How is a breach identified, and what are the steps a hospital or health care organization has to take to prevent a breach?

A data breach in health care can happen when information is stolen without the knowledge or authorization of the organization. The data is usually sensitive, confidential, or proprietary. Most of the time, this is a targeted attack by a cybercriminal.

How is a breach identified, and what are the steps a hospital or health care organization has to take to prevent a breach?
Locate an example of a hospital or health care organization that has suffered a security breach. Explain the security breach and the steps taken to mitigate the breach, and explain whether the steps taken were adequate, or if additional steps should have been taken.
Use APA style and 2 scholarly references within 5 years. 5-6 pages (excluding title page and reference page)

Would a bank reconciliation uncover this office fraud?

Harriet Knox, Ralph Patton, and Marcia Diamond work for a family physician, Dr. Gwen Contrad, who is in private practice. Dr. Contrad is knowledgeable about office management practices and has segregated the cash receipt duties as follows:

Knox opens the mail and prepares a triplicate list of money received.
She sends one copy of the list to Patton, the cashier, who deposits the receipts daily in the bank.
Diamond, the recordkeeper, receives a copy of the list and posts payments to the patients’ accounts.
About once a month the office clerks have an expensive lunch they pay for as follows:

First, Patton endorses a patient’s check in Dr. Contrad’s name and cashes it at the bank.
Knox then destroys the remittance advice accompanying the check.
Finally, Diamond posts payment to the customer’s account as a miscellaneous credit.
The three clerks justify their actions by their relatively low pay and the knowledge that Dr. Contrad will likely never miss the money.

Discussion Questions:
Who is the best person in Dr. Contrad’s office to reconcile the bank statement? Simply providing a name is insufficient; you have to explain why this person would be the best one to reconcile the bank statements. About 75 to 100 words are expected.
Would a bank reconciliation uncover this office fraud? Why or why not? Again, about 75-100 words are expected.

Write a memo to the NTFG giving them your vision of a gang-control project

Write a memo to the NTFG giving them your vision of a gang-control project. Would you take a hard-line approach and recommend that police employ anti-gang units that use tactics developed in the fight against organized crime families or a more liberal one by recommending the redevelopment of deteriorated neighborhoods in which gangs flourish? Make sure to cover all the bases in your report. Your report should be at least twp pages 12 font double spaced APA format.

Select a good and a poor example of coaching and explain the positive and negative effects of the styles.

Coaching and Sport. Select a good and a poor example of coaching and explain the positive and negative effects of the styles. 150 word minimum, please include your name, date, class, subject, professor’s name and any applicable references. Title information is not considered part of the word count.

Analyze and explain the challenges with freedom of speech.

Constitutional Rights

Research, review and analyze Korb v. Raytheon, 707 F.Supp. 63 (D.Mass. 1989). Based on your research and the case, write a 5-6 page paper in which you:

1.Analyze and evaluate each case independently by providing the following (about two paragraphs per case):

•Facts of the case

•Issues

•Rule

2.Analyze and explain the challenges with freedom of speech.

3.Analyze and explain any challenges with freedom of information.

4.Analyze and explain any challenges with employment law.

5.Analyze and discuss the public perceptions of Raytheon and its influence with the Department of Defense.

6.Analyze and discuss any fraud or misrepresentation on either side of the case.

7.Provide at least four (4) additional court cases that support your analysis

Write an essay of a maximum of 1,500 words, in which you make a persuasive argument in response to one of the controversies posed below

All of these questions need to be answered!!!!!

Democracy has been defined as “a form of government based on the notion that ordinary people are capable of ruling themselves….” Consider the ideas of Pericles, Protagoras*, Plato and Machiavelli about the strengths and weaknesses of democracy. Which of their ideas do you think are valid? What lessons could we apply to contemporary American democracy?

Write an essay of a maximum of 1,500 words, in which you make a persuasive argument in response to one of the controversies posed below. Your essay should be primarily based on the actual texts we have read for the course and secondarily on the lectures and our discussions. Do not use outside materials!
Do not use PDFs.

The only sources that can be used:

TEXTS: Princeton Readings in Political Thought*, 2nd ed., eds. Cohen & Fermon; The Republic, Plato (ed. Ferrari); The Prince, Machiavelli (ed. Skinner & Price); The Communist Manifesto, Marx & Engels (ed. Isaac); and Scott, Two Cheers for Anarchism.

just make sure you use the sources listed below and nothing from the out side like the internet. Thank you let me know if you have any questions.

What is the role of health care reform in shifting the focus from a disease-oriented health care system toward one of wellness and prevention, and how does nursing fit into this shift?

What is the role of health care reform in shifting the focus from a disease-oriented health care system toward one of wellness and prevention, and how does nursing fit into this shift?

Trying to find a way to defray health care costs, it was decided that it is much less expensive to prevent disease than to attempt to “fix” it after an illness occurs. The cost is much less, not only in terms of money, but in terms of human suffering. People live in communities, not health care systems. Finding ways to reach people so they live a healthy life that supports wellness remains a challenge. Cultural variation and beliefs have a profound impact. You will have to reach deeply into your past course of Health Promotion to answer this question. How do we need to live in order to stay well? This is a very important question in relation to the current changes in relation to healthcare. Please think beyond diet, exercise and taking meds. They are important too, but true health promotion goes far beyond that limited focus

Is there a linkage between genetic factors and the risk of individuals developing Parkinson’s disease?

INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Problem
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease that causes motor and non-motor symptoms over time. Tremors, delayed movement, the rigidity of the arms and legs, and shaking arms are some of the most prevalent symptoms of the condition, which is regarded as the second most common neurological disease after Alzheimer’s. Parkinson’s disease symptoms usually start gradually and get worse over time. As the disease progresses, a person may experience mobility and communication issues (Postuma et al., 2015). In addition, mental and behavioral changes and sleep troubles, melancholy, memory loss, and lethargy may occur. Through its progressive degenerative effects on movement and muscular function, the disease has a significant clinical impact on patients, their family members, and caregivers. According to studies, three out of every thousand adults over the age of 50 suffer from the illness (Westenberger, 2012).
Background of the Problem
In 1817, Dr. James Parkinson first described PD as “shaking palsy” (Polymeropoulos, 1996). According to studies, pathophysiological changes linked to the disease may start before motor symptoms appear. They can involve a wide range of nonmotor symptoms, such as sleep problems, depression, and cognitive issues (Westenberger, 2012).
Diseases have appeared and disappeared throughout history, while some have risen or reduced in occurrence. Such epidemiological patterns have been more pronounced in infectious diseases (for example, the elimination of smallpox). Still, they have also been seen in chronic disorders (such as reducing vitamin deficiencies and cardiovascular disease). Changing patterns in the epidemiology of neurological illnesses have been observed during the last three or four decades. In several high-income countries, the incidence of stroke and dementia has reduced (specifically in North America and Western Europe). Nonetheless, the risk of Parkinson’s disease has risen (Rocca, 2017; Rocca, 2018).
In the United States, The Parkinson’s Disease Foundations reports that approximately 1 million Americans currently live with the illness (Westenberger, 2012). Parkinson’s disease is estimated to affect 20 people out of every 100,000 people each year, with a typical presentation age of 60 years. In persons 60 years and older, the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease is estimated to be around 1%, increasing from 1% to 3% in those aged 80 and above. It is, however, crucial to note that these figures do not represent undiagnosed cases.
The unpredictable but noticeable course of Parkinson’s disease substantially impacts individuals, families, and society. The advanced and end-stage illness can result in significant consequences, such as pneumonia, often fatal (Postuma et al., 2015). Even though current treatment focuses on symptom management, research suggests that patients benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to care. An interdisciplinary approach is movement experts, social workers, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals.
PD is linked to several risk factors and genetic abnormalities. Oxidative stress, the generation of free radicals, and various environmental pollutants are risk factors for the disease. Although only limited data exist to support the genetic associations of Parkinson’s disease with gene mutations, the variable prevalence suggests that these factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of the illness (Redensek, 2017).
Statement of the Problem
The problem is that it has become clear that Parkinson’s disease is a complex genetically heterogeneous disorder (Polymeropoulos, 1996). To illustrate how complicated it is, we may talk about 28 distinctive chromosomal areas associated with PD. Just six of these regions contain genetic makeup with mutations that lead to monogenic PD, a type of disease in which a single gene mutation is enough to cause symptoms. Even when considered together, the mutation in these six genes is responsible for only 3–5% of all sporadic disease instances (Westenberger, 2012). Instead, the genesis of Parkinson’s disease is multifaceted and results from a complex interaction of commonly unidentified components, including multiple genes, susceptibility variants’ altering effects, environmental factors, and gene-environment interactions. Alterations (or mutations) in specific genes are passed down or transmitted from one generation to another in some families. Researchers are still puzzled why some ethnic groups, such as Ashkenazi and Northern Africa Arab Berbers, are more likely to possess genes associated with Parkinson’s disease (Day, 2021).
Purpose of the Study
It’s critical to understand the role of genetics as a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease. Understanding how Parkinson’s disease is linked to genetics will help us better understand how the disease develops and, ultimately, how this could be managed or cured. Such knowledge may assist doctors (1) in recognizing the genes that are linked to Parkinson’s disease, (2) in identifying the people who are most likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, (3) in providing a platform for the discovery of novel possible targets for neuroprotective therapy. Through genetic mapping, (4) to determine how accurate gene mapping is for Parkinson’s disease, (5) to establish whether genetic mapping can help figure out what caused the gene mutation and how the condition progressed, (6) to stratify PD patients based on their genetic fingerprint and tailor their therapy and supporting measures accordingly.
Research Question
This project aims to answer the following question: Is there a linkage between genetic factors and the risk of individuals developing Parkinson’s disease?
Significance of the Study
One way to divide Parkinson’s disease is through genetics. Aetiologies, therapies, and prognoses for different subgroups may differ. Age of onset (early- vs. late-onset PD, with a cut-off of 50 years of age), family history (familial vs. sporadic PD), and pathogenic variations (monogenic vs. idiopathic PD) are all common stratification criteria for Parkinson’s disease (Dumitriu, 2012; Redensek, 2017). Because the linkage between genetic factors and the risk of individuals developing PD has not been realized fully, this research will add to the body of knowledge of this understanding. This is because understanding the genetic factor of the disease will impact its mapping and clinical care.
To begin, the research will aid in identifying the causal genes and highlighting critical biological processes in pathogenesis. As revealed by the study conducted by Nalls et al. (2015), this will aid early diagnosis and indicate the disease’s prognosis. Initial non-motor indicators mixed with genetic susceptibility may be an excellent way to identify people in the early phases of the illness. Only genetic testing for sporadic PD diagnosis or prediction of sporadic PD development is not specific or sensitive enough at this time. No known genetic component or combination of genetic variables can predict the onset of sporadic PD with certainty.
Second, it can accurately classify the disease presentations into groups with common genetic origins. This is critical for ‘precision medicine,’ which focuses on a patient’s precise disease subtype. It would also be fascinating to examine the relationship between illness progression and genetic abnormalities in genes involved in various pathways. To illustrate, GBA mutations or MAPT H1 allele status could be independent risk factors for cognitive impairment in PD patients, and knowing these statuses in patients could affect therapy options (Lill, 2016). Patients have only been divided into groups based on their phenotypes thus far (Fereshtehnejad, 2015).
Different combinations of genetic abnormalities, on the other hand, should be investigated in order to develop a method for stratifying PD patients depending on the cumulative effects of genetic predisposition factors within and across pathways. Patients with different genetic abnormalities may require different treatment approaches; thus, stratifying Parkinson’s disease patients based on their underpinning genetic conditions could be beneficial in a therapeutic context. Because we can stratify patients into groups based on their impaired pathways and treat them based on their underlying pathologic processes, this type of tailored treatment could become the treatment of choice in the future for PD. Physicians could tweak therapy for each group to get the best potential result (Fereshtehnejad, 2015).
Finally, as we better understand the impact of genetic variations on disease risk, onset, and progression, the implications and prognosis may be addressed openly with individuals, empowering them to make informed decisions.
Assumptions
The following assumptions are made regarding this project. (1) The review of the literature was conducted by one author, therefore, risking bias during the research assessment; (2) The research question will elicit reliable responses as the study will involve quantitative methodology involving large populations; (3) There is a similarity in the participant characteristics within the study as the research involves participants who have Parkinson’s disease; (4) The study can be replicated since it uses a systematic approach to data collection, analysis, and synthesizing.
Limitations
The majority of the studies used in the literature review were conducted in the United States, and their findings do not reflect the conclusions of other populations around the world. The majority of studies focus on older people. Still, it is crucial to study midlife because it is a critical age for developing PD, with substantial individual heterogeneity and long-standing consequences in later life stages. The neurological system’s health specifically is impacted by lifestyle choices made around middle age. Excessive stress in middle age, for example, is linked to self-care incapacity later in life. In terms of PD-specific behavioral impacts, in midlife, a physically and cognitively active lifestyle is linked to a lower risk of illness. It can lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease by up to 40%. As a result, detecting Parkinson’s disease in middle age through mapping would offer patients the opportunity to take advantage of the neuroprotective capabilities of positive behavioral and environmental factors, particularly physical activity (Redensek, 2017).
Another critical limitation is the degree of epigenetic variations in patients that exceeds variance between populations and cell makeup of the examined tissue. To evaluate the most suitable individuals, standardization must be enhanced. Furthermore, reliable web resources that are not peer-reviewed were excluded since they caused coding and data analysis problems.
Summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative brain illness with a significant genetic component. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent degenerative brain illness after Alzheimer’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is thought to be caused by a combination of hereditary and environmental factors. The disease’s current clinical diagnosis is based on late-stage motor symptoms when many nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons have already been destroyed. The study will analyze the type of genes linked to Parkinson’s disease and whether gene mapping can be used in the early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
The second chapter contains a review of previous research, including its history and current situation, which will support the stated public health issue. This chapter will thus give a detailed explanation of prior research conducted on genetic factors like a predisposition for PD. Chapter three comprises the systematic literature review methodology consisting of the description of the participants and their inclusion and exclusion criteria.

References
Day, J. O., & Mullin, S. (2021). The genetics of Parkinson’s disease and implications for clinical practice. Genes, 12(7), 1006.
Dumitriu, A. (2012). Genome-wide expression and genomic data integration analyses in sporadic Parkinson’s disease. Boston University.
Klein, C., & Westenberger, A. (2012). Genetics of Parkinson’s disease. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 2(1).
Lill, C. M. (2016). Genetics of Parkinson’s disease. Molecular and Cellular Probes, 30(6), 386-396.
Nalls, M. A., Pankratz, N., Lill, C. M., Do, C. B., Hernandez, D. G., Saad, M., … & Singleton, A. B. (2014). Large-scale meta-analysis of genome-wide association data identifies six new risk loci for Parkinson’s disease. Nature Genetics, 46(9), 989-993.
Redenšek, S., Trošt, M., & Dolžan, V. (2017). Genetic determinants of Parkinson’s disease: Can they help to stratify the patients based on the underlying molecular defect? Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 9, 20.
Rocca, W. A. (2017). Time, sex, gender, history, and dementia. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 31(1), 76.
Rocca, W. A. (2018). The future burden of Parkinson’s disease. Movement Disorders: Official Journal of the Movement Disorder Society, 33(1), 8.
Postuma, R. B., Berg, D., Stern, M., Poewe, W., Olanow, C. W., Oertel, W., … & Deuschl, G. (2015). MDS clinical diagnostic criteria for Parkinson’s disease. Movement Disorders, 30(12), 1591-1601.
Polymeropoulos, M. H., Higgins, J. J., Golbe, L. I., Johnson, W. G., Ide, S. E., Di Iorio, G., … & Duvoisin, R. C. (1996). Mapping of a gene for Parkinson`s disease to chromosome 4q21-q23. Science, 274(5290), 1197-1199.

What are the major barriers preventing Asian populations from seeking mental health services?

METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This section provides the framework specific to how the systematic literature review was
conducted to answer the study’s research question. In addition, it describes the target groups of
the studies collected, as well as the methods that were used to gather the research articles.
Research Question
This project aims to answer the following research question: What are the major barriers
preventing Asian populations from seeking mental health services?
Description of the Participants
Research articles selected for the systematic literature review consisted of any population
of Asian descent living in a developed country. For example, Chinese immigrants, Japanese,
Filipino, Indonesian, Cambodian refugees, Indians, Malaysian, South Asian Immigrants in
Calgary, Taiwanese, Vietnamese Canadians, Thai, Laotian, and Korean (Americans) were
among those described in the study population. There were no other criteria used for selection of
target groups (e.g., age, profession, gender, education level).
Instrumentation
A systematic literature search was conducted in August 2016 on published studies
identifying barriers to utilizing mental health services among Asian subgroups living in North
America. Ten databases were used, including: PubMed, ProQuest Central, Academic Search
Premier, PsycARTICLES, Springer Standard Collection, CINAHL Plus with Full Text,
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, JSTOR Arts and Sciences VII, Sage Premier,
and ScienceDirect ArticleChoice. Boolean operators were used to create various search strings
with terms related to “barriers AND mental health services AND Asian*”.
Ethical Considerations
The study did not require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval as the study was a
systematic literature review. To achieve the highest level of credibility when conducting the
review, only peer-reviewed, scholarly research articles were chosen for analysis.

Which efforts were successful? Which fell short of the organization’s objectives or expectations? Why?

Project 1: Research
Start Here
Having demonstrated your leadership skills and your ability to work on a complex project as part of a team, you’ve been promoted to senior account executive. Congratulations! Here are your brand-new business card and position description. You’re eating a piece of celebratory cake when you hear a ping from your laptop. It’s time for your first meeting with the Parabolic executives in your new role.
You leave the meeting feeling energized. You’re going to be consulting with a new client to plan a communications campaign. In Project 1, you’ll conduct your situation analysis using a blend of primary and secondary research, then share a 3–5-page summary of your findings with your Parabolic mentor for feedback. Your analysis will inform your campaign plan (Projects 2 and 3) and a few sample products you’ll create to support the plan (Project 4). Your research will also prove helpful in Project 5, where you’ll present your plan to your client and explain the choices you made. In Project 6, you’ll create a portfolio of your work that will help you attract future clients.
Because you’re a new senior account executive and this is your first project, you’ll submit your planning documents to your Parabolic mentor as you go along. Also make use of the Capstone Support discussion topic to share ideas and get feedback.
A Little More Context
In the next six projects, you’ll draw from everything you’ve learned during your time at Parabolic. You’ll also try out some new tasks. You’ll conduct interviews, perform a communications audit, build personas, and engage in message testing. At the end, you’ll produce something of value to a real-life organization and have some artifacts to showcase to potential employers.
This project—two weeks of research and analysis—lays the foundation for every part of your plan and, ultimately, your pitch to the client.
Your 3–5 page situation analysis will be formatted as shown below, with appendices containing your notes from each step (these don’t count toward the page total).
• Background—why we’re here, why you chose this client, why now
• Internal Situation—what you found out about the organization, how it works, how it communicates, its internal stakeholders and publics, any pressures or issues you’ve uncovered
• External Situation—what you found out about the larger socioeconomic, cultural, legal, and political climate; the external stakeholders and publics; what the media is saying; what publics are saying on social media; what are the concerns and interests of the publics; what are the levels of engagement and awareness; what external pressures does the organization face
• SWOT Analysis
• Problem Statement
• Appendices—neatly formatted notes on the following:
o Client Meeting
o Secondary Research
• client organization
• issue or situation
• potential target publics
o Communications Audit
o Traditional Media Analysis
• summary of results
• analysis of results
o Social Media Analysis
• summary of results
• analysis of results
In this project, you’re going to select your client and perform a situation analysis that will culminate in your identification of the problem or opportunity to be addressed in a campaign plan. You’ll summarize your research in a 3–5 page report.

Take careful notes as you go through the steps of this project; you’ll provide these as appendices to your report.

Developing new business for the agency is one of the responsibilities of a senior account executive. Sometimes, clients will refer other clients to you, or you’ll find new business by reaching out to your professional network or responding to a request for proposal (RFP). It’s also common for senior account executives to reach out to organizations who might benefit from the agency’s services—in other words, good, old-fashioned cold-calling (or perhaps cold-emailing is more appropriate).

With this in mind, research and choose your organization. Be thoughtful in your selection! All the work that you complete during the next nine weeks will be for this client.

Select an organization for which you currently work or volunteer, or find an organization that represents interests you have (music, agriculture, emergency services, etc.). Nonprofits, especially smaller local organizations, are often in need of help with public relations activities, and creating a public relations plan for an important cause can be rewarding. (As you recall from previous Parabolic projects, nonprofits have a 501(c)3 tax filing status. This information is usually located on the organization’s website, or you can search Charity Navigator.)

In addition to nonprofits, museums, libraries, community theatres, and professional associations can benefit from your expertise. If you choose a national organization, please consider a specific chapter or branch (Red Cross of Chicago, Make a Wish Foundation of North Georgia, etc.).

In selecting your client, consider whether or not the organization is a good fit for the assignment and timeframe. For example, if the organization has not yet officially “launched” or is undergoing a serious crisis, you might not have access to the information you need to perform the research for the campaign.
In Step 2, you will conduct a meeting with your client or a subject matter expert.
Step 2: Conduct the Client Meeting
You’ve identified your client for the next nine weeks. If your Parabolic mentor sees any red flags with your choice, he or she will let you know as quickly as possible.
Now, you’re going to meet with your client as part of the situation analysis. Client meetings are a vital step in any consulting endeavor, and one that will help orient you to the problem or opportunity that will be the basis of your campaign. The client meeting will help you gain information about the organization that may not be available on the organization’s website or in other public-facing materials. Insights from the client meeting can help inform your secondary research and SWOT analysis.
Contacting the Client
Contact the organization as soon as possible to request the client meeting. You may of course be working within your own organization and know with whom you want to meet; perhaps you’ve already had a preliminary conversation. If this is not the case, find a contact in the organization’s leadership or in a communications role. Personnel whose titles include the words public relations, public affairs (especially in the federal government sector), communications, or community outreach are closely related to the strategic communications functions. It is important to meet with someone who can provide information about the organization’s goals, structure, and needs; often, this is someone in a senior or leadership role. Look for contact information on the organization’s website or call the organization’s main number (or use a contact form on the website) to ask for contact information for a specific team member.
When you reach the right person, request approval to work with them on the campaign plan. As in any pitch for new business, explain what you’re doing and the potential benefit to the organization. Be clear about what the client can expect you to deliver and when. As time is of the essence, you will need to politely decline requests from the client to create materials or perform duties outside those listed in the project requirements. Also, make sure the client understands that the organization is not committing to anything in meeting with you and accepting your proposal.
Explain that you’ll need to meet with your contact only once and that the meeting will last approximately one hour. If you would like, you can request permission to email the client occasionally for brief questions throughout your campaign planning. Let the client know that you will be respectful of their time.
Once the client has agreed to meet with you, set up a time to meet as quickly as possible.
Note that it’s important to prepare for the meeting before even contacting the client—on many occasions, clients indicate that they are ready to meet during the initial phone call or on the same day that they’ve received your email.
Preparing for and Conducting the Client Meeting
Prepare to get as much information as possible during the meeting. You can arrange to ask brief questions via email or chat later on, but your client might be too busy to respond.
Conduct preliminary research on the organization (reviewing the website, conducting Google searches, etc.) before the client meeting so you can spend the meeting time getting answers to questions that can’t be easily found elsewhere. The UMGC Library Business Research guide might help you find information on your client.
Create a list of questions, but be prepared to ask follow-up questions and let the conversation unfold naturally. Take good notes throughout the meeting. Although it is not necessary for you to record the meeting, you may want to do so for your own benefit. If you wish to do this, please ask the client for permission.
Questions for clients will vary, but here are a few suggestions.
• Start by asking about the organization’s goals and objectives. What does your client want to achieve?
• It’s helpful to think in terms of the SWOT analysis. Ask your client to identify what they believe are the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Focus on what is going on inside the organization (the internal situation) as well as outside the organization (the external situation).
• Ask about the competition. Which organizations does the client consider aspirational? Who are the client’s rivals?
• Gather information about publics. Who are the stakeholders and other external and internal groups affected by or interested in the work of the organization? Try to get a sense of the demographics, psychographics, media habits, and consumption preferences of these groups.
• Begin your communications audit. A communications audit is a survey of current and previous communications and public relations efforts produced by the client. The purpose of the audit is to get a sense of what the organization has done in the past and whether or not it was successful. To start the audit,
o ask how the organization communicates, with whom, and on what channels. Does the organization create news releases? Blog posts? YouTube videos? Is there a social media strategy with designated staff communicating in designated ways on chosen platforms?
o ask about the organization’s previous public relations campaigns. Which efforts were successful? Which fell short of the organization’s objectives or expectations? Why?
Note that you’ll finish your communications audit in Step 4.
Collect as much information as possible in the client meeting. The analysis will happen later. Allow the client to do most of the talking without critiquing or making recommendations.
Finally, thank the client for their time and let them know when they can expect you to deliver your campaign plan and related documents.
For more guidance, review Interviews as Part of a Situation Analysis. You’ll gain further interviewing practice in Project 2, when you meet with some of your publics.
Whether or not you were able to meet right away with your client, move on to Steps 3 and 4 to flesh out your understanding of the organization.
Step 3: Conduct Secondary Research
Whether or not you’ve met with your client, continue your research efforts.
As you know, research can be either primary (using data you’ve gathered) or secondary (using data someone else has gathered). You’ve conducted primary research thus far. Secondary research is an integral part of the planning process. It helps you get to know the client organization, the issue or situation, and the potential target publics (cf. Hendrix, 2004).
• client organization: This is where you get an overview of the organization. In addition to conducting the client meeting and browsing the client’s website, you will need to consult external sources. Include keywords for specific programs or initiatives in your Google and library searches. Also, conduct a competitor analysis: look for information about similar and competing programs (organizations that offer similar programs or have a similar purpose).
• issue or situation: This is where you explore the issues relevant to the organization. (Remember that issues as used here are the topics relevant to the organization’s purpose and mission). For example, if your client is The Humane Society, you will want to look for research about puppy mills, spay and neuter programs, how the economy has impacted pet adoptions, and so forth. These issues might lead you to the problem or opportunity.
• potential target publics: This is where you identify and get to know internal and external publics. You learn about levels of awareness and engagement, concerns, and media habits of these groups. (As per the strategic communications adage: “Know your audience!”). If needed, refresh yourself with Stakeholder Analysis, Understanding Your Publics, and also Identifying and Prioritizing Stakeholders and Publics. Note that you’ll interview representatives of three external target publics in Project 2.
The following types and sources of information can help you in your research.
• background information on the organization, including its mission and vision, organizational structure (see if you can find an org chart), history, financial situation, and key leaders;
• information on the strategic communications or public relations team (if there is one)—and on other teams, such as marketing, legal, and so forth—how does information flow throughout the organization? How does the organization work?
• background information on your client’s sector or industry;
• information on the economic or sociopolitical climate;
• information on your client’s competitors, especially as related to potential campaign issues;
• “lessons learned” documents, including research reports, public relations program evaluations, and memoranda for the record regarding public relations plans and efforts;
• news clips from media coverage of the organization;
• results from public opinion polls or surveys regarding the organization or the issue(s);
• schedules of events and important dates relevant to the organization or the issue(s);
• policies, regulations, government publications, and legal cases relevant to the organization’s situation;
• academic studies reported in peer-reviewed journals about the organization, its stakeholders, or the issue(s);
• journal articles or blog posts about the organization, the industry, the sector, or similar organizations or problems;
• lists of organizational stakeholders (formal and informal leaders, unions, employees, contractors, stockholders, etc.), media contacts or representatives, beat reporters, key constituents, external opinion leaders, government regulators, legislators, and others relevant to the organization, its industry, or its situation;
• psychographic and demographic data on external and internal target publics (this will become very useful in Project 2); and
• media preferences and consumption habits of external and internal target publics.
Researching Publics
Research on the publics you’ve identified can come from a variety of sources. Public sources, like the U.S. Census Bureau or studies conducted by government, nonprofits, or NGOs, are a good first start. These sources can offer demographic information, such as the age range or average income of residents of a geographic area. You can find some of this information by browsing links in the library.
The Pew Research Center offers extensive and up-to-date national research on news habits and media and social media use. This can be very useful later when selecting tactics and channels to reach publics. Refer to Using Meltwater for Research and Evaluation as well for additional ideas.
Market research, also found in the library links, is helpful for learning about consumer preferences. Sometimes, large research firms or marketing and public relations firms will publish research findings in the form of a white paper through their website or LinkedIn. Academic journals in business, marketing, and public relations also publish studies in consumer behavior and audience attitudes (try the EBSCO Business Source Complete database).
Sometimes, the specific research you’re looking for doesn’t exist or isn’t currently available. It’s fine to note this in your secondary research summary. In pursuing a range of keyword searches, topics, and sources, you can still assemble an informative overview of the existing data, create useful questions for your target publics interviews (which you’ll conduct in Project 2), and create benchmarks for your campaign.
Next, you’ll complete a communications and social media audit that will round out your picture of your client and how it is connecting—or failing to connect—with publics.
Step 4: Complete Your Communications Audit
You’ve learned a lot about your client. You’re now going to take a look at how the client is communicating. If you’ve conducted your client meeting, you’ve begun this research already. If you haven’t yet met with your client, start your communications audit here and continue it in the meeting. Your goal with the audit is to see what your client is producing and where; in Step 5, you’ll assess how well those communications efforts are succeeding.
Auditing the client’s communications will help you identify gaps. What opportunities is your client missing? Does the messaging align with the organizational mission and vision? Is your client engaging with the right publics on the right platforms?
As you learned in Step 2, a communications audit is a survey of current and previous communications and public relations efforts produced by the client. The purpose of the audit is to get a sense of what the organization has done in the past. You’ll get a lot of this information from the client, or as much information as the client has, based on available documentation and institutional memory. Independent of the client, you can look at the client’s website to see if there’s a newsroom, blog, or other source of streaming information. Your goal here is to get a sense of the following:
• What is the client saying?
• How?
• To whom?
You’ll analyze these efforts in the next step, when you conduct a media analysis.
Take notes on anything you find. It may not be much, but that’s okay. Any gaps you see can inform your planning later on. For instance, if your client is sending all of its news releases to major national publications but missing the local gazette, this might help inform your campaign strategies.
Social Media Audit
Make sure your audit includes social as well as traditional media. The social media audit gives you an opportunity to see not only what the client is saying, but how—and whether—the client is responding to replies.
For the social media audit, scan the client’s social media accounts. Your client may have told you which platforms the organization is using, or you can conduct a Google search or browse different platforms to find all the organization’s accounts (note discontinued or “abandoned” accounts, unauthorized accounts, etc.). Also scan the client’s website for blogs and other shared media. Is the client active (posting regularly)? What is your client’s content strategy? That is, what messages is the client conveying? This is a good opportunity to see if the client is posting on social media (one-way communications) without engaging or interacting with publics through productive dialogue and responses (two-way communications).
If the client is engaging with publics on social media, is the client’s voice consistent between the post and the responses, or across posts? Sometimes, an organization will have no strategy behind its social media operations and no man-hours designated to this function. In these cases, messaging and tone can fluctuate according to whoever is writing the posts—hardly optimal for conveying organizational coherence!
Your findings in this area may inform your social media strategy. You may, for instance, identify platforms your client isn’t using but should, or creative ways of messaging your client hasn’t thought of.
Organize your notes on how the organization is communicating on traditional and social media and identify any gaps in strategy or messaging. Your notes will come in handy when you describe the internal situation of the client in Step 8.
Now, move on to Step 5, where you’ll analyze the traditional and social media coverage your client has received. This is where you’ll assess the success of your client’s communications efforts.
Step 5: Conduct a Media Analysis
Building on the research you’ve conducted, turn your attention to reviewing and analyzing media coverage of the organization and the situation. You’ll be looking at external sources, meaning that this research should not include communications created by the organization.
Traditional Media Analysis
To see how news organizations have covered your client, you can conduct searches on LexisNexis as well as on Meltwater and other platforms, such as Google Analytics. Although all these tools will direct you to articles on your client, Meltwater and other platforms go a step further. They have an algorithm that tells you whether the tone of the article was positive, neutral, or negative. You can access not only what has been written about the client, but the results of what is called a sentiment analysis. Refer to Using Meltwater for Research and Evaluation to learn more.
Conduct your searches on the various platforms using relevant keywords and search terms based on your client meeting and secondary research. Include the organization’s name, programs, and initiatives, as well as relevant issues.
You’ve compiled all the research you’ll need for now. Move on to the next step to conduct a SWOT analysis.
Step 6: Conduct a SWOT Analysis
You’ve completed an incredible amount of research. Now, it’s time to paint an overall picture of your client.
As you know, a SWOT analysis distills your research into key insights about the client’s situation.
Create a four-box table for your SWOT analysis.
In each category—strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats—list at least three items based on your research. Recall that strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. Opportunities and threats are external to the organization.
In the next step, you’ll write a problem statement based on your SWOT analysis and present it to your peers.
Step 7: Write Your Problem Statement
Now that you’ve completed the SWOT analysis, draft a problem statement. This statement can describe either a problem to solve or an opportunity to take advantage of. What problem or opportunity have you found? Explain how you chose that particular problem or opportunity and what contenders you weeded out in your final assessment of the organization, publics, and situation. In the next step, you’ll compile all your research into a situation analysis report culminating in the problem statement you just wrote.
Step 8: Write Your Situation Analysis
You’ve shared your problem statement with your peers, received some feedback, and possibly made a few revisions.
Now, take the notes you’ve compiled and organize them into a situation analysis to present to your Parabolic mentor. This will be a document summarizing your research and culminating in the problem statement.
Your situation analysis will be 3–5 double-spaced pages, written in APA style. Include notes at the end from all your research efforts. These will not count toward the 3–5 pages, but will give the client more detailed information.
Follow this structure for your situation analysis:
• Background—why we’re here, why you chose this client, why now
• Internal Situation—what you found out about the organization, how it works, how it communicates, its internal stakeholders and publics, any pressures or issues you’ve uncovered
• External Situation—what you found out about the larger socioeconomic, cultural, legal, and political climate; the external stakeholders and publics; what the media is saying; what publics are saying on social media; what are the concerns and interests of the publics; what are the levels of engagement and awareness; what external pressures does the organization face
• SWOT Analysis
• Problem Statement
• Appendices—neatly formatted notes on the following:
o Client Meeting
o Secondary Research
• client organization
• issue or situation
• potential target publics
o Communications Audit
o Traditional Media Analysis
• summary of results
• analysis of results
o Social Media Analysis
• summary of results
• analysis of results
Cite your sources using APA style.