SOCIAL MEDIA RFP ISSUED BY SHUSWAP WATERSHED COUNTY

The Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC), care of the Fraser Basin Council, is requesting proposals for social media management and marketing services to increase awareness and support for the SWC during an upcoming, pending voter assent process within the Columbia Shuswap Regional District. This Request for Proposals includes:

· Project background

· Scope of work

· Instructions to respondents

· Evaluation criteria

· Terms and conditions

Respondents are requested to submit a detailed proposal outlining the work and fee schedule. Proposals will be reviewed by the Fraser Basin Council, and will form part of the agreement with the successful consultant.

Background:

The Shuswap Watershed Council is a watershed-based partnership that works on enhancing water quality and safe recreation in the Shuswap. There are 18 Council members representing the following organizations: Columbia Shuswap Regional District, City of Salmon Arm, District of Sicamous, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, Secwepemc Nation, Regional District of North Okanagan, BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy, BC Ministry of Agriculture, and there are four community members-at-large. The SWC is a collaborative, non-regulatory group. It works alongside organizations that have regulatory roles in managing the Shuswap watershed, complimenting their work and carefully avoiding duplication. For more general information on the SWC, visit www.shuswapwater.ca.

The Fraser Basin Council, a provincial non-government organization, provides staff services to the Shuswap Watershed Council.

The SWC is supported by financial contributions from the following four governments: Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD), City of Salmon Arm, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, and Adams Lake Indian Band (of the Secwepemc Nation). Each of these governments has their own means of contributing.

The CSRD supports the SWC through a local government service that allows the CSRD to requisition tax revenues from all residents from within the service area. The service and parcel tax bylaws were established through an Alternative Approval Process in November 2015. The term of the service was set for a five-year period, beginning January 1st 2016 and ending December 31st 2020. See CSRD Bylaw 5705 for more information.

With the end of the aforementioned service’s term on December 31st 2020, the CSRD must obtain elector assent to re-establish the service and parcel tax bylaw, or fore-go the service. In anticipation of the CSRD proceeding with an assent process (either an Alternative Approval Process or a Referendum), the Shuswap Watershed Council is ramping up its communications efforts in order to increase awareness and support for the SWC during the assent process with the ultimate goal of achieving elector assent. The SWC will use a variety of communiques and media types, including but not limited to its website, annual highlights reports, advertisements and editorials in local news media, and social media. SWC staff recognize the importance of social media, in particular, as this is one of the most prominent ways people obtain information. In addition to its own communications, SWC staff will work alongside CSRD staff as they prepare information from the perspective of the local government.

Scope of Work:

The SWC is seeking a consultant with social media and marketing experience who can manage the social media components of communications leading up to and during the CSRD voter assent process.

Objective

Raise awareness of the SWC and increase residents’ support of the SWC within the CSRD service area (CSRD Area C – South Shuswap, Area D – Falkland-Ranchero, Area E – Rural Sicamous, Area F – North Shuswap, and the District of Sicamous) through social media.

Anticipated tasks

Work with the SWC program manager to deliver social media campaigns and manage activity on social media platforms, as follows:

· Use previously established messaging, and/or develop new messaging about the SWC, to raise awareness of the SWC and increase residents’ support of the SWC

· Deliver content targeted to residents within the CSRD service area (organic campaigns and paid advertisements)

· Monitor activity on SWC social media networks, and reply in a timely manner to comments and questions on behalf of the SWC

· Monitor activity on non-SWC social media networks where there may be conversations or comments about the SWC, and intervene in a timely manner where necessary to correct mis-information or answer questions

· Inform the program manager of any arising issues on social media

· Prepare a brief report summarizing the activities and social media statistics at the end of the project.

What’s not included in this RFP

The SWC does not require the consultant to do the following tasks:

· Graphic design

· Photography (although, any relevant photographs the consultant already has may be incorporated into social media campaigns)

· Developing and delivering information about the CSRD’s voter assent process

Timeline

The consultant will begin work as soon as possible after the CSRD Board of Directors has approved an elector assent process. It’s anticipated that this will be an item for decision at their regular board meeting on June 18th 2020. The work will continue until the conclusion of the voter assent process, which is anticipated to be September 30th 2020. The consultant should be flexible with this timing, as the start and end dates are outside the control of the SWC.

Submission requirements

The proposal should include the following, in the prescribed order. Concise proposals will be viewed more favourably.

1. Cover letter

2. Project understanding

3. Firm/team qualifications and experience

4. Project methodology and work plan

a. Describe details on anticipated tasks outlined above

b. Note any added value or innovations that your methods offer; also note any potential challenges and your proposed methods to address these

5. Project budget

a. Budget should include effort and costs per task and per team member.

Due Date:

2:00 Noon Pacific Time May 15th 2020

Address:

Erin Vieira Program Manager Shuswap Watershed Council c/o Fraser Basin Council 200A – 1383 McGill Road Kamloops, BC V2C 6K7 e-mail: evieira@fraserbasin.bc.ca         

Agencies worth considering for this assignment include Ketchum PR and KCSA Communications.