The 2020 edition took place on 24-26 November in a fully online setting. Organised by LGcomms and the Government Communication Service (GCS), the first ever virtual Academy offered a mix of learning, expert speakers, networking, practical training and interactive sessions for communications professionals at all career levels.
In year that has seen communications professionals deliver results under intense pressure, it was a unique opportunity to appreciate our industry’s achievements and build for the future.
More details about the sessions that was on offer is available below. You can also read more about this year’s speakers and our amazing sponsors, as well as the winners of the 2020 Public Service Communications Awards.
Looking for presentations?
The presentations from Academy 2020 are available for download from the programme information displayed in the tables below. More downloads will follow shortly.
About the programme
This year’s Academy focused on six areas of professional practice crucial for public sector communicators to continue to be effective in future: Unified, digital, direct, data driven, skilled, diverse and inclusive.
- Unified – Collaborating across traditional boundaries to deliver integrated campaigns and communications.
- Digital – Designing creative and accessible digital communications and leading digital innovation.
- Direct – Making powerful connections with our audiences through direct communication channels and tools.
- Data-Driven – Applying data to engage our audiences and deliver measurable outcomes.
- Skilled – Going the extra mile to improve professional standards, develop and future-proof our skills and the skills of other communicators.
- Diverse and Inclusive – Committing to fostering diversity and inclusion and building community cohesion through inclusive communications.
*Programme as of 26 November 2020
Day 1: Tuesday 24 November 2020
| Time | Theme | Session | Speaker(s) / Panel Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09.00 – 09.10 | Welcome and introduction to the event | Alix Macfarlane, Chair, LGcomms | |
| 09.10 – 9.25 | Unified, Digital, Direct, Data-Driven, Skilled | Opening address: The future of our profession | Alex Aiken, Executive Director for Government Communications |
| 09.25- 10.00 | Unified, Digital, Direct, Data-Driven, Skilled | How Covid-19 has changed public sector communication | Claire Pimm, Director, National Resilience Communications Hub, Prime Minister's Office and Cabinet Office Communications Eleri Roberts, Birmingham CC Alix Macfarlane, Chair, LGcomms |
| 10.00 – 10.15 | Break | ||
| 10.15 – 11.15 | Data-Driven, Skilled | Using behavioural science to create world class campaigns | Abigail Emery, Acting Head of Behavioural Science, Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office David Watson, Deputy Director of Communication & Marketing, Department for International Trade Rebecca Benn, Senior Business Partner (Communications) at NHS Digital |
| 11.15 – 11.30 | Break | ||
| 11.30 – 12.30 | Digital, Direct | Digital & Direct: Introducing the first Hybrid House of Commons and remote voting | Alice Holmes and Clare Jennings, Communications Directors, House of Commons |
| 12.30 – 13.00 | Lunch break | ||
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Unified, Skilled | The role for mail to engage with vulnerable citizen | Royal Mail |
| 14.00 -14.15 | Break | ||
| 14.15 – 15.15 | Unified, Direct | External Affairs: Covid Advisory Panel Report | Stephen Waddington, Managing Partner, Wadds Inc. Jennifer Sproul, IOIC Mandy Pearse, Director, Seashell Communications Chris Daly, Chief Executive, CIM Francis Ingham, Director General, PRCA & Executive Director, LGcomms |
| 15.15 – 15.30 | Break | ||
| 15.30 – 16.30 | Unified, Diverse and Inclusive | Panel discussion: Diversity and Inclusion | Poli Stuart Lacey, Director of Communications, HM Revenue & Customs and GCS D&I Lead Florence Obinna, Consultation & Engagement Manager Dan Beagle, Senior Consultation Officer, London Borough of Hackney |
| 16.30 – 16.45 | Break | ||
| 16.45 – 17.30 | Unified, Diverse and Inclusive | Panel discussion: Maintaining our resilience through the pandemic | Koray Camgoz, Director of Communications and Marketing, PRCA Matt Dolman, Senior Communications Manager, GCS Flex Team Sara Vogt, Deputy Director, Corporate Communications, MOJ Georgia Turner, Head of Communications and Marketing, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council |
Day 2: Wednesday 25 November 2020
| Time | Theme | Session | Speaker(s) / Panel Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09.00 – 10:00 | Digital, Skilled | World-class digital capability | Peter Heneghan, Deputy Director of Digital, Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office Communications |
| 10.00 - 10.15 | Break | ||
| 10.15 - 11.15 | Skilled | The role of communications in tackling climate change issues | Craig Woodhouse, Director of Communications, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Kate Horner, Deputy Director – Head of Campaigns, Partnerships & Brand, COP26, Cabinet Office Rebecca Eligon, Senior Associate, Collaborate CIC Alysse Strachan | Programme Manager, London Borough of Hounslow |
| 11.15 – 11.30 | Break | ||
| 11.30 – 12.30 | Skilled, Diverse and Inclusive | Adding value through influence: the communications professional as a strategic fixer | Claudine Munro-Lafon, Deputy Director, Strategic Communications, HMRC Mark Fletcher-Brown, Director, Reputation Counsel |
| 12.30 – 13.00 | Lunch break | ||
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Direct, Data-Driven | Campaigns and marketing in times of Covid-19: lessons learned to date | Conrad Bird, Director of Campaigns & Marketing, Government Communications Service Rebecca Taylor - Campaigns & Stakeholder Manager (North of England) Ben Kitching - Senior Campaigns & Stakeholder Manager (South) Sarah Rochester, Service Manager, Communications and Marketing, Aberdeenshire Council |
| 14.00 -14.15 | Break | ||
| 14.15 – 15.15 | Digital, Data-Driven | The Inclusive Economy Partnership: national and local recovery and renewal | Shevaun Haviland, Deputy Director, Business Partnerships Team, Cabinet Office Toddington Harper, CEO, GRIDSERVE |
| 15.15 – 15.30 | Break | ||
| 15.30 – 16.30 | Skilled, Data-Driven, Diverse and inclusive | Being An Effective IC Practitioner and The Hidden Power of Internal Communications in Creating Inclusive Workplace | Russell Grossman, Director of Communications, Office of Rail & Road, Head of Government Internal Communications Profession Harriet Small, Internal Communications Lead, Hackney London Borough, the role of internal communication in diversity and inclusion |
| 16.30 – 16.45 | Break | ||
| 16.45 – 17.30 | Digital, Data-Driven | Digital campaigns: low cost/no cost basics | Darren Caveney, Founder of Comms2Point0 Liam McCallion, Communications Officer, Oldham Council Tom Vigor, Senior Content Officer, Hertfordshire County Council Ross McLean, Senior Campaigns Officer, Herrfordshire County Council Eleri Salter, Sales Manager, Council Advertising Network John-Paul Danon, Sales Director, Council Advertising Network |
Day 3: Thursday 26 November 2020
| Time | Theme | Session | Speaker(s) / Panel Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09.00 – 10.00 | Skilled | Creating crisis communications strategies | Julie Odams, Assistant Director - Communications and Customers, Derbyshire County Council |
| 10.00 - 10.15 | Break | ||
| 10.15 - 11.15 | Digital, Direct, Diverse and Inclusive | Countering disinformation with the Rapid Response Unit | Katie Williamson-Walsh, Response Lead, Rapid Response Unit, Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office Communications (Countering Disinformation with the Rapid Response Unit) Marcus Beard, Head of Media Monitoring & Analytics, No.10 and Cabinet Office |
| 11.15 – 11.30 | Break | ||
| 11.30 – 12.30 | Data-Driven, Skilled, Diverse and Inclusive | Audience segmentation | Tom Carney, Deputy Director, Transition Communications, Government Communications Service Neil Harrison, Campaigns Manager and Megan Howlett, Business Improvement and Communications, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. |
| 12.30 – 13.00 | Lunch break | ||
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Unified, Digital, Direct, Data-Driven, Skilled, Diverse and Inclusive | The Public Service Communications 2020 Awards | Alex Aiken, Executive Director for Government Communications |
| 14.00 -14.15 | Break | ||
| 14.15 – 15.15 | Skilled, Data-Driven | Quantifying the impact and benefits of our work | Richard Bagnall, Co-Managing Partner & CEO of Europe & Americas, CARMA and Chairman, AMEC Catherine Hunt, Head of Insight and Evaluation, Government Communication Service |
| 15.15 – 15.30 | Break | ||
| 15.30 – 16.15 | Unified, Diverse and Inclusive | Digital campaigns: Best practice accessibility | Christina Mallon, Head of Inclusive Design, Wunderman Thompson Stephanie Hill, Digital Content Producer, Professional Standards team, Cabinet Office Communications |
| 16.15 – 16.30 | Break | ||
| 16.30 – 17.20 | Unified, Skilled, Diverse and Inclusive | Panel discussion: What makes a good communications leader? | Alex Aiken, Executive Director for Government Communications Amrita Devaiah, Head of External Affairs and Engagement, Cabinet Office Richard Etienne, Deputy Head of Internal Communications & BAME Network Co-Chair, Department for International Trade Polly Cziok, Director of Communications, Culture, and Engagement - London Borough of Hackney Alix Macfarlane, LGcomms Chair |
| 17.20 – 17.30 | Closing Remarks | Francis Ingham, Director General, PRCA & Executive Director, LGcomms | |
About the Public Service Communications Academy
The Public Service Communications Academy (Comms Academy) is a well-established annual event for public sector communicators from across the country to come together, develop key skills and share ideas, with a focus on low and no-cost campaigns. Organised by LGcomms, and the Government Communication Service (GCS), the event offers a mix of learning, expert speakers, networking, practical training and interactive sessions for communications professionals at all career levels.
The event is supported by the PRCA and the Local Government Association (LGA).