Introducing the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Initiative: Moving On from Talking About Evaluation to Incorporating It into Better Management of the Practice

At times, the debate about evaluation in public relations can seem like a car, stuck in mud or snow, trying to move forward. The engine revs, the wheels spin, exhaust fumes and friction smoke cloud the scene, but-in the end-the car remains stuck. So, too, the evaluation debate: a great deal of discussion, but no forward movement. A review of public relations literature at any time in the past twenty to thirty years will quickly find the same themes whenever evaluation is raised. The debate about evaluation goes on, but little if any progress is made.