Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Pet Project Seeks PR Help

IDRC is a Canadian Crown Corporation established by an act of Parliament in 1970, which was created to help developing countries find solutions to their problems. It encourages, supports, and conducts research in the world’s developing regions, and seeks to apply new knowledge to the economic and social improvement of those regions. IDRC aims to reduce poverty, improve health, support innovation, and safeguard the environment in developing regions.

IDRC has issued a request for proposal for a communications company to develop and manage a comprehensive communications and public relations strategy for the Livestock Vaccine Innovation Fund program and its constituent projects.

The Livestock Vaccine Innovation Fund is an initiative developed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD), and Canada’s International Development Research Centre.

It represents a joint investment of CAD 57 million over five years to support the development, production, and commercialization of innovative vaccines against livestock diseases (including poultry) in sub-Saharan Africa, South and South East Asia. Through partnerships, the Livestock Vaccine Innovation Fund improves the health and livelihoods of small-holders by supporting the development of livestock vaccine solutions.  Managed by IDRC, the Fund will focus on countries of sub-Saharan Africa, South and South East Asia that are priorities for the funders.  Communicating the results of the research that IDRC funds is integral to the Centre’s work.

IDRC strives to communicate effectively, through a wide range of products and to a number of different audiences, both within and outside the Centre. For IDRC, impactful communication means communication that is strategic, coherent and systematic.

The main objective of this consulting assignment is to develop and manage a comprehensive communications and public relations strategy for the LVIF program and its constituent projects.

This will entail:

• Developing a comprehensive communications and public relations strategy for the LVIF program;
• Leading the implementation of the strategy including, but not limited to the development of relevant communication and outreach materials for different audience, managing media events and public relations, developing web content;
• Providing technical support to research projects teams to develop and implement their project specific communication strategies;
• Strengthening capacity of LVIF research project teams in communications, public relations, and policy engagement;
• Measuring the effectiveness of the communications and public relations strategy and its implementation.

Responses are due by December 7, 2015 and should include a proposed 5-year communication strategy and action plan, which includes analysis, objectives, target audiences and messages.  Proposals should be sent to Lindsay Empey at lempey@idrc.ca