Professions not organized in orders or colleges
The figure of Communication Manager is located, from a legal point of view, within the professions governed by Law 14 January 2013, n. 4, containing provisions on professions not organized in orders or colleges.
This legislation recognizes and regulates all those professional activities carried out in a usual and predominant manner, based on skills, knowledge and experience, which are not among the professions already organized in professional associations or public registers.
Regulatory definition of profession
Article 1 of Law no. 4/2013 establishes that:
by profession not organized in orders or colleges we mean economic activity, even organized, aimed at providing services or works for third parties, carried out habitually and mainly through intellectual work.
The activity of the Communication Manager fully falls within this definition, as it consists in the professional provision of specialized services aimed at managing, organizing and qualifying the communication processes of public and private entities.
Nature of the professional activity
The Communication Manager operates as an independent professional or qualified collaborator, carrying out intellectual activity based on multidisciplinary skills and continuous professional updating.
In particular, professional performance includes:
- analysis and organization of information flows;
- definition of information dissemination methods;
- production and management of communication content;
- coordination of communication channels;
- care for identity consistency and information clarity;
- monitoring of communication effectiveness.
The activity can therefore be configured as a specialized professional service aimed at organizations, bodies, businesses and professionals.
Absence of legal reserve
Pursuant to article 1, paragraph 2, of Law no. 4/2013:
, the exercise of the profession is free and based on the autonomy, skills and responsibility of the professional.
It follows that the profession of Communication Manager:
- is not subject to mandatory registration in registers or orders;
- does not constitute a confidential activity;
- can be exercised in compliance with current civil, fiscal and administrative regulations.
Transparency towards users
The law introduces the principle of clarity with regard to customers and users of professional services.
The professional is therefore required to indicate, in every document and written report with the client, the reference to the applicable legislation.
Professional relationships must bear the wording:
“Disciplined professional pursuant to Law no. 4 of 14 January 2013 (professions not organized in orders or colleges)”
Professional updating and quality of performance
Law no. 4/2013 values voluntary skill qualification systems, professional association forms and self-regulatory mechanisms, promoting:
- continuing education;
- definition of quality standards;
- codes of professional conduct;
- user protection tools.
In this context, the Register of Digital Communicators (RCD) is included, as a voluntary professional qualification tool aimed at ensuring transparency, recognition of skills and quality of the services offered.
Purpose of the discipline
The legislation does not establish a new professional order, but aims to promote the protection of the market and users through the empowerment of the professional and the enhancement of skills.
The Communication Manager therefore operates as a qualified professional in organized communication, in compliance with the principles of fairness, good faith, responsibility and information transparency provided for by current legislation.