Due date: RFP Due: January 4, 2024 11 a.m
Contractor Duties
The Contractor Duties listed immediately below comprise work presumed necessary to provide paramount recruitment and marketing services. However, the Consultant may suggest a modified scope of duties as a part of their proposal.
The Consultant shall have three primary duties. First, provide an evaluation of the current Columbus Department of Public Safety recruitment and marketing process, which includes benchmarking Columbus efforts against other major cities. Second, the Consultant will make best practice recommendations to improve Columbus first responder recruitment. Specifically, the Consultant‘s recommendations will result in strategies and specific actionable items to: a) attract a greater number of qualified applicants, b) recruit more women and people of color, c) retain more candidates during the
selection process, d) and reduce attrition. Lastly, the Consultant will assist Columbus in the implementation of the new recruitment and marketing campaign.
Contractor duties are more specifically outlined below:
A. Evaluate Columbus Department of Public Safety first responder Recruitment and Marketing efforts.
A. Conduct on-site and virtual meetings with executive staff and respective recruitment personnel to order to access current recruitment and advertising practices. Moreover, this will entail the review of a plethora of materials.
B. Benchmark Columbus Department of Public Safety first responder recruitment and marketing efforts against peer cities with items such as, but not limited to: staffing, budget, and quantity and ratio of sworn to civilian recruitment personnel.
C. Review current training for Columbus Department of Public Safety recruitment staff and make suggestions as to any additional training and/or education.
D. Review current role and determine best role for civilians in the recruitment process.
E. Review current recruitment unit metrics and develop best metricsfor reporting the respective units work efforts.
B. Make best practice recommendations to improve Columbus Department of Public Safety first responder recruitment.
Specifically, the Consultant‘s recommendations will result in strategies and specific actionable items to: i) attract a greater number of qualified applicants, ii) recruit more women and people of color, and iii) retain more candidates during the selection process.
A. Conduct market research and focus groups to determine the most effective messaging and advertising platforms and selected geographic placements. Research current national trends and analyze the best ways to attract individuals to apply for Columbus first responder positions.
Analyze our recruitment attrition rate and provide metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign. Identify gaps in existing strategy and assist with new and measurable alternative strategies to achieve the hiring goals.
B. Develop recruitment marketing strategies which may include, but are not limited to: social media, search engine optimization, entertainment platforms, radio, television, print, sponsorship, enhanced webpage, email, face-to-face marketing, special event promotions, and other forms of promotion to be used in selected geographic areas. Please note that vehicle wraps and billboards are not eligible for grant reimbursement and this will not be utilized.
C. Provide specific strategies for marketing to diverse candidates for employment (i.e. minorities and females). Moreover, specific marketing materials shall also be developed for recruiting from minority and female populations to enhance the overall diversity of the Department.
D. Design marketing materials for the Columbus Department of Public Safety first responders that can easily and effectively be utilized across multiple graphic identity applications, entertainment platforms, and communicative mediums such as signs, letterhead, social media, business cards, newsletters, brochures, marketing materials, websites, face-to-face marketing, etc. These materials should incorporate creative marketing elements that include design concepts, logos, messages, tagline, brand, and other products that uniquely represent our Divisions. Materials should be developed in multiple languages. Provide samples of previous work with proposal submission. . Please note that vehicle wraps and billboards are not eligible for grant reimbursement and this will not be utilized. Moreover, marketing materials must bot include promotional giveaways.
The materials should adhere to the previously established Columbus “brand” as illustrated in the following website: https://www.columbus.gov/brand/departments/
E. Create and provide a detailed implementation strategy with timeline and projected budget for recommended scope and deliverables. This would include a comprehensive plan to include media buying in selected geographic areas, creative development, and strategic advisement, etc.
Likewise, a plan to develop and/or buy marketing materials and services.
F. Provide Professional photos (department image/branding) and videos/digital content (recruitment videos, commercials). The Department of Public Safety will make police officers, firefighters, and 911 personnel available, as needed, for photo/video shooting at a mutually agreed upon time. Any video production shall be suitable for multiple social media platforms such as, but not limited to, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Television. Consultant shall be responsible for the filming/productions of photography and videos; use of such items shall be at the sole discretion of the Department.
G. Provide online targeted recruiting campaigns and strategies to include, but not limited to, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, YouTube Advertising, and Social Media Advertising (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn) and other entertainment platforms.
H. Create an outline, template, and any graphic needs to improve the respective Divisions’ webpage specifically geared towards recruitment.
I. Creation of materials shall be performed in a timely manner in accordance with agreed-upon anticipated campaign deadlines. Consultant shall provide proofs of all messaging for review and approval by the respective Divisions.
J. All materials created through this contract shall be owned by the city of Columbus.
C. Assist the Columbus Department of Public Safety in the implementation of the new recruitment and marketing campaign.
a) With prior approval of the Department of Public Safety, Contractor shall coordinate and purchase media buying in selected geographic areas, creative development, associated materials and services, and strategic advisement, etc. Again, specific actions are to be implemented to increase diversity. A detailed accounting of expenditures accompanied by receipts shall be provided from
the Contractor to the Department of Public Safety as part of the monthly invoicing process.
b) Help coordinate and assist the respective recruitment units with logistics.
c) Conduct training for recruitment staff to enhance effectiveness.
d) The budget for the work of the Contractor as well as all purchases of marketing materials and services, and media buys, shall approximately total but not exceed $1,000,000. These funds must be expended (and thus all work must be accomplished) during the duration of the grant which ends December 31, 2024.
e) During the term of the campaign, Consultant shall provide ongoing recommendations on areas to improve upon, or how to proceed in the future. For example, if one advertisement is performing better than another, then a recommendation should be made to shift funds accordingly to the better performing platform.
f) At the conclusion of the campaign, Consultant shall provide a report as to what strategies were most effective and cost effective to guide future campaigns. Please provide examples of metrics of how you will measure effectiveness and success.
g) The Contractor Duties listed above presumed work necessary to provide paramount recruitment and marketing services. However, the Consultant may suggest a modified scope of duties as a part of their proposal. Please outline and explain any suggested modifications to the scope suggested above.
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