Certificate in Social Media

Social media tools are playing an increasingly important role for organisations across every sector of the economy. Though the public service may be cautious in embracing this new technology, it can provide a successful forum for communicating important information to citizens and users of public services. In addition, when used correctly, it can be highly effective in assisting internal communication among public sectororganisations.

The capacity of social media to allow for communication and interaction between large numbers of people is one of its many benefits but it also creates questions and challenges for organisations and individuals who use social media. Questions that arise will include just how can I get the most out of social media? How do I want to represent my organisation? What information should and should I not put online? What are the legal and reputational risks associated with the widespread use of social media in an organisation?

While establishing a presence on Twitter, Facebook or elsewhere on the internet may seem relatively simple, really getting the most out of what social media can do for an organisation can be quite complex. It also requires users to think about legal implications, best practice, internal social media policies etc. The range of potential legal issues involved means that as social media becomes more engrained in daily life, organisations are being faced with real challenges as employers, clients and service users navigate the different forms of social media in the workplace.

To address these issues Public Affairs Ireland has developed this concise 1.5 day course to provide an overview of social media tools and their use in an Irish public sector context. This practical training session will also address the legal risks surrounding the use of social media in the workplace. The presenters are experienced social media and communications experts and leading lawyers who specialise in IT, data protection and defamation. They can be expected to bring an accessible and practical emphasis to the subject matter. In addition to this delegates will also hear case studies from public sector orgaisations on their experience of using social media tools.

The course should be attended by corporate service and other officials faced with questions on how best to use social media for their organisation and whether such media should be used at all. It will also be of interest to line managers who are looking at more efficient ways of delivering programmes or projects and to officials who need to upskill themselves in this area.

Course dates

Wednesday 23rd May, 9.30 am - 4pm

Thursday 24th May 9.30am - 1pm