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Title / Establish social, ethical, legal, and regulatory parameters for public relations activities
Level / 5 / Credits / 5
Purpose / This unit standard is for people who have or seek responsibility for developing public relations programmes.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: identify ethical issues and professional codes for public relations activities; assess and apply social and ethical implications for specific public relations programmes; and interpret and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and assess ethical performance.
Classification / Business Operations and Development > Public Relations
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1Definitions
Organisation can be the candidate’s own workplace, a researchable New Zealand organisation, or be based on a given case study.
Policies set parameters for making decisions and offer a general guide to action.
Public relations is defined by the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand as ‘the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics. It is about building and managing relationships and communication processes.
Publics are the diverse groups with an interest in the activities of an organisation or individual, or with whom the organisation needs to engage.
2Industry guidelines relevant to this unit standard are available from: the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand, The Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, and the International Association of Business Communicators,
3Legislation relevant to this unit standard includes but is not limited to the:
Broadcasting Act 1989
Copyright Act 1994
Defamation Act 1992
Fair Trading Act 1986
Human Rights Act 1993
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987
Major Events Management Act 2007
Official Information Act 1982
Privacy Act 1993
Trade Marks Act 2002
Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Identify ethical issues and professional codes for public relations activities.
Evidence requirements
1.1Ethical issues are identified in relation to public relations activities.
Rangepublic interest, interests of clients, public relations processes, and interests of the public relations industry and profession.
1.2Professional codes of ethics and codes of conduct are identified for relevant New Zealand and overseas professional bodies, and the provisions of these are related to identified ethical issues.
Rangeprofessional bodies may include but are not limited to – Public Relations Institute of New Zealand, International Association of Business Communicators, Global Alliance.
1.3Accreditation provisions for membership of New Zealand public relations professional bodies are identified, and the influence of accreditation is explained in relation to ethics and professionalism in public relations practice.
1.4Ethical principles, professional codes, and related organisational policies are identified for specific organisations or client groups seeking public relations services.
Outcome 2
Assess and apply social and ethical implications for specific public relations programmes.
Evidence requirements
2.1Research is conducted to understand publics and social and ethical expectations.
Rangeincludes – desktop research, informal primary research, formal primary research.
2.2Public interest and social responsibility dimensions are assessed for specific public relations programmes to identify any implications for publics and their impact on communication strategies, plans, and activities.
2.3Ethical principles, professional codes, and relevant organisational policies are assessed in relation to specific public relations programmes, and impacts are identified for communication strategies, plans, and activities.
2.4Ethical principles, professional codes, and organisational policies are applied to public relations activities.
Outcome 3
Interpret and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and assess ethical performance.
Evidence requirements
3.1Legal and regulatory requirements are identified, interpreted and complied with in relation to public relations functions and communication strategies, plans and activities.
3.2Public relations programmes and activities are reviewed to assess ethical performance against industry guidelines.
Planned review date / 31 December 2019Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 24 October 1997 / 31 December 2016
Revision / 2 / 16 January 2001 / 31 December 2016
Review / 3 / 19 November 2010 / 31 December 2016
Rollover / 4 / 16 April 2015 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0113
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact NZQA National Qualifications Services if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
NZQA National Qualifications ServicesSSB Code 130301 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018