The public relations story that hit a tender spot

PR woman Monica Leech usually feeds stories to the media, but she has become the story, writes Mark Hennessy , Political Correspondent…

PR woman Monica Leech usually feeds stories to the media, but she has become the story, writes Mark Hennessy, Political Correspondent

Fifty teams took part in the WLR/Lions' Club annual Christmas monster table quiz in the Tower Hotel in Waterford last Friday week. Each of the teams adopted a nom de plume for the evening. One of them was called "The Monica Leech Appreciation Society".

The title, when read out by the quizmaster for the evening, Matt Keane, provoked a mixture of hilarity and embarrassment. Though few journalists seem to have spoken to her, Monica Leech has, unwillingly, become one of the country's best-known PR (public relations) people.

This year up to October, she earned €120,968 from the Department of the Environment. In 2003, she claimed €135,036, while she earned €47,197 between June and December 2002. Though well regarded by those who have worked with her, her €300,000 Department of the Environment contract has brought the issue of State PR contracts centre-stage.

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Each year, the Government and its agencies hand out millions of euro worth of contracts to public relations and advertising companies for internal and public information campaigns.

Clearly, the State must communicate effectively with staff and the public. Clearly, too, outside advice is frequently needed. If anything, the number of contracts is multiplying. However, there are problems.

Unlike other contracts, decisions about PR and advertising are, by their very nature, entirely subjective and subject frequently to adverse comment later. Sometimes, the complaints from defeated PR people are relayed over a pint in Doheny and Nesbitts on Merrion Row. Connections are drawn, mud is spread. Some sticks. Some of it - but only some of it - should.

Though some ministers clearly seem to use the same PR companies again and again, senior officials often make many of the decisions. The PR/mandarins relationship can, at times, be closer than that which exists with ministers. Often officials go for training to them when up for promotion.

STATE BUSINESS FOR the public relations industry is seen as a latter-day gravy train by most journalists, who deal with such PR consultants daily for far less pay. However, most in the industry, which is worth approximately €50 million a year in State and private business, complain strongly about the hoops they have to jump through to get State work.

"If the departments can't kick it, or drop it, they are terrified of it," one public relations industry figure complained to The Irish Times.

Many of the bigger PR firms have reduced the amount of State business on their books in recent times, though this is partly because there is no shortage of private clients. In Northern Ireland, in contrast, PR companies are heavily dependent on State business: "It makes up to 60 per cent of their business," says one industry figure.

Down South, the tendering rules employed by the Government have for long provoked industry complaints. Too many companies are asked to tender, while often too little information is given.However, frequently the contract is already gone before the ink is dry on the advertisement: "Sometimes you would know that there is no point even pitching. The tender rules can be written in such a way that it is clear to everybody that they want to keep the company they already have, or know who it is they want to hire. It's not corruption. But there is cronyism, undeniably. The situation is far worse in State agencies than in Government departments," one PR chief executive says privately.

Often the reasons can be innocent enough: "People are comfortable with the company they already work with. They like them, and trust them. The State agencies are worse. There are great opportunities for cronyism. They are one step removed from a question in the Dáil. It's easier to hide," the same executive went on.

CURRENTLY, STATE BODIES must get five companies to tender for contracts worth more than €50,000, though sometimes up to 12 can be contacted. For business worth less than €50,000 a year, Government departments and State bodies must ask three companies to put in tenders.However, they can recruit without a tender - as Leech was for the first six months of her contract in 2002 - in cases of "extreme urgency".

Rejecting charges of improper conduct, one Government adviser, who would also only talk privately, strongly defended the handling of tenders of civil servants.

"The ones I have seen are incredibly diligent. They go to the ends of the earth to make sure that things are done right - if only so it doesn't come back to bite them."

However, the PR chief executive demurs: "It is very hard to judge whether you are in a fair fight. You'll always get paid, but the downside is that it is messier. But, you are not always dealing with people who know what they are doing. Public relations, advertising is not something everybody knows about.

"Sometimes fixed-price contracts end up taking a lot more work than expected," he told The Irish Times, on condition of anonymity.

Padraig McKeon of Drury Communications said his company has learned to be careful about pitching for State business because of difficulties encountered during tenders, when the full range of a firm's skills are not taken into account.Those offering the business, he said, have "a responsibility" to ensure that companies can properly show their wares: "In our experience this is not always the case. We do still consider carefully the merits of every tender published but as a commercial organisation we have become very selective about those that we consider responding to."

Since early 2003, the Public Relations Consultants' Association (PRCA) has been drafting a new set of guidelines that it wants the Department of Finance to take on board. Under the proposed guidelines, which should be published next week by the PRCA, a "reasonable" number of companies, "normally four, or five", would be asked to tender. Furthermore, the budget available should be made clear from the start: "Too often, it isn't. It seems an obvious point," says another PR man.

None of this, however, will make any difference if the destination for the contract is already decided in advance: "All rules go out the window then."