CIPR Inside

Professional Development

The ICA is committed to enhancing professional standards amongst internal communications practitioners.

For colleagues in Finance, HR or Marketing, there are obvious routes to prove their professional expertise. However, there is no single, well-defined professional development path for internal communicators. It’s up to you to take responsibility for setting out a development plan that will enable you to become a skilled practitioner and continue to build and enhance your expertise and professionalism over time.

How do you know what skills you need?

In 2004, the ICA worked with the CIB (the British Association of Communicators in Business) and the IABC (the International Association of Business Communicators) to set out a framework that defined the knowledge, skills and direct experience needed by internal communication professionals during the various stages of their careers.

The result is the knowledge and skills matrix: an industry-wide definition of the competencies needed to be an effective internal communicator. The ICA, CIB and IABC continue to recommend the matrix as a basis for planning your personal development or developing your team, and as a guide to recruiting an internal communications professional.

How the matrix works

The matrix defines the skills, knowledge and experience ideally needed by a professional internal communicator at four stages of their career:

Band One - Entry level (6 – 12 months in internal communications)
Band Two - 12 months to 2 – 3 years
Band Three - Manager or supervisor with at least 2 to 3 years communications
Experience
Band Four - Senior practitioner – at least 5 years operating at band 2 and above

For each level, the matrix defines the generic business and management knowledge and skills internal communications professionals should ideally have, and their specialist communication knowledge, skills and direct experience.

View the matrix

A competency-based view

For those who prefer to look at individual competencies, there is also an alternative breakdown of the specialist internal communications components of the matrix. The content is the same as the original matrix, but the elements are grouped into seven competencies:

Understanding the communication environment
Planning and strategy
Crafting and organising
Using communication channels
Research and measurement
Building effective working relationships
Advising, facilitating and coaching

For each competence, you can see what would be required at the different bands of the matrix. Not every competence features in every band.

View the competence version of the matrix

Using the matrix

If you’re new to the internal communications profession, or perhaps the only person responsible for internal communications in your organisation, the matrix will help you figure out where to start! It will show you what other people in positions like yours know, the skills they have and the work they get involved in.

If you are planning your development, use the matrix to see the knowledge, skills and experience someone in your position might ideally have, and the skills you need to develop to move your career onwards and upwards. Ask yourself:

Am I gaining the right type of experience? Should I seek opportunities to be involved in different projects or activities?
Are my skills at the right level for my type of role?
Do I have the knowledge I need for my job, or should I find out more?

If you are planning your team’s development, use the matrix to establish:

Where they currently fit in the matrix, and where the gaps may be in their skills, experience or knowledge
If they are ready to progress, what help you might need to offer them with their development to move into the next band
If someone is unlikely to progress further up the bands, how can you provide stretch and development within their existing band?

If you’re recruiting an internal communications professional, the matrix can help you establish the type of person you are looking for, the number of years’ experience you might expect them to have, and the skills, knowledge and behaviour they should bring to your organisation. Use it to:

Build your person specification
Develop an interview checklist
Identify potential development needs

Reading list

Working together with the CIB and the IABC, we have also compiled a suggested reading list to accompany the matrix. It sets out suggested reading to support the knowledge requirements for each of the four bands.

View the reading list

Feedback or questions

If you have any feedback, questions or suggestions about how the ICA can support professional development for internal communications practitioners, please contact:

Sue Dewhurst sue@suedewhurst.com
Lee Smith lee.smith@foureighty.co.uk