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Building Systems That Prove Impact | Hiring Through the RPIE Lens - Interview Questions
April 13, 2026
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Become a MemberBuilding Systems That Prove Impact: Job Descriptions, Evaluations & Hiring
RPIE — research, planning, implementation, and evaluation — is at the heart of strategic school public relations and APR-aligned practice, yet many districts haven’t fully embedded it into the systems that define expectations and accountability.
This three-part webinar workshop series helps districts apply the RPIE framework to the practical tools that shape communications success: job descriptions, performance evaluations, and hiring interviews.
Whether you lead a communications team or serve as a one-person communications office, you’ll learn how to translate RPIE into clear role expectations, measurable performance indicators, and interview questions that identify strategic skill sets. Participants will work on their own documents in real time and leave with revised, ready-to-use tools, plus language to confidently partner with supervisors and HR.
Part III: Hiring Through the RPIE Lens: Interview Questions That Identify Strategic Communicators
Hiring is one of the most powerful opportunities to embed RPIE into practice. Too often, communications interviews focus heavily on tools, production, and personality, while missing the deeper competencies districts need most: diagnosing communication needs, planning with intention, implementing with consistency, and evaluating impact. In this workshop-style session, participants will learn how to craft interview questions and scoring tools that reveal whether candidates can think and operate strategically using the RPIE process, not just create content. Using RPIE as the organizing framework, participants will build a bank of interview questions and follow-ups mapped to real communications work: research and listening practices, strategic planning and message development, implementation workflows, and evaluation/measurement habits. This session supports districts of all sizes, including one-person communications offices, by offering structured tools that improve consistency and fairness in hiring decisions. Participants will also explore how to right-size roles based on department needs and how to align interview processes to job description expectations. Participants are encouraged to bring a current job posting, role description, or interview questions to revise during the session.
Be sure to visit NSPRA Plus to view the first two sessions of this series.
If you have any questions, please email pd@nspra.org.
Agenda
Speakers
| Name | Organization | Speaking At |
|---|---|---|
| Julie Thannum | CESO Communications | - |
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Tracy Jentz
<p>As director of survey research at the Donovan Group, Tracy provides both a research and communications perspective in asking questions, providing insight, and helping find solutions. She has a deep passion for public education, along with collecting and using data to inform decision making.</p>
<p>Before joining the Donovan Group, Tracy spent more than 10 years as communications coordinator for one of the largest school systems in North Dakota, where she provided a strategic communications and research focus through her award-winning work. She has presented at several state and national school communications conferences and served a three-year term on the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) Executive Board.</p>
<p>Tracy holds a master’s degree in sociology and a bachelor’s degree in communication, both from the University of North Dakota. She has also obtained Accreditation in Public Relations (APR).</p>
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Donovan Group | - |