The complexity and complication of environment issues is already clear and known to everyone. For its ultimate aim of environmental health, a lot is involved, just as care must be taken to ensure that the right resources are employed. This is not surprising minding the wide spectrum of areas to be covered. In the words of Nwosu (1996: 145), it involves maintaining
“…harmony with its economic, political, social, cultural, community, technological, geographical and other environmental factors”.
As well, the organisational structure of the environmental public relations agency can also give some insights into the magnitude of people to be involved. First, a team of professionals in various departments and units of the agency among them experts and professionals in research , publicity, marketing, sales promotion, accountancy, administration, finance, law,
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editorial, creative and electronic media. Others are employees in secretarial, technical, security and maintenance.
External publics are also involved; they include the media, community, governments, financial institutions, customers’ pressure group and international groups. Still, others are stakeholders, comprising another set of group whose roles and views are crucial to the success of any undertaking. Among them are: environmental protection agencies at local regional, national and international level (like UNEP, FEPA, FAO, voluntary groups like NACCIMA, MAN), related government agencies like police, Army, Navy, Air Force, FRSC, Red Cross, NSCDC; hospitals and associations such as the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), Nigeria Environmental study/action team (NEST) and Friend of the Earth, among others. Mention must also be made of donors, philanthropists at all levels.
Indeed, it is a web and every relevant public or stakeholder must dutifully play his/her roles. We are to talk of a successfully implemented environmental programme. All needed imputes and resources must be applied according to their right dosage, at the right time and the appropriate place.
If we talk of collective responsibility as a necessary element in attaining a feat, this is one of the place it is most required. It is not so just because of the sophistication and complexity. Some other factors account for that.
From conceptualisation to completion/evaluation, the processes involved in any single environmental public relations campaign, programme or project are many and so requires many hands as well, for proper/handling. In same vein, enormous resources, including financial and expertise are needed for tackling the so many stages involves, if successful completion must result.
In same vein, enormous resources, including financial and expertise are needed for tackling the so many stages involved, if successful completion must be achieved. Once the project is on, a lot of high expectations are accompanied. Consequently numerous specialised, technical and ordinary hands are involved so that the colossal financial investments as well as clients and public expectations do not go down that drain and are not in vain respectively.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
i. What are the similarities and differences between the structure of a public relations agency and an environmental public relations agency?
ii. Graphically present the organisational structure of an environmental public relations agency
iii. Why does the implementation of an environmental public relations project involve a lot of hands?
4.0 CONCLUSION
The organisational framework and structure of any organ, to some extent, determines the level of its functionality, flexibility and responsiveness to public aspirations. This in mind an environmental public relations agency has to be organised and structured in such a manner that it would be positioned to carry out its cardinal responsibility of ensuring environmental sustainability.
The redesigned and restrictive organ of the agency clearly has room for all necessary components of needed paraphernalia for the full realisation of the set objective of the agency. The current composition, as opposed to that of public relation, takes into recognition the unique roles it is expected to plan.
It is then the expectation that with the effective performance of other personnel of the agency, which would employ creativity, innovation, skills, ingenuity, experience the goals of environmental sustainability.
5.0 SUMMARY
Restructuring of public relations agency is to enable the achievement of the goals of the new concept and discipline. The injection on new departments or unit are aimed at resuscitating the organ to enable it effectively handle the special responsibilities.
As practitioners and potential practitioners, we need to have good knowledge and understanding of the structure and the roles associated with it, by so doing. We are getting equipped for not just effective but also judicious application of available scarce resources.
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6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
1. Compare are contrast a public relations agency and an environmental public relations agency.
2. In what ways does the structural organisation of an environmental public relations agency influence its functions and quality of its outputs?
3. Justify the involvement of so many hands in the implementation of an environmental public relations programme.
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
Dominick, J. R. (1993). The Dynamics of Mass Communication. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Nwosu, I. E. (1996). Public Relations Management: Principles Issues and Applications. Lagos: Dominican Publishers.
Nwosu, I.E. & Uffoh, V.O. (2005). Environmental Public Relations Management: Principles, Strategies, Issues and Cases. Enugu:
IDS/UNN.
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