The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI), a prominent organization representing PR and communication professionals across the nation, has introduced its new Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter. These guidelines are designed to boost collaboration and operational effectiveness within the industry, reflecting PRCAI’s dedication to cultivating an ethical, professional, and forward-thinking sector.The PR industry is expected to continue its upward trajectory, as preliminary findings from the PRCAI SPRINT 2024* survey, conducted in collaboration with IPSOS, indicate a 19.6 percent growth in FY 2022-2023, increasing the market size to ?2,500 crore from ?2,100 crore in FY 2021-2022. Building on this momentum, PRCAI has concentrated on three crucial areas: the Request for Proposal process, fostering a collaborative work environment, and establishing guidelines for the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence, all aimed at further reinforcing the industry."The Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter reflects our dedication to innovation and the pursuit of excellence as the PR sector continues to expand and mature," stated Deeptie Sethi, CEO of PRCAI. "These guidelines are intended to align client and consultancy efforts and serve as a potent tool for achieving mutual objectives and establishing a gold standard for behavior that everyone can adopt."PRCAI’s newly launched guidelines arrive at a critical juncture as the PR industry experiences rapid transformation. Despite strong growth, the sector in India faces several challenges, including budgetary constraints, discrepancies in client-consultancy expectations, a lack of skilled talent, and operational inefficiencies. The Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter directly addresses these challenges by offering a comprehensive framework to streamline operations, enhance transparency, uphold ethical practices, and strengthen client-agency relationships.Neha Mehrotra, National Chair for Standardisation & Growth at PRCAI, remarked, "The standardisation guidelines are crafted to tackle the modern challenges within the PR industry and will create a more cohesive and efficient working environment. By promoting transparent communication, respecting commercial priorities, and integrating emerging technologies ethically, these guidelines empower PR professionals to deliver outstanding results with significant impact and value."The development of these guidelines involved significant collaboration, with PRCAI assembling 35 industry experts representing PR firms of various sizes and seasoned corporate communication specialists through closed-door workshops. These professionals, bringing together a combined experience of 1,000 years, dedicated 400 hours over 100 days to meticulously craft the standardisation guidelines. This collaborative effort exemplifies the industry's collective passion for raising standards and driving positive change.Minari Shah, a PRCAI member and director of International (APAC, EU, LATAM) Owned Content & Channels at Amazon, stated, "This initiative by PRCAI is a step in the right direction towards professionalizing our industry and ensuring harmonious collaboration among all parties. The guidelines are a starting point for bringing much-needed clarity and structure to client-agency partnerships. By clearly defining expectations and focusing on transparency and accountability, they can help foster stronger and more productive relationships between clients and consultancies."The three key guidelines within the Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter and AI Code of Conduct include:1. *Standardizing the Request for Proposal (RFP) Process:* This guideline emphasizes transparency and efficiency, highlighting the need to pre-qualify consultancies and shortlist three to four based on their credentials. It underscores the importance of clear communication briefs, defined stages in the selection process, and transparent compensation practices, ensuring fair treatment of non-shortlisted consultancies. Additionally, a structured induction training program for onboarding new consultancies is outlined to ensure alignment and excellence.2. *Creating a Collaborative Work Environment:* These guidelines encourage a 'One Team' mentality, fostering mutual respect and collaboration. Best practices for onboarding consultancy partners include clear norms for briefs, access to information, and leadership engagement. The guidelines advocate for defining mutual goals, mechanisms for productive feedback, and maintaining realistic timelines and work expectations, ensuring continuous business efficiency and supporting ongoing learning and development.3. *AI Guidelines for PR Consultancies:* These guidelines ensure transparency and accountability in AI usage, ethical data use, bias mitigation, and human oversight in AI-driven processes. They empower users by providing details on AI usage and allowing data control. The guidelines also emphasize the need for robust security measures to protect AI systems and data, along with compliance with AI regulations."This initiative by PRCAI aims to create a level playing field for strong client-consultancy partnerships in this new digital era. The AI guidelines are crucial for every PR professional, not only for ensuring the ethical and responsible use of technology but also for building trust with key stakeholders through the fair and accurate use of data, insights, and information," commented Seema Siddiqui, former Director of Communications at Microsoft India.PRCAI encourages its members, including 50 PR firms and several practitioners, to adopt the new code of conduct guidelines, which serve as a guiding framework rather than binding regulations. This initiative reinforces PRCAI’s commitment to fostering true partnerships between PR firms and their clients, setting clear communication standards, and adhering to the highest levels of professionalism.
