public-relations-intake-assessment

Intake & Initial Assessment — Public Relations

Run a structured intake and initial assessment for clients, journalists and stakeholders in PR agencies and client organisations. The deliverable is a completed intake record and initial assessment summary. This skill is written for a public relations consultant working with clients, journalists and stakeholders in PR agencies and client organisations.

When to use

• You are a public relations consultant preparing, delivering or reviewing this part of your work in PR agencies and client organisations.
• You need a defensible, repeatable approach that produces a completed intake record and initial assessment summary.
• A colleague, auditor or client asks how this was done and what evidence supports it.

Key Concepts

Term	Meaning
Embargo	information released for publication at a set future time
Coverage	media reporting about a client or story
Key message	a core point a campaign aims to communicate

Workflow

1. Step 1 - Confirm identity, consent and the reason for referral or engagement, and open the record that will hold media lists
2. Step 2 - Gather history and current circumstances from clients, journalists and stakeholders, using the standard intake structure for PR agencies and client organisations
3. Step 3 - Record baseline observations and measurements relevant to coverage quality and reach, noting anything that changes the priority of the case
4. Step 4 - Flag immediate concerns — especially inaccurate statements to media — and escalate or fast-track anything urgent before proceeding
5. Step 5 - Summarise findings for clients, journalists and stakeholders in plain language, agree the next step, and file the intake section of media lists

Profession-Specific Components

Component	Details for Public Relations
Core documentation	media lists; press releases; campaign plans; coverage reports
Core tools & equipment	media databases; monitoring tools; social platforms; design tools
People involved	clients, journalists and stakeholders; the public relations consultant; colleagues and other services in PR agencies and client organisations
Primary record	media lists — keep it current, dated and attributable

Output Format

Context: [Situation in PR agencies and client organisations] | Objective: [What this must achieve] | Audience: [clients, journalists and stakeholders and other stakeholders]

The finished output is a completed intake record and initial assessment summary, structured as:

1. Summary of position and evidence
2. Detail, following the workflow above
3. Decisions, actions, owners and dates
4. Review point and escalation route

Action Plan

1. Immediate: Confirm scope, consent and the evidence available in media lists.
2. Short-term: Complete the workflow steps and record outcomes against coverage quality and reach.
3. Medium-term: Review results, close actions, and update local procedures in PR agencies and client organisations.

Success Metrics

Metric	Target	Method
coverage quality and reach	Agree a local target and track the trend	Measured from media lists and reviewed on a set cycle
message inclusion	Agree a local target and track the trend	Measured from media lists and reviewed on a set cycle
campaign milestones	Agree a local target and track the trend	Measured from media lists and reviewed on a set cycle
client retention	Agree a local target and track the trend	Measured from media lists and reviewed on a set cycle

Guardrails & Quality Checks

• Never let this happen: inaccurate statements to media.
• Never let this happen: crises mishandled.
• Never let this happen: embargo breaches.
• Work only within the competence and authority of a public relations consultant; escalate or refer anything beyond it.
• Record facts and observations, not speculation, and keep records confidential to PR agencies and client organisations's rules.
• Verify names, dates, figures and measurements twice before anything is issued or signed off.
• Use only real, verified information from the case in hand — never invent results, credentials or evidence.

Example (illustrative)

A public relations consultant in PR agencies and client organisations applies this workflow for clients, journalists and stakeholders: they open media lists, work through the five steps using media databases, and close by recording the outcome against coverage quality and reach and agreeing the next review date. (Illustrative example only — replace with the real details of the case in hand.)