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Accreditation
The Accreditation Program was launched in February 2006 to demonstrate an industry wide commitment to continuous professional development and raise the professional standards of advertising. Compliance requirements were included to equip agencies to manage the increasingly complex regulatory environment.
The principles of the program focus on achieving best practice in the areas of human resource management and Occupational Health & Safety, in addition to compliance with self-regulatory codes, regulations and Trade Practices legislation. Staff are required to complete an average of 24 hours training per year with an agency commitment of 75% participation across the agency. The program encourages participation from all departments within the agencies with the belief that an agency-wide commitment is critical to success.
 Why Accreditation and CPD?
A Culture of Best Practice
Objectives
Steps to Accreditation
The role of the Accreditation Manager
Why Accreditation and CPD?
Advertising agencies have changed dramatically in the past 10 years.
While maintaining a key focus on creativity, agencies have streamlined their management systems and diversified into a wide range of integrated communications services.
Agencies are responding to the increasing regulatory environment and scrutiny of advertising by governments, regulators, the media and the public.
Agencies are more likely to be employing university-trained graduates who utilise a vast array of skills and knowledge for their clients’ businesses.
No longer is the business confined to pure advertising. Agencies are employed to help drive top line growth through many different services. They are equally at home developing a business strategy or product concept, as they are with creating and executing great communications.
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A Culture of Best Practice
The Best Practice Accreditation is designed to help agencies demonstrate their commitment to professional standards, compliance and continuous learning for staff.
It will help with staff retention and signifies the agency is actively taking steps to maintain a culture of Continuous Professional Development.
The ‘Accredited’ trademark represents ‘best practice in advertising’.
It will offer advertisers confidence in their choice of agency and help create value for business.
Importantly, it is designed to mirror the compliance standards demanded by many advertisers, including state and federal governments. This should help agencies reduce the administrative burden of applying for other accreditation schemes.
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Accreditation Objectives
For Agencies
Promote a culture which respects and values talent within the advertising industry
Improve the professional standing of advertising agencies in business and the community
Manage a more complex regulatory environment
For Staff
Provide a formal program of continuous professional development
Make advertising a more attractive and stable career option
Ensure a comprehensive understanding of laws and codes
For Marketers
Give the marketing community more confidence in advertising agencies
Assist in agency selection and tendering
Increase agency knowledge and ability to contribute to client’s business success
For the Community
Meet community expectations of the role and responsibility of advertising
Demonstrate a commitment to corporate responsibility
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Steps to Accreditation
Agencies are required to undertake the following steps to achieve full Accreditation:
STAGE 1
1. Statement of Financial Capability.
2. Declaration of permanent staff and informing participating staff.
3. Aligning Accreditation/Continuous Professional Development with agency business objectives.
4. Trade Practices Compliance Program - Agencies must have a Trade Practices Compliance program in place including training for 75% of relevant staff.
5. Commence recording CPD hours.
INTERIM COMPLIANCE ACHIEVED
STAGE 2
1. Best Practice Human Resource Management - Agencies must have best practice principles in place for induction processes and performance review management.
2. Occupational Health & Safety - Agencies must have best practice principles in place for Occupational Health & Safety including third party obligations for TV Production.
3. Advertising Codes & Regulations - Agencies must identify relevant Codes and Regulations and implement a training process for appropriate staff.
4. Agency Code of Ethics - Agenices must train at least 50% of staff in the Agency Code of Ethics.
5. Continuous Professional Development - Staff to undertake an average of 24 hours CPD training per year. A minimum of 75% of agency staff must participate.
FULL ACCREDITATION ACHIEVED
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The Role of the Accreditation Manager
Choosing the right Accreditation Manager is vital to the ongoing success of the program. They are expected to undertake a number of important tasks:
- Work through the seven steps to agency compliance, organising workshops, training or staff meetings where appropriate.
- Provide an interim compliance report detailing the completion of a number of initial requirements. Once submitted, agencies will be able to use the Accreditation Trademark.
- Help Management co-ordinate the introduction of CPD to agency staff.
- Decide what system is best for recording staff CPD activities. A simple online system helps staff to log their CPD hours and engage in educational activities. Under this system the accreditation manager will also be able to log and manage staff CPD on their behalf.
- Agencies are also welcome to adapt their own time-based systems to record CPD. There are a number of issues to consider in using your own system and we advise you to discuss this with the vendors or the Communications Council. If an agency uses its own system, you will need to provide the Communications Council with regular reports of ongoing CPD activities, including a 12 month report.
- Finally, review the agency’s participation on a regular basis and provide feedback. We have taken the best components of a number of CPD programs, including the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising’s (IPA) program in the UK and adapted them for the Australian market. But please let us know if you have any suggestions for improvement.
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