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Description

Responsible Communication: Framing the Message, Substantiating Claims and Limiting Risk

Align your organisation's public messaging with its actual performance, without resorting to claims that cannot be verified

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Communication teams face two competing demands. They are expected to speak about the organisation's environmental and social commitments at a time when the available evidence remains partial, and when any gap between message and reality is quickly called out in public. As a result, many campaigns are abandoned mid-course or released without any safeguards.

This 14-hour programme provides a method for building an evidence-based message. Day one focuses on analysing genuine commitments and the supporting evidence available internally. Day two is devoted to drafting messages and then critically reviewing a campaign brought in by the participants.

Learning objectives

  • Distinguish a verifiable commitment from an unsupported intention
  • Map the internal evidence available to substantiate a message
  • Draft a responsible message free of unverifiable wording
  • Identify phrasing that exposes the organisation to accusations of greenwashing
  • Build a review checklist that can be applied to the organisation's own materials

What makes this programme different

Each participant works on a real campaign or communication asset from their own organisation
A message review checklist built during the session and reusable afterwards
A rewriting workshop on environmental claims based on commonly used wording

Programme

1Positioning Responsible Communication

Audience expectations and risk areas

  • How the expectations of employees, clients and partners have evolved
  • Distinguishing CSR communication from image communication
  • Typology of the criticism directed at responsible messaging
  • Mapping the sensitive topics specific to your organisation

2Taking Stock of Available Evidence

From internal reporting to public messaging

  • Identifying data and initiatives that are genuinely documented
  • Interviews with internal project owners
  • Sorting quantified evidence, process evidence and testimonials
  • Identifying topics that should not be communicated for the time being

3Writing Without Overpromising

Claims, wording and registers

  • Drafting rules for environmental and social claims
  • Replacing superlatives with dated facts
  • Handling initiatives that are only partly complete
  • Adapting the message to the channel and target audience

4Validating and Defending Your Communication

Critical review and responding to objections

  • Building an internal review checklist
  • Approval flow between communication, executive management and CSR
  • Preparing responses to public criticism
  • Tracking published messages over time

Who is it for

Communication managers and officers, together with CSR focal points and anyone involved in drafting corporate messaging.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.