The Global Body of Knowledge Project is a brainchild of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management. It’s goal is to explore the opportunities for establishing a common set of competencies for awarding professional credentials in Public Relations and Communication Management.

In 2004 the Professional Credentials Project identified seven core competencies that are tested in the major credential schemes offering Accredited in public Relations (APR) or Accredited in Business Communication (ABC). A lot has changed in the practice since then. New skills and abilities are required. Global Alliance saw the need to explore a comprehensive Body of Knowledge or a list of Knowledge (K)Skills (S) and Abilities (A) or a KSA list that would be offered as a new base for credential schemes in public relations and communication management.

The first phase of the project consisted of gathering the relevant documents from Global Alliance members and a top line analysis, presented in Madrid in September 2014. At that time, members asked that a detailed analysis be conducted against a benchmark chosen amongst the submitted documents. Volunteer and financial resources were offered by several members of the Global Alliance to accomplish this task.

The second phase of the analysis of documents submitted by Global Alliance members was in support of the research in establishing a Global Body of Knowledge (GBOK) with a list of Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSAs) and Behaviours, serving a dual purpose:

  • as the basis for the launch of a proposed global ‘Standard’ to be used by in examinations and testing offered by GA members around the world and,
  • as a base for setting curriculum standards on a global level
  • The Global Alliance is considering a global list of KSAs or Global Body of Knowledge and Skills, assets which will strengthen the profession as a whole. More information:www.globalalliancepr.org/website/gbok

Since APRN is a member of Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, a plan to socialize this to its members has organized. On 25 January, the faculty members of Public Relations department of the London School of PR Jakarta had a first hand information about GBOK from Mrs. Prita Kemal Gani, the Delegate-at-Large for Asia, who is the representative in Global Alliance for Asia. A mini-lecture about GBOK and a discussion was lead by Dr. NicoWattimena, LSPR lecturer, which has prompted valuable inputs from the participants. The session was concluded with a briefing on the roadmap for ASEAN PR competencies delivered by Ms. Gesille Sedra Buot, Managing Director of APRN.

The GBOK socialization continued the following day, the 26th January, inviting the board members of Perhumas (PerhimpunanHubunganMasyarakat Indonesia). PR practices from the Indonesian perspective was explored more on how it can be incorporated in GBOK and how it can be applicable in Indonesia practice and in South-East Asia region at large. The discussion was very fruitful and this is really what Global Alliance has aimed to achieve and that is to further refine GBOK and make it universal in practice in any region and culture.