Issues and Stakeholder Engagement (COMU3140)

The Task

This assignment directs you to reflect on key concepts, use generative AI tools appropriately, and apply theoretical understandings, as you critically examine issues management in a practical context. (N.B. This is a simulated assessment task.)

There are two components of this assignment task to be completed. You will be expected to use generative AI critically for both tasks:

• Part A – Preparing a written report of an environmental scan for a specific client organisation; and
• Part B – Presenting a spokesperson response as a member of a team of organisation representatives being interviewed by media.

In classes, you will be guided through a number of activities which help you to prepare for this assignment, including the use and critical analysis of generative AI.  

The Client Organisation

The client organisation you will be representing is Brisbane Airport Corporation (https://www.bne.com.au/corporate). 

In the workshop in Week 4 you will meet with this client, and will be provided with further information. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions of the client at this session. 

When subsequently conducting further research for this assignment task, you should NOT approach the organisation directly. Instead, use your research skills to uncover information from publicly available information sources (for example, the organisation's website, the organisation's annual report, and media articles).  

Report (Part A) – Issue and Stakeholder Scan 

Prepare a 2000-word report of an environmental scan for Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC). 

To conduct this analysis, it is expected that you will both incorporate information from the academic sources which have been set as the required learning resources for this course, and critically adapt generative AI outputs. You should also research publicly available organisational sources (for example, annual reports, websites), media articles, other cases/precedents where similar organisations have experienced the same issue or a similar issue. You should consult at least 15 sources for this assignment task.

Your report should contain the following:

Cover sheet – Use of Generative AI

In line with industry practice, you will make use of generative AI for this task. You will need to: 1. Apply critical judgment to use and adapt GenAI output. 2. Complete the cover sheet provided to indicate how you have used GenAI in the task. See the marking criteria sheet for further details on how this will be assessed.

1. Client Organisation

Provide a concise profile of the organisation (name, location, size, number of years in operation, etc.), and an assessment of the organisation’s track record for the occurrence and management of issues. (You may also wish to include some wider assessment of the occurrence of issues in the sector.)

2. Issue Identification

Identify:

(a) current issues the organisation is facing; and

(b) issues which the organisation is likely to face.  

Then, undertake an analysis of ONE (1) current or emerging issue which has implications for the organisation and/or its stakeholders, and particularly potential negative media consequences.

You may wish to include in your analysis:

• How the issue has occurred (or is likely to occur).
•  What is being communicated about this issue (by whom, how, how frequently, using what channels).
• The impacts to the organisation (including reputational implications).

3. Stakeholder Identification

For the current/emerging issue you have identified, undertake an analysis of the stakeholder groups concerned. You may wish to include in your analysis:

• Stakeholder main interests/matters of concern.
• Stakeholder perceptions, attitudes, and/or behaviours in relation to the issue.
• The degree of impact/influence of the stakeholders on the organisation.
• The priority of the stakeholders for the organisation.

4. Spokesperson Preparation

For the current/emerging issue you have identified, use generative AI to prepare a list of up to 5 questions and responses which you believe will equip an organisational spokesperson to confidently participate in a media interview and represent the organisation effectively.

Include a short critique outlining (250 words) how you evaluated and adapted the initial generative AI produced questions.

5. Reference List

Using APA referencing style, provide a complete list of all sources used in the preparation of this assignment.   

Use of AI/MT

Please refer to the instructions provided on Blackboard regarding appropriate use and referencing of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for this assessment task.

Machine Translation (MT) may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of MT in each instance.

A failure to reference MT use and the use of generative AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Simulated Interview (Part B) – Spokesperson Response

You are to act as an organisational spokesperson in a media interview which will last approximately 10 minutes. The interview will focus on an issue the organisation is facing – an issue which the journalist will select.

To complete this part of the assessment task, students will work in peer teams of 4 persons. Each peer team will participate in a simulated media interview with a journalist (or journalist in training). Each individual student is expected to participate in the interview.

Each student in the peer team will take a different managerial role within the organisation (for example, the CEO, Human Resources Manager, Technical Operations Manager, Risk Manager). Each member of this managerial team will be called upon to speak equally in the interview – and should be prepared to answer 3-4 questions from the journalist.

The peer team is responsible for developing the management roles which will be adopted for the purpose of this assignment task.

You should not assume that the focus of the interview will be on the specific issue you have analysed for this assignment. Therefore, an important part of the peer team’s work is developing a wider understanding of the issues the organisation faces.

Use of AI/MT

You will use generative AI tools, and your critical skills as an emerging PR professional, to prepare for this task. We will practice examples in class. 

Please refer to the instructions provided on Blackboard regarding appropriate use and referencing of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for this assessment task.

Machine Translation (MT) may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of MT in each instance.

A failure to reference MT use and the use of generative AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Recording of Oral and Practical Assessment 

• All presentations will be recorded for marking purposes via recording facilities available where the assessment takes place (eg. ECHO360, Zoom, camera device)  
• Recordings will be retained by the School of Communication and Arts for at least 12 months from the release of the final grade for the course.  
• Recordings will be stored in a secure manner and will only be accessed by authorised school staff for the purposes of: 
• Moderation of marking;  
• Provision of feedback to the student(s) recorded; and/or  
• Re-marking following a successful re-mark application.

Purpose

When it comes to issues management, there are cases where issues continue to escalate, despite organisational efforts to manage the issue. Additionally, there are times where the organisation faces serious or unexpected events with serious or potentially catastrophic impacts. The public relations professional plays an important role in facilitating effective communication in turbulent times. You will be required to quickly assess the communication requirements, and to provide strategic leadership over the organisation’s communication - ensuring that accurate information is communicated with those who are affected, stakeholders (including, for example, government, activist groups, industry regulators, and the wider publics of interest (including the media).

The Task

This assignment directs you to reflect on key concepts and apply theoretical understandings as you critically examine an issues/crisis event for a client organisation, and apply understandings in a practical context.  (N.B. This is a simulated assessment task.)

In the Week 12 workshop, you will be guided through an issues/crisis case study and activation experience by BAC staff.

Following this workshop, there are two components of this assignment task to be completed by Week 13:

• Part A – Preparing a presentation on a recommended stakeholder engagement strategy in repone to the BAC issues/crisis case study and activation experience; and
• Part B – Preparing a reflection on the issue/crisis case study and activation experience.

(See below for further detail on each of these parts.)

The Client Organisation

The client organisation you will be representing is the Brisbane Airport Corporation (https://www.bne.com.au/corporate). 

In the workshop in Week 4, you will have meet with this client organisation – and will have been provided with further information. You will also have had the opportunity to ask questions of the client. Additionally, you will have already completed your Assignment 1 task focused on this client organisation.

 You should NOT approach the organisation directly unless otherwise advised by your tutor. Use your research skills to uncover information from publicly available information sources (for example, the organisation's website, the organisation's annual report, and media articles).   

Presentation (Part A) – Presentation on Recommended Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

Present a 15-minute presentation for the client organisation Board of Management.

Your presentation should contain the following:

1. The Issue/Crisis

Provide a summary account of the issue/crisis.

You may wish to include in your summary:

• The name of the issue/crisis, and a summary account of how it has occurred. (You may wish to use the the 5W’s and 1H approach here.)
• What is being communicated about this issue (the intensity of communication, the channels, the sentiment/concerns being expressed, and key parties influencing public opinion).
• The impacts to the organisation.

2. Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

Present a recommended strategy for stakeholder engagement.

In developing this strategy, you should:

• Assess and prioritise the stakeholder groupings.
• Identify what information needs to be communicated to the stakeholder groupings, and how.
• Develop a strategic set of no more than 3 key messages.

3. Questions

Conclude the presentation by opening up a question time (maximum 5 minutes) for the Board of Management. (As a team, you should develop a strategy for addressing questions – prepare potential questions and answers, and nominate who should respond to which types of questions.)

Following the presentation and question-time, the peer team will then participate in a brief feedback process with the industry representative.

It is expected that you integrate information from academic sources which have been set as the required learning resources for this course.  Sources used in the preparation of, and in the content of, the presentation should be acknowledged within the presentation following appropriate academic referencing process for oral communication. You should also provide a reference list as part of your presentation.

Use of AI/MT

This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Recording of Oral and Practical Assessment 

• All presentations will be recorded for marking purposes via recording facilities available where the assessment takes place (eg. ECHO360, Zoom, camera device)  
• Recordings will be retained by the School of Communication and Arts for at least 12 months from the release of the final grade for the course.  
• Recordings will be stored in a secure manner and will only be accessed by authorised school staff for the purposes of: 
• Moderation of marking;  
• Provision of feedback to the student(s) recorded; and/or  
• Re-marking following a successful re-mark application.

Reflection (Part B) – Issue/Crisis Activation Reflection

You are to prepare a 1500-word written reflection on the issue/crisis case study and activation experience.

This needs to be a critical reflection. Therefore, you will need to move beyond merely describing your learning experience. Instead, you should aim to highlight, explain, and analyse the changes in your understandings and approaches as a result of the experience. Unfold the moments when you consider you came to deeper realisations and understandings (the 'aha moments'), relate these to the course content and academic literature, and assess the implications of what you have learned for your future professional practice.

You may wish to include in your reflection a critical assessment of:

• What you have learned about the process of working with a client organisation (for example, developing understandings of a client organisation, securing good information from the client organisation on it's situation/needs, providing the client organisation with well-informed recommendations).
• What you have learned about the process of working as part of a communication team for a client organisation (for example, developing an effective team dynamic, working to ensure effective performance and outcomes, how you would work to enhance/improve a communication team’s performance and outcomes in future projects).
• What you have learned about issue/crisis communication (for example, the application of what you have learned to the real-world context of organisational issues and stakeholder engagement).
• The implications of what you have learned for your future professional practice - where you consider you have developed strong professional capabilities, and where you have identified a need/opportunity to pursue further professional development (what actions you will need to take, why, and how).

It is expected that you tie your critical reflections to the academic sources which have been set as the required learning resources for this course.

Use of AI/MT

This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.