PRO (Public Relations Officer)
Last revised – December 2022
ROLE DESCRIPTION
The role of the Club PRO is to present a positive image of the Association and our games throughout the GAA community and across the county. He / she should establish good relations with all local media outlets and where appropriate national media. They should
provide regular updates on fixtures, results and information on all other Club activity across a variety of traditional and digital channels.
REPORTS / ACCOUNTABLE TO:
Club Executive Committee.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. PROMOTE THE GAA
• Use every opportunity to promote the Club in the county and further afield focusing on Club fixtures and all other Club activities, using every channel possible.
• Provide members, the media and the wider community with timely and regular updates on Club fixtures and results and in-game scores where possible.
• Ensure the Club is well presented.
2. CLUB WEBSITE
• He / she is responsible for the ongoing and regular upkeep of the Club website to ensure all relevant information relating to the Club can be found there.
• Coordinate additional contributors who can support in the creation of website materials (articles, reports etc).
• Establish a working relationship with your Club or County IT Officer. They will be able to support you on more technical areas of your role, when required (i.e. hosting, web development, F&R feeds).
3. ESTABLISHING / ENSURING A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
• He / she should familiarise themselves with the channels used by the GAA nationally and by other units of the GAA – either at Club and County level. Maintaining a presence on every channel is difficult; Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are the recommended channels, though there is no requirement to be present on all three.
• Creating content for social channels or sharing that which is relevant from your County, Provincial or the National accounts.
• Upskilling or enlisting other trusted members with the skills to assist the administration of these channels, on match days and during other busy times.
• Working knowledge of the GAA’s Social Media Policy, Guidelines and GDPR for GAA Clubs’ documentation and ensuring these are always applied by anyone with channel access.
4. RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE MEDIA
• Establish a positive working relationship with the local media identifying key figures.
• Respond to media queries in an efficient and timely manner.
• Present an Association policy in a positive manner and project our games and activities in a positive light.
5. MATCH PROGRAMMES AND ADVERTISING
• Coordinate the production of match programmes for Club games when required,
• Liaise with all key groups (team managers, sponsors, advertisers etc).
6. OTHER COMMUNICATIONS
• Identify trusted, like-minded individuals with useful skills to assist in the share of tasks and responsibilities.
• He / she should be familiar with GAA messaging from County, Provincial and National level, i.e. the current “Where We all Belong Campaign” and keep up to speed with future campaigns.
• Encourage the use of GAA.ie email accounts among other officers for all official Club communications.
• Liaise with IT Officer on promoting communications excellence through technology.
• Coordinate a calendar of events with other Officers and Club members to help you
coordinate and balance your workload.
• Promote communications principles through a communications plan.
• Attend meetings at County and Provincial level as required and training when offered.
SKILLS REQUIRED:
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Good organisational skills.
• Ability to attract others to assist and work well in a team.
• Ability to recognise good news stories for the GAA.
KNOWLEDGE:
• Have a good working knowledge of digital and social channels.
• Have sound knowledge of the Association policies and procedures.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
• Have time to do the job.
• Have a genuine interest in the Association.
• Possess a desire to acquire new skills.
• Be of good standing in the community.