The three-year Service Level Agreement has been agreed with the aim of growing LGcommunications’ membership, maximising its commercial income, improving communications with members, and delivering a relevant programme of events and conferences. It will also ensure that members have access to high quality, professional development.
The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) and the LGA have signed a three-year Service Level Agreement, working as a consortium, assuming responsibility for the administrative management of LGcommunications.
LGcommunications is a national body made up of an association of authorities that works to raise the standard of communications in local government. The body organises seminars taking place around the UK, a national conference, and publishes content on a range of communications topics.
The LGA is a politically-led, cross-party membership organisation that works on behalf of councils in England and Wales. As the national voice of local government, the LGA works with councils to support, promote, and improve local government. The LGA formally endorses LGcomms as the professional body for local government communicators.
The PRCA is the UK’s largest professional association of PR and communications practitioners. With 900 corporate members across the private, public, and charitable sectors, the PRCA represents and regulates over 24,000 practitioners. The Association exists to raise standards in PR and communications, providing members with industry data, facilitating the sharing of communications best practice, and creating networking opportunities.
The three-year Service Level Agreement, commencing on 1 April 2018, has been agreed with the aim of growing LGcommunications’ membership, maximising its commercial income, improving communications with members, and delivering a relevant programme of events and conferences. It will also ensure that members have access to high quality, professional development.
It covers the provision of business administration, financial management, membership administration and subscriptions, event organisation and management – plus communications, marketing, governance support, and commercial support. These services will be split between the PRCA and the LGA.
The LGA and PRCA will be accountable to LGcommunications’ Executive for the delivery of the SLA.
Francis Ingham MPRCA, Director General, PRCA, said: “This is great news for all three parties. By putting additional resources at LGcomms’ disposal, we can improve even further the services it provides to Councils. And by working together even more closely than we have done previously, we can together fulfil our joint aims of promoting ethical professionalism within our industry.”
Simon Jones MPRCA, Chair, LGcommunications, said: “This agreement ensures that LGcomms continues to have a bright future. By working in partnership with the PRCA and LGA we will be able to further grow the organisation and improve the level of support provided to local government communicators.”
Cllr Paul Bettison, Chairman of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board, said: “The LGA is delighted to be partnering with the PRCA to deliver this exciting new chapter. As part of our wider support and improvement offer, we have worked closely with LGcommunications for many years and look forward to helping to grow the organisation, promote best practice and strengthen the service that we can provide to communicators across local government.”