Course Title: Apply corporate social responsibility to public relations

Part A: Course Overview

Program: C6169 Advanced Diploma of Business (Public Relations)

Course Title: Apply corporate social responsibility to public relations

Portfolio: Vocational Education

Nominal Hours: 60

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Important Information:

Please note that this course may have compulsory in-person attendance requirements for some teaching activities. 

To participate in any RMIT course in-person activities or assessment, you will need to comply with RMIT vaccination requirements which are applicable during the duration of the course. This RMIT requirement includes being vaccinated against COVID-19 or holding a valid medical exemption. 

Please read this RMIT Enrolment Procedure as it has important information regarding COVID vaccination and your study at RMIT: https://policies.rmit.edu.au/document/view.php?id=209. 

Please read the Student website for additional requirements of in-person attendance: https://www.rmit.edu.au/covid/coming-to-campus 

Please check your Canvas course shell closer to when the course starts to see if this course requires mandatory in-person attendance. The delivery method of the course might have to change quickly in response to changes in the local state/national directive regarding in-person course attendance. 

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
MKTG8054	City Campus	TAFE	650T Vocational Business Education	Face-to-Face or Internet	Term1 2021

Course Contact: Nick Reynolds

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 0791

Course Contact Email: nick.reynolds@rmit.edu.au

Course Description

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to apply corporate, social responsibility (CSR) to public relations (PR) policy, i.e. planning for and communicating the establishment and maintenance of resource efficient and environmentally sustainable work practices. It includes developing and implementing policies and procedures to continuously support positive organisational initiatives through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all impacted members of the public sphere.

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

National Competency Codes and Titles

National Element Code & Title:	VU22810 Apply corporate social responsibility to public relations
Elements:	1. Explore how CSR applies to workplace PR strategies 2. Make recommendations on CSR application to PR policy 3. Apply the policy 4. Evaluate CSR policy

Learning Outcomes

You will acquire competency and a full understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility and how to develop and implement policies and procedures to continuously support positive organisational initiatives through PR activities related to the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all impacted members of the public sector.

Overview of Assessment

Assessment Methods

A range of assessment methods will be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following assessment methods will be used specifically to assess competency in CSR:

• Project management
• Written reports supported by practical assignments or tasks for individual assessment
• Observation of workplace practice supported by personal interviews
• Knowledge tests
• Practical display with personal interview, presentations or documentation
• Case studies
• Real situations
• Interaction with others.

You will be assessed on the criteria below:

Required skills

• effective management of different points of view and dissenting stakeholders
• communication skills to:
•     enable clear and direct communication, using questioning to identify and confirm requirements, share information, listen and understand
•     read and interpret complex and formal documents, such as policy and legislation
•     think laterally
•     suit different audiences and support information flow between various internal and external stakeholders, using language and concepts appropriate to cultural  differences
•     use and interpret non-verbal communication
• written communication skills to prepare written reports requiring:
•     precision of expression
•     language and structures suited to the intended audience
• innovation and problem solving skills to:
•     analyse issues from many points of view
•     think laterally
•     apply knowledge about policy to devise policies and procedures around impact upon the environment, consumer practices, employee behaviour, energy usage and resource   efficiency and new technologies
•     identify improvements and customer service
• research, analyse and present information and techniques
• team work for consultation and validation of policies and procedures
• technology skills for use of software systems, communication, and creating documents  and reports

Required knowledge

• the business case for CSR and how it applies to PR practices
• benchmarking against best practice approaches and support for new approaches
• best practice approaches relevant to industry and work area
• environmental or sustainability legislation, regulations, compliance and codes of practice applicable to industry and organisation
• policy development processes and practices and other relevant organisational policies, procedures and protocols
• principles, practices and available products, tools, technology and techniques of sustainability management relevant to the particular industry context
• quality assurance systems relevant to own organisation
• relevant products, technology, systems and procedures to aid in the achievement of an effective CSR policy in the workplace
• sustainability and triple bottom line principles and concepts

Evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

• the application of organisational policy for CSR to PR activity, ensuring that application methods comply with legislative requirements and contain an implementation strategy that shows a measurable improvement using chosen CSR indicators
• the review of CSR policy after implementation
• communicating with relevant stakeholders
• gathering information from a number of sources (including regulatory sources, relevant personnel and organisational specifications) to plan and develop policies
• the development of monitoring policies for evaluating data on organisational CSR practices
• use of word processing and other basic software to interpret charts, flowcharts, graphs and other visual data and information and to write reports.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment will be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the workforce development – diversity field of work and include access to:

• organisational policies and procedures 
• business technology
• case studies and, where possible, real situations with the public relations industry
• interaction with others.

You are advised that you are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate your assessment work to your teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met. You will be provided with feedback throughout the course to check your progress.

Feedback

Feedback will be provided throughout the semester in class and/or with online discussions.

You are encouraged to ask and answer questions during class time and online sessions so that you can obtain feedback on your understanding of the concepts and issues being discussed. You can email or arrange an appointment with your teacher to gain more feedback on your progress.

You should take note of all feedback received and use this information to improve your learning outcomes and final performance in the course.