The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council (“PWSRCAC”) in Alaska is inviting proposals for a project to conduct an audit of current public relations, communications, and brand (organizational reputation) of PWSRCAC and develop recommendations for improving these efforts to engage a larger audience and build support for the council’s mission.
The final work product of this effort is a report that will cover:
- Results from the audit of the current PWSRCAC brand and public relations efforts;
- Recommendations and plan for improving public relations and communications efforts.
About The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council
MISSION STATEMENT: Citizens promoting environmentally safe operation of the Alyeska terminal and associated tankers.
PWSRCAC was formed following the Exxon Valdez oil spill to advise Alyeska Pipeline Service Company and the public on issues related to oil spill prevention and response and mitigating the environmental impacts of terminal and tanker operations. PWSRCAC also advises oil shippers, regulatory agencies and elected officials on these issues.
PWSRCAC’s membership comprises communities affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill and interest groups with a stake in safe oil transportation in the region. PWSRCAC’s 18 member organizations are communities and boroughs impacted by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, as well as Native, commercial fishing, aquaculture, recreation, tourism and environmental representatives.
PWSRCAC was chartered as a non-profit corporation by the State of Alaska on December 26, 1989. PWSRCAC is funded under a contract with Alyeska, and is certified as the alternative voluntary advisory group for Prince William Sound under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA90).
Currently, the council does not have a formal public relations or branding plan. The council is looking for a partner to help evaluate current public outreach efforts and brand identity and make recommendations for improvement.
The council’s challenges include the following:
- Over the last 26 years, many passionate volunteers and staff have dedicated themselves to the organizations mission because they experienced the devastation of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Twenty-seven years later, the council is experiencing a generational change. Many in the younger generation do not have those personal ties to this event that motivate earlier generations.
- Public outreach emphasizes the following themes: preventing oil spills, ensuring a strong response system if prevention measures fail, and fighting complacency. Nothing bad happening is the best day. This message, combined with the technical nature of the council’s work, can result in a difficult message. Work includes scientific studies, reviews of new technology and other technical studies..
Scope of Work
The council envisions three phases to this effort. This RFP includes Phase One ONLY.
Phase One:
- Survey internal and external audiences to determine their perceptions of the council brand. The survey may require multiple methods of communication to get balanced results from all stakeholders, including email, phone, and/or in-person interviews.
- Audit the organization’s current communications, including print publications such as The Observer and annual report, websites, social media, emergency communications plan, in-person outreach activities, and other elements as suggested by the proposer. Determine what messages are being sent, and how effective they are.
- Develop recommendations for improving the council’s brand identity and a plan for developing consistent materials and implementation. These recommendations should include:
- Recommendations that can be implemented in-house to improve existing communications materials and methods, according to staffing.
- Prioritized recommendations for Phase Two and Three.
Phase Two (not part of this contract):
- Develop public relations and branding plan, which may include creation of, or improvements to: tagline, new logo, templates for Power Points, fact sheets, business cards, exhibitry, style guide, social media campaigns, videos, podcasts, emergency communications plan, and other materials as determined in Phase One.
- Develop training materials.
- Train staff to use public relations and branding plan consistently and effectively.
Phase Three (not part of this contract):
- Evaluation and recommendations for ongoing efforts.
Proposal due on August 1st, 2016 to:
Amanda Johnson, PWSRCAC Project Manager
Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council 3709 Spenard Road Anchorage, Alaska 99503 amanda.johnson@pwsrcac.org<mailto:amanda.johnson@pwsrcac.org>