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Recognition is a full member of the Public Relations
Consultants Association and fully subscribes to its professional charter
PRCA PROFESSIONAL CHARTER 1 PRCA
Professional Charter
A member firm shall:
- Have a positive duty to observe the highest standards in the
practice of public relations. Furthermore a member has the responsibility
at all times to deal fairly and honestly with clients, past and
present, fellow members and professionals, the public relations
profession, other professions, suppliers, intermediaries, the
media of communication, employees, and above all else the public.
- Be expected to be aware of, understand and observe this code,
any amendment to it, and any other codes which shall be incorporated
into this code, and to remain up-to-date with the content and
recommendations of any guidance or practice papers issued by the
PRCA, and shall have a duty to conform to good practice as expressed
in such guidance or practice papers.
- Uphold this code and co-operate with fellow members in so doing
by enforcing decisions on any matter arising from its application.
A member firm that knowingly causes or permits a member of its
staff to act in a manner inconsistent with this code is party
to such action and shall itself be deemed to be in breach of it.
Any member of staff of a member company who acts in a manner inconsistent
with this code must be disciplined by the employer.
A member firm shall not:
- Engage in any practice nor be seen to conduct itself in any
manner detrimental to the reputation of the Association or the
reputation and interests of the public relations profession.
Conduct towards the public, the media and other professionals
A member firm shall:
- Conduct its professional activities with proper regard to the
public interest.
- Have a positive duty at all times to respect the truth and shall
not disseminate false or misleading information knowingly or recklessly,
and to use proper care to avoid doing so inadvertently.
- Have a duty to ensure that the actual interest of any organisation
with which it may be professionally concerned is adequately declared.
- When working in association with other professionals, identify
and respect the codes of these professions and shall not knowingly
be party to any breach of such codes.
- Cause the names of all its directors, executives and retained
consultants who hold public office, are members of either House
of Parliament, are members of Local Authorities or of any statutory
organisation or body, to be recorded in the relevant section of
the PRCA Register.
- Honour confidences received or given in the course of professional
activity.
- Neither propose nor undertake any action which would constitute
an improper influence on organs of government, or on legislation,
or on the media of communication.
- Neither offer nor give, nor cause a client to offer or give,
any inducement to persons holding public office or members of
any statutory body or organisation who are not directors, executives
or retained consultants, with intent to further the interests
of the client if such action is inconsistent with the public interest.
Conduct towards clients
A member firm shall:
- Safeguard the confidences of both present and former clients
and shall not disclose or use these confidences, to the disadvantage
or prejudice of such clients or to the financial advantage of
the member firm, unless the client has released such information
for public use, or has given specific permission for its disclosure;
except upon the order of a court of law.
- Inform a client of any shareholding or financial interest held
by that firm or any member of that firm in any company, firm or
person whose services it recommends.
- Be free to accept fees, commissions or other valuable considerations
from persons other than a client, only provided such considerations
are disclosed to the client.
- Shall list the names of its clients in the Annual Register
of the Association.
- Be free to negotiate with a client terms that take into account
factors other than hours worked and seniority of staff involved.
These special factors, which are also applied by other professional
advisers, shall have regard to all the circumstances of the specific
situation and in particular to:
- The complexity of the issue, case, problem or assignment,
and the difficulties associated with its completion.
- The professional or specialised skills and the seniority
levels of staff engaged, the time spent and the degree of
responsibility involved.
- The amount of documentation necessary to be perused or prepared,
and its importance
- The place and circumstances where the assignment is carried
out in whole or in part.
- The scope, scale and value of the task, and its importance
as an issue or project to the client.
A member firm shall not:
- Misuse information regarding its client's business for financial
or other gain.
- Use inside information for gain. Nor may a consultancy, its
members or staff directly invest in their clients' securities
without the prior written permission of the client and of the
member's chief executive or chief financial officer or compliance
officer.
- Serve a client under terms or conditions which might impair
its independence, objectivity or integrity.
- Represent conflicting or competing interests without the express
consent of the clients concerned.
- Guarantee the achievement of results which are beyond the member's
direct capacity to achieve or prevent.
- Invite any employee of a client advised by the member to consider
alternative employment; (an advertisement in the press is not
considered to be an invitation to any particular person).
Conduct towards colleagues
A member firm shall:
- Adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth, avoiding
extravagant claims or unfair comparisons and giving credit for
ideas and words borrowed from others.
- Be free to represent its capabilities and services to any potential
client, either on its own initiative or at the behest of the client,
provided in so doing it does not seek to breach any existing contract
or detract from the reputation or capabilities of any member consultancy
already serving that client.
A member firm shall not:
- Injure the professional reputation or practice of another member.
Discriminatory conduct
A member is required to take all reasonable care that professional
duties are conducted without causing offence on the grounds of gender,
race, religion, disability or any other form of discrimination or
unacceptable reference.
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