Qualche risposta/proposta al Melbourne Mandate

Premesso che ritengo il Melbourne Mandate un ottimo lavoro, ho qualche appunto che mi è venuto in mente... l'ho pubblicato sul sito Melbourne Mandate e lo lascio in inglese anche qui, perché così lo ho pubblicato sul sito. Ho utilizzato gli Stockholm Accords (non solo per e con Ferpi) ma anche all'interno della mia organizzazione nella lavoro quotidiano, ottenendo un riconoscimento del valore del ruolo e della professione.

Il Mandato, dopo il report "Bulding Belief", mi aiuta a rinforzare e rinnovare alcuni concetti di estrema importanza.

- Does the Melbourne Mandate capture the most critical emerging areas of value for public relations and communication management?

 In section 3 (the role of PR in the society) I see from an italian perspective a relatively recent emerging area that regards the intercultural or multicultural challenges that communities have to face. I am expecting a moro and more important involvement of PR in this issue.

 - The Melbourne Mandate’s first section focuses principally on the role of public relations in organizations; the second focuses on our interaction with stakeholders; and the third focuses also on the responsibility to society. Is the balance right?

 I think it's balanced. Nevertheles, regarding the first point we have to take into account that Values, Leadership and Culture are very often specific tasks of HR departments while our colleagues are usually mainly focused on internal communication tools and programs or, at the best, on the envisioning phase. We must work together with HR and dominant coalitions in the organizations to earn the gallons for these tasks and to demonstrate our competencies. That's possible but not always given. We must think our effort as a cooperative effort more than a competition with other functions but, again, this is not given. In this section we should also try to differentiate the mandate for senior and junior (manager and specialist) professionals: the Arthur Page Society report always refers to CCO (Communication Chief Officer) stressing a fundamental difference.

 - Can the Melbourne Mandate be applied in every culture, or are variations required? If so, which specific variations and why?

 Not all cultures are mature for some challenges; very often we can see cultural differences in the same geographical area or in the same organization also. PR professionals should try to apply it as much as they can, but I guess more as a "striving for perfection"...

 - The Melbourne Mandate includes some high aspirations for public relations. How can we prepare ourselves – as professionals and as a profession – to live up to these aspirations?

 PR assocations will have the crucial role of promoting these aspirations to students, to junior and to senior professionals. It's not an easy task because aspirations are linked to responsibilities. The Mandate is an important starting point and a powerful opportunity (as also Stockholm Accords have demonstrate to be) but have to be promoted with a special focus on Universities and beginners.

- As a professional, how could you actually use the Melbourne Mandate to advocate the role and value of public relations?

 I will start to promote its contents through Ferpi (the italian association of PR pros) but in particular I will use it in my organization and with local stakeholders, such as universities of the area, trade unions, institutions...