The Association of Public Relations and Communication Management Firms (APReCoM) has announced plans to enhance the professional oversight of communication consulting firms’ in the country, through self-regulation mechanisms.
As part of the plans, APReCoM has embarked on a process to subscribe to the International Communication Consultancy Organization (ICCO) which is the voice of public relations consultancies globally.
The association, has also developed binding industry operating practice tools covering PR agencies procurement and client working standards aspects to promote ethical standards.
Speaking at the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, APReCoM Chairman and Apex Porter Novelli Managing Director Lawrence Gikaru, said the affiliation to ICCO is part of ongoing national efforts to guarantee professional Public Relations Practice in Kenya.
“APReCoM as a Public Relations Society of Kenya chapter is pursuing world-class standards and our affiliation to ICCO will enable our member firms’ to improve their service delivery through standard practice audits by a global oversight body,” Gikaru said, adding that, “ICCO will provide us with Consultancy Management Standard (CMS) Certification that combines ISO quality management systems among other crucial audit parameters to provide service delivery assurances to our public and private sector clients.”
During the AGM, the outgoing APReCoM office bearers presided over the handing over of the Association’s leadership instruments, to the new office bearers led by Red House Public Relations Managing Director Okoth Obado as Chairman
Obado pledged to pursue the publishing of additional tools to guide the marketplace on procurement of PR services, on measurement of PR outcomes, as well as on digital and social media exploitation.
“My leadership intends to embed APReCoM as the foremost standards body for consulting firms and pursue opportunities to enhance the relevance and recognition of APReCoM as the leading quality standards custodian within the consultancy space,” said Obado.
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Alongside Obado, the new APReCoM office bearers include Vice Chairperson Desiree Gomes (Engage Burson-Masteller), Secretary Ooga Omanga (Exclamation Marketing), Treasurer Nisha van Hoek (Advance PR & Marketing), Assistant Secretary Sam Karanja (H+K Strategies) and committee members Peter Mutie (Peterson Communications), Alfred Ng’ang’a (Oxygène MCL) and Josiah Mwangi (Apex Porter Novelli).
