Organizational reform and the location of public relations at the federal executivernorgans in Ethiopia: Challenges and prospectsrnMengistu LamarornAddis Ababa University, May 2021rnThe federal executive organs in Ethiopia went through structural and functional reformsrnaimed at making them fit to the socio-economic and political reforms in 2018. The impactrnof this reform on the public relations sector at both central government and federalrnexecutive organs did not get adequate attention. This study aimed to examine the impactsrnof organizational reform on the public relations processes in the federal executive organsrnof Ethiopia. The result of this study is supposed to inform the concerned parties about thernstatus quo of the PRs sector along with the existing challenges and thus initiate them tornrespond accordingly. A quantitative research design was employed to conduct arndescriptive survey on the case at hand. Through a quantitative analysis of data collectedrnfrom different sources using a combination of instruments, the study found that thernorganizational reform actions introduced in 2018 affected the roles and functions of PRsrnin the federal executive organs more seriously than the structural location of the process.rnEven though the national public relations sector leading organization was dissolved byrnlaw, the public relations units remained at the usual location accountable and directlyrnreporting to the executive management of their respective organizations. However,rnfunctionally, the public relations were pushed out of the decision making managementrnteam, missed opportunities to access decisions they were supposed to inform the public onrntimely manner. With some emerging issues and lacking of resources as well as enablingrnenvironment which affect the day to day practices of the public relations functions,rntherefore, the practitioners limited themselves to insignificant routines than core publicrnrelations functions. In tackling the issues affecting their functioning, the public relationsrnpractitioners should, therefore, have to stride further in practicing their functions in arnprofessional manner so that they can get recognition by the key stakeholders. Moreover,rnthe practitioners should focus on key public relations roles might help them get noticedrnand sought after. The Press Secretariat department should resume the undergoing reformrninitiatives, and support the public relations sector professionalism by fully implementingrnthe sector plans and programs handed over from the GCAO.