BAZE UNIVERSITY ABUJA

NAME: BASSEY INIOBONG OKON

STUDENT NO: BU/22B/PGS/6945

COURSE:MAC 802: PUBLIC AFFAIRS REPORTING/COMMUNICATION

ASSIGNMENT

Maximum- 8 pages- 12 Point Size

Identify an organization from either the private sector (business), non-

profit/non-governmental sphere (including Community groups) or the Public
sector (i.e. government department/agency), that you think has obvious Public
Affairs challenges/problems relative to its core goals, mandate and/or
interests.
You have just been hired either as an outside Consultant or as Head of the
organization’s Public Affairs Department to help fix the problems (you should
clearly indicate in what capacity you are working for the organization).
Your report should strive to do the following:
 Provide a brief Profile of the organization (including its
history/Mandate/Mission) (about half a page).
 Identify TWO major (primarily) Public Affairs (may include Public
Relations) challenges the organization may have faced in the past five
years. (NB: You must justify the choice of the challenges (i.e. why you
consider them fundamental to the realization of the organization’s core
objectives/mandate). The challenges could be primarily structural e.g.
limitations imposed by the frameworks/legislation under which the
organization operates; lack of capacity and/or robust creative response
to the challenges, or a consequence of ineffective
engagement/communication with the public (e.g. perception issues),
among others. (Could also be a result of the three) (1 and half
pages).
 Develop a comprehensive Public Affairs and/or Public Relations)
strategies to address each of the challenges identified. Based on your
‘diagnosis’, (a) Identify at least two key Stakeholders (stakeholder
mapping i.e. those responsible for the problem and those who could
help solve it (the good and bad guys). Your plan must detail how to
engage them. (b) What activities (output) you would propose to address
each challenge (relative to the stakeholders)? e.g. Lobbying, Advocacy,
Sensitization, Media outreach, Community Engagement, Focus groups
discussions etc. (c) How specifically you plan to implement such
activities (Outputs) to ensure success (i.e. detailed discussion of your

proposed plan (above) including, for instance, in case of media

outreach, types of media to be used and justification of the choices
made etc?). (d) the expected Outcomes (result) arising from each of
the activities (e) Proposed plans moving forward to ensure such
challenges/problems don’t re-emerge (f) Any further insight not already
covered under the other categories. (5 pages)

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISION (INEC)

In the course of this assignment,INEC would be our case study.

WHO IS INEC?

Independent National Electoral Commission also known as INEC is an electoral body

that oversees electoral processes in Nigeria, ensuring that elections are free , fair
and credible. It was established in 1998 shortly before Nigeria’s transition from
military to civilian rule.

General Abdulsalami Abubakar established the current INEC,with Justice Ephraim

Akpata as chairman. Akpata had to deal with 26 political associations,giving only nine
provinsional registrations as political parties for the 1998-1999 elections,eventually
whittled down to three parties.