EduAsiaNews, Jakarta — The Public Relations Team of Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jakarta (UPNVJ) held a focus group discussion (FGD) on public relations strategy on Monday (Oct. 19, 2026), aiming to strengthen institutional communication management through a planned, measurable and data-driven approach.
Under the theme “The Long Road of Communication Toward Trustworthiness,” the forum explored ways to build public trust by strengthening institutional identity, image and reputation, while improving preparedness for communication issues and crises. The discussion was led by Helmi Fajar Andrianto, head of the Media Management Team, who emphasized the application of the RACE model — Research, Action, Communication and Evaluation — as a framework for strategic communication.
In his presentation, Helmi explained that public trust in an institution cannot be built solely through frequent publications or a positive image. Trust requires a long-term process that connects organizational identity, public perception and reputation with the quality of institutional actions and consistency in communication.
Three key elements underpin trust: ability, intention and integrity. Ability reflects an organization’s competence in fulfilling its responsibilities; intention concerns its commitment to the interests of stakeholders; and integrity demonstrates consistency between institutional statements, policies and actions.
In higher education, these three elements are particularly important because a university’s reputation is determined not only by academic achievements but also by service quality, information transparency, responsiveness to issues and consistency in meeting the needs of its academic community and the wider public.
The Four RACE Stages as the Foundation of Strategic Communication
To establish a systematic communication approach, Helmi outlined the RACE model’s four stages: Research, Action, Communication and Evaluation. The model positions public relations as an ongoing process, beginning with information gathering and culminating in the measurement of communication outcomes.
The first stage, Research, aims to understand organizational conditions, audience characteristics, and emerging issues and communication trends. Activities include issue monitoring, satisfaction surveys and focus group discussions with stakeholders to identify information needs and potential problems requiring attention.
The second stage, Action, focuses on setting objectives and planning communication based on research findings. At this stage, public relations teams determine key messages, target audiences and appropriate communication channels to ensure information is delivered effectively.
The third stage, Communication, involves conveying messages to the public through various channels. Activities may include appointing spokespersons, holding press conferences, publishing information through official websites and social media, and engaging in dialogue with stakeholders.
The final stage, Evaluation, measures the effectiveness of the strategies implemented. Evaluation methods include monitoring media coverage, analyzing audience reach and responses, conducting public satisfaction or perception surveys, and adjusting strategies based on the findings.
The four stages are interconnected. Evaluation results inform subsequent research, ensuring that communication management goes beyond information dissemination and continues to improve in response to organizational needs and changes in the communication environment.
Data as a Key Instrument for Crisis Prevention
The FGD also highlighted the role of data in communication decision-making, particularly in detecting and managing issues before they escalate into crises.
In pre-crisis management, data enables organizations to identify trends in public opinion, map potential reputational risks and determine appropriate responses based on an issue’s urgency and impact.
Data use should also be integrated throughout the communication process, from monitoring and problem identification to analysis, strategy development, program implementation and evaluation.
Organizations with effective data management systems are considered better prepared to respond to issues quickly and appropriately. Information gathered from mass media coverage, social media, complaint channels, surveys and direct interactions with stakeholders can serve as a basis for developing messages relevant to audience needs.
For UPNVJ, this approach can help strengthen public information services while improving the university’s readiness to navigate the evolving communication landscape in higher education.
Crisis Response Strategies Must Be Tailored to the Situation
In addition to data management, the FGD discussed several approaches to developing messages in response to issues and reputational crises.
These strategies include deny, or rejecting unsubstantiated allegations; diminish, which provides context and explains the organization’s level of responsibility; rebuild, which focuses on restoring trust; and bolstering, which strengthens relationships with the public by highlighting relevant positive track records.
Other approaches include instructing, which provides the public with necessary guidance; adjusting, which helps audiences understand the situation; apology, or expressing regret and taking responsibility where appropriate; compensation, which addresses losses suffered by affected parties; and corrective action, which involves implementing measures to prevent similar problems from recurring.
The choice of strategy must be based on facts, the organization’s level of responsibility, the impact on stakeholders and the public’s information needs. Public relations responses should therefore go beyond protecting reputation to ensure transparency, accountability and problem resolution.
Through the FGD, UPNVJ’s Public Relations Team strengthened its understanding of the importance of communication planning supported by research, precise messaging, integrated channels and continuous evaluation.
These efforts align with the leadership direction of UPNVJ Rector Prof. Dr. Anter Venus, M.A., Comm., who has encouraged professional university governance focused on improving institutional service quality. Within this framework, public relations plays a strategic role in ensuring that university policies, achievements and responses are communicated accurately, transparently and accountably.(www.upnvj.ac.id)
