The PRCA has called for greater transparency on the use of public funds after a report in the Sunday Times suggested that the head of the Government’s vaccine taskforce had failed to undertake professional procurement processes when hiring a PR agency.
The report alleges that Kate Bingham has acted improperly since her appointment and that she insisted on hiring a PR agency “despite concerns they would duplicate the work of government communications staff.”
The agency featured in the report, Admiral PR, are not PRCA members.
Koray Camgöz, PRCA Director of Communications & Marketing, said:
“It is imperative that government departments are clear on how public money is spent. Decisions governing how public funds are spent – including the recruitment of PR agencies – must be subject to robust processes. Failure to undertake professional procurement threatens to damage public trust at a critical time for the country.
“The pandemic has underlined the importance of strategic public relations and the exceptional value it can deliver for organisations and governments. But PR – like all professional services – must be procured in an ethical manner.”