The first ever Belfast Communications Academy, held jointly by the Government Communication Service and the NI Public Sector Comms forum, took place at the Mount Conference Centre in Belfast last Thursday. We had a great turnout - the 50 spaces sold out in 36 hours and we had a waiting list of more than twenty. Public sector comms professionals from across Northern Ireland came to see a packed agenda featuring Alex Aiken from GCS, Michelle Canning from the Housing Executive, Ann Williamson from DfE, Ella Fallows from Facebook, Peter McBride [...]

Over 50 women gathered for the inaugural Women in PR NI event in Belfast city centre on Thursday 26th April. The women, from all communications disciplines, came together for an evening workshop to identify the barriers they face and to work together to begin to identify solutions. Women in PR NI is a new programme launched by Michelle Canning, Head of PR with the Housing Executive and Sara McCracken, Head of Marketing, Research and Communication with the Controlled Schools Support Council. The not for profit programme aims to ensure there are no barriers to women participating in [...]

The first Regional Communications Academy to be held in Northern Ireland will take place in Belfast on Thursday the 17th of May at the Mount Conference Centre, Belfast. It's part of the GCS Regional Communications Academy Programme, a new series of exciting professional development conferences being held across the UK in 2018. The NIPSCF is delighted to be partnering with GCS on the Belfast event. This all day event is free to attend, though you must book in advance. Lunch will be provided. Book online Delegates will have the [...]

Friday night saw public sector comms teams among those recognised for their achievements in digital communication at the eighth DANI awards, which celebrate the best of Northern Ireland’s digital communications. The award ceremony was held at Belfast's Whitla Hall and compered by Scissor Sisters vocalist Ana Matronic. Since 2011, the DANI Awards have been searching for the best talent and online technologies from individuals and corporations both large and small who push limits and deliver innovation and impact. This year the Probation Board for Northern Ireland won the award for [...]

After the recent launch of our official guide to modern public sector communications in Northern Ireland, we would now like to ask you to formalise your support for our work and our values. We understand that many of you are working in small teams, with limited budget and resource. That’s why we have developed the NIPSCF guide – to help all NI public sector organisations deliver more to their audiences for less, making the most of what is available and encouraging collaboration with peers across the sector. The guide sets [...]

Today we launched our official guide to modern public sector communications in Northern Ireland. The event took place in the great Hall at Queens University, Belfast and the speakers included Alex Aiken, Executive Director of UK Government Communications, Chris McNabb, Head of Operations for the Executive Information Service and Roisin McDonagh, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The guide is a living document, shaped by the professional experiences, insights, skills and expertise of communications professionals here. We are asking leaders of our public sector organisations to support [...]

Public sector communications is challenging. In Northern Ireland, it is no less so. It’s also changing. Last year, a group of professionals came together to set up the Northern Ireland Public Sector Communications Forum (NIPSCF). We have been supported in this journey by the Cabinet Office and Government Communications Services. We wanted to build a network of well-structured, skilled and unified professionals who communicate effectively, innovatively and speak directly to their audiences through the right channels and in the right ways. We wanted to share and develop best practice, build [...]

A few top tips for video creation – and please remember, this is just from my experience, working in a team with no budget and no videographer… Equipment – what do you need? Genuinely, all we use is an iPhone, a tripod and (sometimes) a lapel mic. Hold your phone horizontally. A FEW things to check in your shot: Focus, Exposure, White Balance. Check for ambient noise. This is particularly important if you don’t have lapel mics. Choose a shot, and stick with it. You can edit in some cutaways [...]

One way to help you to connect with similar professionals is to join the growing Northern Ireland Public Sector Communications Forum LinkedIn Group. We set up the group last year to connect anyone working in a communications role across the public sector in Northern Ireland. Members use the forum to share what’s working for them, helpful articles and research plus valuable insight into campaigns and activities. Please help us grow the network by spreading the word amongst your colleagues and sharing the link to the group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8540328 Emma is a [...]

Over the next 12 months, we would like to continue to develop the NIPSCF to make sure that there are real practical opportunities for it to impact the way in which public sector communications work in Northern Ireland. To help do this, we have set up four working groups to look at key themes which have emerged over the last nine months. About the working groups A Citizen-focus group to look into examples of best practice within the community, how communications teams can share knowledge and insight and the possibility [...]