Communications agency, Campaign Collective, has been awarded the Communications Management Standard (CMS) by the Public Relations & Communications Association (PRCA), the first social enterprise to receive the accolade.
The PRCA introduced the CMS in 1998 as a hallmark of excellence in communications management.
The CMS combines elements of quality management certification ‘ISO 9001’ and people management standard ‘Investors in People’ with criteria specific to a PR and communications consultancy. It launched the virtual agency award in December 2019 in response to the growing number of agencies now operating remotely.
Agencies applying for all versions of the Standard must fulfil stringent criteria in eight core areas, including Leadership and Communication, Business Improvement, Campaign Management and Client Satisfaction. Applicants are required to self-assess and submit their results to the PRCA, following which sections are randomly selected for moderation by an independent assessor.
Carol Magill, CMS assessor at PRCA said:
During the process, Campaign Collective demonstrated that it is an agency which, while clearly having at its very heart a social and ethical purpose, is focused on business planning and development. It evidenced a strong commercial ethos and has a clearly articulated vision.
Sarah Colombini, Founder Member of Campaign Collective, which celebrated its fourth birthday last month, said:
We are really pleased that the PRCA launched a version of the CMS for virtual agencies to allow those organisations with a non-traditional business model to apply. Our remote working model allows our members to enjoy a flexible work-life balance and means we can ensure each client has the best person for the job, while keeping overheads low.
We are committed to providing high quality communications advice and support to organisations and campaigners creating a better society and are thrilled to have had this recognised by the PRCA.
Agencies which achieve the Standard are eligible for inclusion in the PRCA Matchmaker Service and can also use CMS branding on their marketing materials.