal communications in organisations today.
Key challenges today’s internal communications practitioners are managing in their daily and which this course touches on include:
- Developing communications strategy
- Aligning communications to the organisational business strategy
- Auditing internal communications
- Measuring and evaluating success
- Using communication tools including artificial intelligence (AI)
- Adapting for hybrid and remote workers
This course is accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Ireland - the professional body for communications and PR in Ireland.
Who will benefit from this course?
This course is ideally suited for those working in an internal communications role in organisations large or small. For those new to this area it will give the they core skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their role, why for those more established it will allow them develop their strategic influence and keep them up to speed with the latest developments and trends in Internal Comms.
The course will also be of interest to those working in PR consultancy who are now, more than even advising clients on internal communications issues as well as external communications.
Learning outcomes
The PRII Certificate in Strategic Internal Communication will provide participants with a solid grounding in the key knowledge and techniques needed to develop a strategic internal communication function.
On completion of this course participants will:
- Grasp the value of internal communication to an organisation and understand the different value spaces of internal communication professionals
- Develop the skills to develop and execute an internal communication strategy for their organisation, including the research and measurement skills required
- Increase their knowledge of the available internal communications tools and resources and how to deploy them to best effect.
Course Format & Delivery
Online Blended Delivery:
This course is being delivered using a blended online approach. This will consist of
(i) Live online lectures and tutorials to discuss core material, associated exercises, and to hear from Guest Speakers (with opportunity for live Q&A).
(ii) A series of pre-recorded video lectures which participants can watch in your own time;
(iii) In-person half-day workshop with a practical focus on developing your Internal Communication Strategy;
(iv) Self-directed learning with dedicated course resources webpage
The videos will be posted and then followed up during the following week with a live online session. These sessions will be two and a half hours each. Participants will be able to review the videos at a time that suits their schedule while also having the opportunity to interact with fellow course participants and the Course Director via the live online sessions.
Course Timetable
- 11 October – Live online class (9am – 11.30am)
- 18 October - video lecture available
- 25 October - Live online class (9am – 11.30am)
- 01 November - video lecture available
- 08 November - Live online class (9am – 11.30am)
- 15 November - video lecture available
- 22 November - Live online class (9am – 11.30am)
- 29 November - Live online class (9am – 11.30am)
- Wednesday, 04 December – In-person workshop (10am – 12.30pm)
Assignment Deadline - Monday 20 January 2025
Assessment & Certification:
Assessment is comprised of two elements:
- A reflective journal. (10% of overall grade).
- Internal Communications strategy project. Maximum 3,000 words, applying the learnings to practical work. (90% of overall grade).
Participants are encouraged to apply learning from the readings, modules and discussions and show how these apply to their own work situation.
The PRII Certificate in Strategic Internal Communication will be awarded on satisfactory participation and successful completion of the course assessment.
This course is accredited by the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) - the professional body for communications and PR in Ireland.
I really enjoyed and valued the mix of theory, insights, and guest speakers sharing their real expertise and tips. Plus, there were lots of relatable examples in both Joanna's lectures and from the guests which are invaluable.
The course was very useful for me as I am new to the industry and can relate a lot of the learnings to my current role and decisions being made in the workplace.
The knowledge gained each week was immediately applicable. As the weeks progressed I began to think more strategically and take a step back before starting new tasks or taking on new projects. I am constantly thinking of outcomes over outputs and the importance of pre-defined evaluation metrics. It has also helped me to prioritise workload by considering each task on the to do list in terms of its' strategic importance to the business.
I have been able to approach my job with more clarity as a result of this course. I understand more what should and shouldn’t be in my remit. I also have better tools for strategic planning. I think overall this has had a massive positive impact on my knowledge, confidence and ability to execute.
Very worthwhile use of time, and Joanna is an excellent instructor. I would highly recommend this to any other internal communicators.
Course Director
