Programme overview
Introduction:
A communication audit is rarely run until a problem surfaces, so many communication functions cannot say which channels reach which stakeholders, which messages land, or what their work changes, and they still report clippings and reach. This Core Concept course gives communication and PR managers a working method to scope and run a communication audit, gather evidence through surveys, interviews, content, channel and network analysis, and build PR measurement on outputs, outtakes, outcomes and impact. Participants produce a Communication Audit Report and Measurement Framework for a case organisation.
Course Objectives:
- Scope a communication audit with clear terms of reference, stakeholder coverage, evidence sources and sponsor sign-off
- Collect and triangulate audit evidence using questionnaire surveys, stakeholder interviews, content analysis, channel analytics and network analysis
- Assess internal and external channel effectiveness and test key messages with target audiences before and after release
- Build a measurement model that links communication objectives to outputs, outtakes, outcomes and organisational impact
- Evaluate media coverage and online conversation for tone, share of voice and message penetration using a documented coding scheme
- Report audit findings and communication value to leadership through KPI dashboards and prioritised recommendations
Target Audience:
- Managers who run corporate communication or public relations functions and must evidence their contribution
- Leads responsible for communication research, insight, evaluation or media intelligence
- Managers of digital, social and owned channels who report channel performance to senior leaders
- Stakeholder engagement and corporate affairs managers who assess relationships with external audiences
- Communication business partners who advise divisions on channel choice and message effectiveness
Course Outline:
Day 1: Communication Audit Purpose, Scope and Baseline
- Communication Audit Definition, Triggers and Organisational Scope
- Audit Terms of Reference: Objectives, Stakeholder Coverage and Sponsor Sign-Off
- Communication Asset and Channel Inventory Template
- Stakeholder Map for Audit Sampling: Internal, External and Intermediary Audiences
- Current-State Baseline Scorecard for Communication Function Maturity
Day 2: Audit Research Methods and Evidence Collection
- Audit Questionnaire Design: Item Wording, Scales and Sampling Frame
- Structured Stakeholder Interviews and Focus Group Protocols
- Critical Incident Technique for Communication Breakdowns
- Communication Network Analysis and ECCO Rumour-Path Tracing
- Content Analysis Codebook for Publications, Web Pages and Speeches
Day 3: Channel Effectiveness, Message Testing and Audience Research
- Channel Effectiveness Matrix: Reach, Preference, Trust and Cost per Contact
- Owned, Earned, Shared and Paid Channel Performance Comparison
- Message Pre-Testing with Comprehension, Recall and Credibility Probes
- Audience Persona Validation Using Survey and Web Analytics Evidence
- Evidence Triangulation and Audit Findings Matrix
Day 4: Measurement Frameworks, Monitoring and KPI Design
- Barcelona Principles: Goal Setting, Outcome Measurement and Rejection of AVEs
- AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework: Objectives, Inputs, Activities, Outputs, Outtakes, Outcomes and Impact
- Media Monitoring Coding Frame: Tone, Prominence, Share of Voice and Message Penetration
- Social Listening and Sentiment Validation: Automated Scoring Versus Human Coding
- Communication KPI Tree and Leadership Dashboard with Baselines and Targets
Day 5: Case Study: Communication Audit Report and Measurement Framework
- Case Organisation Evidence Pack: Survey Results, Coverage Log and Channel Data
- Gap Analysis Between Intended Messages and Stakeholder Perceptions
- Prioritised Recommendations Register with Owners and Quick Wins
- Communication Audit Report and Measurement Framework Drafting
- Board-Level Findings Briefing and Peer Challenge Panel
Skills You Will Gain:
- Audit Scoping
- Survey Instrument Design
- Stakeholder Interviewing
- Communication Network Mapping
- Content Coding
- Message Pre-Testing
- Media Evaluation
- Communication Dashboard Design
Why Attend This Course:
- Take back a Communication Audit Report and Measurement Framework built on a realistic case evidence pack
- Replace clippings counts and advertising equivalents with outcome and impact measures that leadership recognises
- Find out which channels and messages actually reach priority stakeholders before committing next year's budget
- Compare audit and evaluation practice with communication managers from corporate, public and non-profit organisations
Conclusion:
Communication earns its place in decision-making when it can show what reaches people and what changes as a result. The course moves from scoping a communication audit and building a baseline, through surveys, interviews, critical incident, network and content analysis, to channel effectiveness and message testing, and then to outcome-based measurement, media evaluation and KPI dashboards. The final day turns a case evidence pack into a Communication Audit Report and Measurement Framework defended before a peer panel.