PRCA launches CMS Go: Tailored accreditation for smaller PR agencies

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has announced the launch of CMS Go, a dedicated version of its Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation, specifically designed for smaller PR agencies with ten or fewer employees.

CMS Go is the only accreditation of its kind in the UK that assesses and recognises best practice across entire PR and communications teams, not just individuals. Delivered entirely online and supported by a PRCA Lead Assessor, CMS Go offers smaller teams a practical yet rigorous pathway to excellence, embedding quality and consistency across all aspects of their operations.

Agencies undertaking CMS Go are guided through eight key areas:

• Leadership and communication
• Business planning
• Improvement and development
• Financial systems
• People and campaign management
• Client satisfaction
• Equity

The process is open, transparent, and robust, beginning with a self-audit and internal scoring process. Agencies that meet the required threshold then undergo an independent assessment to confirm their accreditation.

Successful agencies gain the CMS Go mark and are eligible to join Matchmaker, PRCA’s industry-leading agency search and pitch platform, designed to connect businesses and brands with the right PR and communications partners.

PRCA continues to offer CMS Core, the standard CMS accreditation, for agencies with more than 10 employees, and its CMS in-house offering for teams working in organisations.

PRCA Interim CEO Sarah Waddington CBE said:

“We want to embed best ethical practices in PR agencies from the very beginning, and CMS Go provides that opportunity. It’s designed for organisations that not only want to do the right thing from the outset but also want to accelerate their growth.

“CMS gives agencies a strong foundation on which to build a viable business. It helps founders identify and manage risks, offering a comprehensive framework that covers everything from recruitment to transparent campaign and client management processes.

“We also recognise that updated government tender arrangements are creating more opportunities for small businesses. This accreditation provides public sector clients and others with confidence that a CMS-accredited agency has met a rigorous standard and represents the hallmark of PR excellence.”

Carol Magill, PRCA CMS Lead Assessor, said:

“CMS is a proven formula for long-term success. Most agencies that achieve CMS retain it for over five years, and three have consistently held it for more than 20 years.

“The annual process of reviewing business performance and demonstrating compliance with PRCA standards helps agencies stand out when securing or retaining clients.

“CMS Go also reflects current best practices. For instance, following Women in PR research, it now encourages agencies to include salary ranges in job advertisements.

“Both CMS Go and Core are refreshed annually, bringing new, insight-driven improvements led by the PR industry.”

CMS accredited agency Grasshopper Communications Director Hannah Dineen (she/her) said:

“We’ve had accreditation with the PRCA since 2021, at a time when we were a much smaller agency and wanted to ensure that we had the right processes in place. We have continued to value the focus on the business that the annual accreditation provides, which has particularly helped as we have grown. PRCA’s decision to tailor the CMS process to smaller agencies means others can go on the journey we have and grow via the best practice CMS promotes.”

More details:

https://www.prca.global/membership/communications-management-standard