City of Portland, Oregon REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) Usability, Rebranding, Promotion Project
RESPONSES DUE: June 30, 2023, by 4:00 p.m.
SECTION A GENERAL INFORMATION
1. INTRODUCTION
The Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO.org) is a partnership of government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and private-sector stakeholders in the Portland Metropolitan Region collaborating to increase disaster resilience. We coordinate dozens of disaster preparedness projects related to community resilience, public health, healthcare systems, infrastructure, supply chains, communications, emergency management, law enforcement, public works, and fire and emergency medical services. The RDPO serves the 5-country metro area but is housed within the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management.
2. BACKGROUND
Prior to 2019, PublicAlerts.org was simply a place to sign up for local emergency alerts. In 2019, the RDPO Disaster Messaging Work Group (DMWG) redesigned the site, making it a regional hub for emergency information. Now, in addition to info about alerts, it also contains info about hazards, preparedness, community involvement, and disaster recovery.
From 2020-2022, we saw unprecedented traffic to PublicAlerts.org. We used the site to create a regional hub for information about various disasters, which led people to vital safety information and local resources during both response and recovery stages. For each person that interacted with the website, there was an opportunity for developing brand recognition and engagement in ongoing disaster preparedness.
The RDPO is requesting information for the following:
3. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to find out how well known PublicAlerts.org is and if it is meeting the needs of the communities it is intended to serve. Respondents are invited to submit a response to this RFI by addressing one or more of the following:
1. Conduct a usability study of publicalerts.org
2. Conduct website rebranding
3. Conduct a promotional campaign
RDPO seeks to hire vendor(s) to conduct a usability study of PublicAlerts.org, conduct rebranding efforts, and conduct a small-scale promotional campaign. The project focus is on the perspectives, needs, and preferences of communities disproportionately impacted by disasters in Clackamas, Clark, Columbia, Multnomah, and Washington counties. These are communities that historically and routinely experience barriers to services.
• People of color
• People with medical issues and disabilities
• People with limited English proficiency or low literacy
• Children and older adults (65+)
• People with low income
• People experiencing houselessness
• People who are physically, geographically, culturally, or socially isolated
• People with limited access to technology.
Goals of the project:
1. PublicAlerts.org will meet the needs of the whole community before, during, and after disasters – especially those who historically and routinely experience barriers to services and are disproportionately impacted by disasters.
2. Everyone in the Portland Metro Region will know that PublicAlerts.org is a comprehensive source of information about emergency alerts, local hazards, emergency preparedness, and disaster recovery.
Project Scope:
1. Conduct a usability study of PublicAlerts.org in English and the following languages, if possible: Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Somali, Ukrainian.
2. Based on results of usability study, conduct website rebranding.
3. Conduct a small-scale online promotional campaign in English and the following languages, if possible: Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Somali, Ukrainian
