This is an individual assessment.

For this report, you will research the communication situation of the partner organisation you will be working with (organisations will be allocated in the first tutorial) using the client brief, which will be available on ilearn, as a starting point. Engage in desk-top/online research to gather useful background information about the organisation, key issues affecting it, key stakeholders, as well as the sector more broadly. Also, attempt to clarify the key communication problem or situation that the client wants tackled by your team. As you may have limited information from the client at this stage, this can be presented in an open-ended way e.g. It appears that the client would like..., and may become clearer following your face-to-face briefings with your client in week 5. This report should prepare you well for your week 5 briefing with the organisation.

Maximum 1000 words.

Marking criteria:  

Reading, research & relevance (50%):

• Evidence of detailed research into the organisation, the sector more broadly, and key stakeholders.
• Consideration of relevant political, social, cultural and historical issues relating to the organisation.
• Discussion of the client's present communication problem or situation. 

Expression (30%):

• Written in an appropriate factual report style. 
• Ideas are expressed clearly and succinctly.
• Correct grammar, vocabulary spelling and punctuation.

Presentation (20%):

• Correct referencing (footnotes only).
• Formatted as a report (it can have some dot points where relevant). 
• Looks polished and professional.

Your research report should be submitted electronically via Turnitin.

This team-based report will be marked as a group. 

The assignment requires you to work in a small group as a PR consultancy to develop a comprehensive communications plan (PR strategy) for your client. Through discussion and negotiation at team meetings, you will work with your team members to divide responsibility for its various components. It is suggested that you learn about and take into account each individual member's strengths and ensure fair distribution of tasks.

Strategy reports typically address such aspects as message design, key publics, tactics, evaluation, and include media releases, timelines, and budgets. Lectures and tutorials will cover how to work effectively in a group and the type of content that needs to appear in a PR strategy document.

After the contents page, include a brief 'acknowledgements' section (one paragraph) outlining the major contributions of each team member during the development of the campaign. The purpose of this section is to demonstrate the professional approach taken in dividing the tasks and working together as a team. Note that while you may experience difficulties in the course of working with others, it is part of the experience to develop skills in negotiation and leadership as you try and overcome difficulties and achieve a positive outcome for all. You may also acknowledge and thank your client for their assistance and input during the development stages. 

As a whole, the report should have a consistent style throughout and no individual's work should be identifiable. To achieve this it is recommended that one student be responsible for the final editing.  

Your mark will be based on how well you work as a team to deliver a report with appropriate content, creative solutions to the communication problem, effective design and layout, and clarity of expression.

After receiving feedback from your tutor, you are expected to update your report and provide a clean copy to your client and tutor at the presentation. The document is expected to meet professional standards. 

There is no word count for this report. It should meet the needs of your campaign. 

Marking criteria:

• Strategic thinking: the campaign document aligns with client's needs and expectations by analysing the issues presented by the client and addressing the client’s communication problem through a series of targeted strategies (35%) 
• Practicability and creativity: competence in designing a communication plan and its various components, including well-designed messages, clearly identified key publics, appropriate tactics, inclusion of evaluation strategies, and appendices of media releases, timelines, budgets etc. (35%) 
• Professionalism: evidence of effective teamwork as seen through the acknowledgements section and presentation of a comprehensive and seamless report, which flows logically, is well edited/proofread, uses consistent and correct spelling, and has a professional and clean format, design, and layout (30%)

Your strategy report should be submitted in hard copy form in class in Week 8. One group member must also submit the document electronically to Turnitin. 

In week 12 or 13, your group (consultancy) will present your PR strategy to your client and pitch for the account. All group members are expected to have a speaking role and members should work together to ensure smooth and logical links between each speaker. The group presentation will be assessed by both the tutor and/or convenor and the client. You will receive a group mark for the presentation. 

The presentation should be 15 to 20 minutes long. It will be followed by 10 minutes for questions from the panel members.

Marking criteria:

Content: Did the presentation pitch address the key elements of the strategy? Were relevant details provided? Did it address the communication problem in a creative and effective way? Did the response demonstrate depth of thought and attention to a range of concerns? Did each team member play a key role in the delivery of important content? Were all group members prepared to effectively answer questions from clients and/or the tutor? 

Structure: Was the introduction clear and did the body and conclusion follow on in a logical manner? Was there a smooth transition between speakers? Did the parts link well to one another?

Presentation: Did the presentation engage the audience? Were the presenters enthusiastic and motivated? Did they work well as a team? Were visual aids appropriate, well designed, easy to read and attractive? Did they support the key message?

Your reflection mark will be based on the following 2 components:

Work-in-progress diary (5%)

From week 5 (client meeting) until your presentation is complete in week 12 or 13 you will be required to write a weekly work-in-progress diary where you keep notes on what you are doing on your client campaign that week, how you feel the project is going, what is going well and what might need to be changed to improve the way you work together as you progress towards the deadlines. There should be one entry per week. It can be a paragraph with sentences or written in dot points with sufficient detail. The first diary entry should include a list of tasks and responsibilities for your project decided at your group's first meeting, which should then be converted into a timeline. Your timeline may change as you go along, but it will help to structure your group work and should be seen as the foundation of successful project management. Explain what has been achieved (or not) with reference to your timeline over the weeks. You may include details and reflections on face-to-face discussions, emails, or other forms of discussion that take place in class as well as out of class.

End-of-project reflection (5%)

After the presentations, you are required to reflect on the overall process of participating in a group project for an environmental or social organisation. There are 3 parts:

1. Team members' strengths and areas for improvement (approx. 4 pars): Reflect on the relative contributions of each team-member to the written report, oral presentation and weekly preparations, pointing out for each team member at least one thing they did well as well as at least one thing they could improve on. Include a paragraph for each team member including yourself. You may solicit feedback/quotes from your teammates about your strengths and areas for improvement to use in your report. You may also select notes from your work-in-progress diary to provide examples from the team experience to back up your points. 

2. Approaches to group work (2 pars): Write 2 paragraphs linking key experiences with two pertinent concepts on teamwork from your readings and/or other academic readings (include at least 2 references). Use the references to help explain your reflections on approaches to groupwork that were motivating and worked well, as well as incidents which were more difficult to manage and may be key learning experiences. You may also include reflections on your discussions with your client representative. Explain what you personally might have done differently to enhance teamwork.

3. Experience working for an environmental or social organisation (1-2 paragraphs): Write 1-2 paragraphs reflecting on your experience working for an environmental or social organisation as part of this unit. Note which organisation you worked for and use the following questions as a guide for your reflection: What are the benefits of working for an organisation in this field? What are the main challenges? Was there anything you hadn't expected? Has it changed the way you think about certain issues, environments, objects or people? Do you feel you have developed in your capacity to be socially inclusive and/or sustainable? Have you changed any behaviours (including ways of communicating) as a result of working for this organisation? Has it made you re-consider your career path? If so, how? If not why not? There is no right or wrong answer. You will be marked on the depth of attention to and consideration of your experience. 

Marking criteria

Diary: Key points for diary reflections are carefully selected and appropriately detailed (approx. 1 paragraph per week), entries cover from week 5 until week 12 or 13 (after your presentation)

Reflection: Thoughtful and considerate presentation of the strengths and weaknesses in your teamwork, drawing on pertinent examples and details from your experience; areas for improvement among your team members and yourself discussed with a spirit of empathy and sense of professional development; two pertinent and well-chosen teamwork concepts chosen and appropriate academic references on teamwork inform the reflection; insightful reflection on working with an environmental or social organisation.  

Overall expression: Clearly and succinctly presented, well chosen details, free from grammatical and spelling errors, well formulated dot points (if used), full and correct referencing (either Harvard or footnote style referencing are fine but one should be selected and used consistently)

Your work-in-progress diary and end-of-project reflection should be submitted as one document to Turnitin.

You will be marked on the consistency and quality of your contributions to tutorial discussions and activities (just turning up to class will not guarantee any marks awarded). 

Marking criteria:

Understanding: Clear oral expression demonstrating critical understanding of key concepts raised in the readings,lectures and tutorials; quality of questions raised

Application: Ability to apply pertinent MAS390 concepts to cases and campaigns in class discussions and workshops

Attitude: Positive engagement with classmates and the tutor