When you employ a public relations consultancy you expect it to be a sound business, well-managed and capable of doing a great job for you. You expect it to comply with a professional code of conduct and to perform according to best practice.

The Public Relations Consultants Association Consultancy Management Standard provides you with this assurance.

The Standard is an independently-audited set of eight tests which a consultancy must pass before it is eligible for membership of the PRCA.

PRCA members must furthermore be able to show annual fee income of £200,000, employment of five or more full-time staff, and a successful, audited, three-year-minimum trading record.

The Consultancy Management Standard combines elements of ISO 9000 and Investors in People with criteria specific to public relations consultancy. It was introduced in 1997 as the industry’s first quality certification system for public relations firms, and is now being adopted worldwide.

There are over 2,000 public relations firms in the UK. Only 120 hold the PRCA Consultancy Management Standard. These consultancies account for 70 per cent of all public relations services, by value, in the UK. These are the consultancies which are certified by the Standard to deliver professional management, professional performance and measurable ROI.

*extract from PRCA document - September 2003