OREANDA-NEWS. June 09, 2014. This is the way that the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) has chosen to promote the principles of healthy competition, in which PR-specialists from 84 FAS regional Offices are instrumental.

Each year they have an opportunity to advance their professional qualification at FAS Centre for Education-and-Methodics for effective competition advocacy. This year there were two stages of training: from 19 to 22 May and from 26 to 29 May 2014.

The training programme included theoretical and practical classes on the work with target and reference groups of the authorities, competition advocacy, social media, interaction with mass media and TV-skills.

PR-specialists not only learned about specifics of media activities and the work of press-services of the authorities but also were able to meet each other, since solidarity is an essential component of efficient work.

In particular, it was encouraged by a business game – linguistic quest devised specially for FAS staff members. The winners of the first stage of training were Natalia Martynuyk from Chelyabinsk OFAS, Elena Moiseeva from Chuvashia OFAS and Zargumanov Mirzhan from Altai OFAS. The winners of the second stage were Alexei Loubyanov, Rosatov OFAS; Andrei Logoshin, Voronezh OFAS; and Natalia Yurchenko, Murmansk OFAS.

Press-secretaries enjoyed the game so much that it was decided to organize it for all officers of the Antimonopoly Service on 6th June – the Day of Russian Language.

The Head of FAS, Igor Artemiev, addressed press-specialists via a tele-conferencing bridge. Once again, he emphasized the importance of competition advocacy and FAS openness: “We must speak simple language, clear to everybody”.

At the end of the training courses, representatives of press-services passed the final tests and were awarded qualification-advancing certificates.