The University of Victoria Issues Marketing & Communications RFP

The University of Victoria (UVic) is seeking an agency to provide Design, Marketing and Communications services to find a qualified Proponent that can support the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) in its development of a new communications strategy, strong new visual identity, and an updated product range for the upcoming 5 years.

Background:

British Columbia is home to the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS), which brings together leading domestic and international researchers to assess, develop and promote innovative climate- change mitigation and adaptation options. Created in 2008 with an endowment from the BC Ministry of Environment, PICS is hosted and led by UVic in collaboration SFU, UBC, and UNBC. This unique independent four-university collaboration is the foundation upon which PICS builds networks of partnerships, with governments, the private sector, First Nations, other research organizations and wider society. The institute maintains a focus on climate solution options for BC, but the horizon of its remit extends to its neighboring provinces, the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and beyond. PICS’ technology-and-policy-neutral approach to climate solutions, cross-university collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and partnership focus makes it unique, definitely in Canada, if not within the world.

In the lead-up to its 10-year anniversary, in 2017 PICS initiated a comprehensive review of its operational structures, processes and outcomes, to identify not only its successes and limitations, but essentially how it can be more impactful in the future.

As a result, PICS has developed a Strategic Plan (2017-2022). This five-year plan builds on the institute’s core competencies, sets the strategic operational research and governance direction, describes its future communications and engagement approach, and articulates PICS’s vision for how it can best assist decision-makers and society to adapt to a changing climate and be an integral part of the emerging low-carbon economy.

The plan focuses on three strategic areas:

i. Conducting Collaborative Research

ii. Communicating Climate Change Solutions

iii. Enhancing Organizational Development

Scope of Work:

1. Communication and Engagement Strategy: Advice on the design and implementation of a new communication and engagement strategy.

• Provide advice on the optimum  modern communications  tools,  products and approaches to reach PICS specified target audiences (i.e., policy and decision-makers in the public and private sectors, researchers and academics).
• Review existing PICS communications products, including the Climate Examiner, white papers, briefing notes, annual report, newsletter and brochure. Are they suitably designed for their target audiences, and for solutions based research results? How could the information contained in these products be better presented?
• Provide advice and recommendations on the best use of new and emerging media and methods of execution, and consumer trends and technology developments suitable for the promotion of PICS research results. Also recommend new products PICS could include in its suite to raise its profile.
• Provide advice on the overall design of an effective communication and engagement strategy that connects with PICS target audiences, and also allows for the evaluation of outreach efforts.

2. Brand: Raising the profile of PICS in B.C., nationally and internationally.

• Evaluate and recommend how PICS can align its brand to reflect the goals (Vision, Mandate and Objectives) of its new Strategic Plan. Scope of work includes, but is not restricted to, the following:
• Design a new “look and feel”, logo, colour palette, typography, and tagline descriptions that fits the new strategic direction of PICS
• Produce a style guide for how to apply the brand consistently to a wide range of potential PICS products (ranging from written reports to digital products), as identified under the new communications and engagement strategy.
• Create templates for the resulting agreed suite of PICS products, featuring the new look and feel (brand). This could include templates for PowerPoint presentations, reports, letterhead, digital products, etc.
• Advice on multi-partner templates: Given that many PICS research projects will be partnerships, advise on branding for such initiatives (i.e. Is it worthwhile to create more neutral PICS templates that allow for the inclusion of other organization’s logos, etc. or just pursue on a case-by-case basis?).

3. Desirable Requirements

• Website: Using the new PICS branding, execute a complete redesign of the PICS website. This process would include a review and rebuild of the design and functionality features (e.g. ability to support new media, videos, blogs) of the PICS website – with respect to reflecting the strategic plan, and to concentrate the focus on climatesolutions

Due Date:

September 27, 2017

Address:

Annabelle Victoria
Purchasing Services
Phone:  250.721.8329
Email:  annabell@uvic.ca

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