Training for communications specialists of Ukrainian prosecutor’s offices
The agency was contacted by specialists from the Training Center of Prosecutors of Ukraine. The proposal was to conduct a training to improve the skills of prosecutors' press officers from different regions.
We focused on the following topics: effective communication of prosecutors' offices, communication during a crisis, preparation for public speaking, social media, information security, and mistakes made by press services (media perspective). In order to not only deliver the information to the participants but also to consolidate it, we developed a program with an emphasis on practical exercises: 30% theory and 70% practice.
While working on the communication strategy, we analyzed its components, discussed the main problems faced by spokespersons, identified key formats of interaction with the media and key mistakes in working with the media, and worked on the topic of newsworthy events.
The topic of public speaking was highlighted separately — how to prepare yourself and prepare a speaker. We analyzed the structure of public speaking and the rules that should be taken into account when preparing. We highlighted the key rules of working “on camera”, performed articulation and breathing exercises. The participants had the opportunity to prepare for a public speech with our help and record it to analyze it in detail. In this block, we used universal advice — from what should be an appropriate appearance to the time of rehearsals and the importance of facial expressions and gestures.
Our experts also helped the participants understand crisis communications: what are the types of crises, how to recognize them, and what to expect? They discussed ways to prevent crises and identified mandatory rules and taboos for responding to crisis situations. We also discussed the specifics of communication during a crisis and interaction with the media. During the practical part, we developed an algorithm of actions in a crisis situation.
We also discussed the topic of social media: algorithms, trends, and tendencies. We identified the peculiarities of social networks of official structures, in particular, prosecutor's offices. We emphasized risks and taboos. We analyzed individual pages.
Among other things, the training drew attention to the main mistakes made by press services through the media's perspective. This was discussed by invited expert Fedir Skrypnyk. And Oksana Moroz spoke about how Ukrainians consume information and about information security in today's realities. The attendees had the opportunity to analyze the model of information viruses on the example of their spread on Facebook.
Since the participants of the training were experts with considerable experience working in the press services of prosecutors' offices, in addition to the program we prepared, all those present had the opportunity to share their own knowledge and cases, and discuss the specifics of their work. By the way, it was also useful for us as trainers to understand the specifics of their work.
The participants improved their skills, gained new knowledge and learned many life hacks. Everyone received a certificate of successful training.
Our work was highly appreciated by the client — we have good feedback from representatives of prosecutor's offices in different regions and from the Prosecutor General's Office. We received a lot of positive reviews, a letter of recommendation from the organizers and an invitation to conduct another similar training.
