Assessor Resource

BSBPUB403A
Develop public relations documents

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: May 2024


This unit applies to individuals working in public relations roles who are required to develop various marketing communication documents. Typically they would do this as part of a team working on a public relations campaign.

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to design, produce and edit public relations documents for various target audiences, and to evaluate their effectiveness in the marketplace.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.



Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

researching, designing, developing, testing, implementing and evaluating a range of public relations documents intended to communicate different concepts to for different audiences.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

access to office equipment and resources.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

assessment of examples of public relation documents

demonstration of document testing techniques

direct questioning with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate

oral or written questioning

review of authenticated documents from the workplace or training environment

review of testimony from team members, colleagues, supervisors or managers.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

BSBPUB402A Develop public relations campaigns

other marketing or public relations units.

Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)

Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

culturally appropriate communication skills to relate to people from diverse backgrounds and people with diverse abilities

information management skills to retrieve, record and store public relations documents

literacy skills sufficient to write public relations documents in a range of styles and tones for a range of target publics and audiences

organisational and time-management skills to sequence tasks and meet timelines

research and data collection skills to analyse previous communication documents and to identify relevant information relating to the client, target public, audience and organisation

technology skills to use a range of office equipment such as computers and software such as word processing.

Required knowledge

current issues or trends which affect the public relations industry

overview knowledge of key provisions of relevant legislation from all levels of government, codes of practice and national standards that affect business operations, such as:

anti-discrimination legislation and principles of equal opportunity, equity and diversity

copyright

defamation and libel laws

ethical principles such as those outlined in the Public Relations Institute of Australia Code of Ethics and the Australian Journalists Association Code of Ethics

marketing codes of practice and conduct such as the Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA) Code of Practice

privacy laws

TradePracticesAct1974 (Cth)

industry structures, networks within the public relations industry

organisational and client operating environments, structures and business and marketing plans

principles and practices of marketing communications and media strategies.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Previous communication documents may include:

annual reports

brochures

community service announcement scripts for radio or television

direct mail letters

flyers

media releases

newsletters

position papers

press kits

speeches

organisational, marketing and public relations strategic plans

Communication media may include:

biographical sketches

brochures

direct mail letters

fact sheets

flyers

media releases

position papers

speeches

Appropriate methods may include:

content analysis

focus groups

interviews

secondary resource information

surveys

Target public, as the audience for the communication, may include:

community groups

contractors

general public

government departments

industry associations

investors

management

media

organisations

politicians

public service

staff

unions

Legal and ethical constraints may include:

codes of practice, codes of ethics

cultural expectations and influences

ethical principles

relevant legislation

policies and guidelines

regulations

social responsibilities such as:

protection of children

environmental issues

societal expectations

Editing may include:

checking for consistency with house style

detailed editing to ensure material expresses author's meaning clearly without gaps of contradictions

substantive editing to improve the overall presentation of material through rewriting and rearranging material

Appropriate personnel may include:

clients

team members and colleagues

managers

senior managers

supervisors

test groups

Appropriate evaluation methods may include:

content analysis

focus groups

surveys

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Research previous communication documents for tone, content and style 
Research previous communication media and media distribution channels using appropriate methods 
Research and analyse existing evaluation data 
Conduct research about target public, clients or relevant organisations 
Identify and segment the target public 
Identify and agree upon communication objectives, messages and processes with other team members or supervisors in accordance with organisational procedures 
Ensure communication message is related to organisational strategic objectives and operational plans 
Identify and gain agreement on appropriate communication media and media channels to send communication message 
Identify and agree upon processes to test the success of planned public relations communications 
Determine outsourcing resources, and provide input into developing timelines and costs 
Identify legal and ethical constraints impacting on communication message 
Design and write communication documents in accordance with organisational objectives which effectively communicate issues, policies and practices of the organisation to target audiences 
Scan documents to ensure compliance with legal and ethical requirements and proofread to identify and correct errors 
Assess appropriateness of the style and tone of text for the target public and carry out structural editing to ensure the document flows logically 
Edit the document to ensure its scope and format is in accordance with the organisation's strategic communications plan and complies with house style 
Seek feedback from appropriate personnel on content of public relations documents following proofreading 
Test document and amend it in response to feedback 
Determine and agree upon modifications and incorporate into final draft 
Forward any required document to outsourced resources within scheduled timelines 
Distribute document in accordance with scheduled timelines using appropriate public relations publications to communicate and promote the goals of the organisation 
Gather feedback and regularly monitor the effectiveness of distributed documents using appropriate evaluation methods 
Evaluate results of public relations documents against communication, organisational or client objectives 
Record and file evaluation results and any improvement recommendations for future reference 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

BSBPUB403A - Develop public relations documents
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Assessment Record Sheet

BSBPUB403A - Develop public relations documents

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: