writing a communications brief

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How to Write a Brief for aPublic Relations Consultant



Table Of Contents

Section One: Before you start ______________________________________ 1

What is public relations? ______________________________________________1 What is a communication strategy? ______________________________________2 Do I need to write a communication strategy? ______________________________2 The value of a good PR brief ___________________________________________2 Consideration of special audiences ______________________________________3 A few words about style _______________________________________________4 What should I be wary of putting in the brief? ______________________________4 Other considerations _________________________________________________4 Approval processes __________________________________________________5

Section Two: Step-by-step guide __________________________________ 6 1 Purpose________________________________________________________6

2 Background_____________________________________________________6 3 Current or previous research _______________________________________6 4 Previous communication activities ___________________________________7 5 Communication aim ______________________________________________7 6 Communication objectives _________________________________________7 7 Target audiences ________________________________________________9 8 Key messages__________________________________________________10 9 Proposed communication mix ______________________________________10 10 Research ____________________________________________________11 11 Key issues/considerations_______________________________________11 12 The tender task _______________________________________________12 13 Selection criteria ______________________________________________14

14 The task for the successful consultant _____________________________15 15 Budget ______________________________________________________16 16 Billing and payment ____________________________________________16 17 Timeline_____________________________________________________17 18 In-house resources ____________________________________________18 19 Pitching fee __________________________________________________18 20 Conflict of interest _____________________________________________18 21 Security, confidentiality and copyright ______________________________19 22 Professional indemnity insurance _________________________________20 23 Performance guarantee_________________________________________20 24 Project termination and/or variation of project________________________20 25 Contacts ____________________________________________________20

Section Three: Need more help? ___________________________________ 22



How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 1

Section One: Before you start What is public relations?

Public relations involves the management and distribution of information to enable anorganisation’s target audiences to understand its policies and programs.

The role of public relations is to:

• place a subject on the public agenda;

• garner public support and endorsement of a person, product, organisation or idea;

• extend advertising campaigns; and

• deliver complex information and messages (which can not be delivered by an

advertisement).

Public relations practice is broader than media relations and/or publicity generation. Inreality, the activities of public relations practice include:

• Issues management – involves proactive systematic identification of issues ofpotential concern to an organisation and development of a system to respond tothem.

• Crisis management – involves reactive systematic identification of issues and anappropriate response mechanism for unanticipated situations.

• Media relations – involves dealing with the media in seeking publicity for, orresponding to, media interest in an organisation, person, product or idea.

• Merchandising support –the packaging of a product, an idea or person.

• Event management – involves planning activities or staging events which will attractmedia attention to a person, organisation, idea or product. A launch is a typicalexample.

• Promotion – attempts to garner the support and endorsement for a person, product,organisation or idea. Although promotion incorporates special events – which could

be called event management – promotion goes into other areas, for example,storylines about the specific issue in soap operas, competitions or documentaries.

• Public affairs – a highly specialised kind of public relations which involvescommunity and government relations – which is dealing with officials within thecommunity and working with legislative groups and various pressure groups such asconsumers.

• Publicity – involves disseminating purposefully planned and executed messagesthrough selected media, without payment to the media, to further the particularinterest of an organisation or person. Publicity is a tool used by public relationspractitioners – it is not public relations in itself.

Government Communications Unit, www.gcu.gov.au




• Sponsorship - is a contractual agreement between two parties whereby benefitssuch as money or services in kind are traded for promotional opportunities offered bya campaign or event, for example, naming rights, brand exposure, corporaterecognition, or endorsements.

What is a communication strategy?

A communication strategy provides an essential framework for developing acomprehensive and integrated campaign. It is a plan which outlines the rationale for, anddesired outcomes of, your proposed public information campaign. The strategy definesspecific objectives to provide a framework within which to formulate strategies andagainst which to evaluate outcomes.

In the development of the communication strategy, key decisions need to be made about:

• the range of integrated information activities to be implemented;

• what research the strategy is to be based on;

• how external consultants will be used;

• the roles and responsibilities of all key stakeholders in the strategy;

• the available budget;

• the timeline; and

• the evaluation plan.

The communication strategy should clearly articulate how all the various components ofthe campaign will be co-ordinated and managed to achieve its objectives most efficientlyand effectively.

Do I need to write a communication strategy?

Yes. Before you write a brief for a public relations consultant, you need to write acommunication strategy. Public relations is usually only one part of an integratedcommunication campaign and, as such, the role of the public relations activities needs tobe clearly defined within the context of a communication strategy before a public relations

brief can be written. The GCU also has guidelines on How to Write a Communication Strategy and many of the steps in that guide are explained in this document, with specificamendments and differences as appropriate for the briefing of a public relationsconsultant.

The value of a good PR brief





The PR brief is the foundation upon which the public relations consultant plans (andcosts) their proposal. Therefore, a good brief is the key to receiving high quality, tightly-focused proposals from consultants.

A good PR brief will:

• provide enough detail about the program/policy that it can be understood by someonewho has no knowledge of the subject and key issues, and can be read as a standalone document;

• explain the need for public relations and where it fits within the broadercommunication strategy;

• be supported and informed by research;

• clearly define the communication objectives;

•

outline the tasks the successful consultant will perform;

• highlight any sensitivities which impact on the campaign;

• include a clear timeline for the campaign;

• outline any activities which will complement the campaign;

• describe the key stakeholders of the campaign and their role;

• clearly outline the tender task and the selection process; and

• facilitate evaluation of the campaign’s success.

Consideration of special audiences

Government departments are required to consider Australians who are information-disadvantaged through low income, poor education, and an inadequate knowledge ofEnglish, disability, geographical isolation or other reasons.

The following people are considered special audiences and should be given dueconsideration in your public relations brief:

• people from non-English speaking backgrounds;

• Indigenous Australians;

• people from regional, rural and remote areas; and

• people with a sight or hearing disability.

If separate strategies are required to reach those audiences, it is not best practice to askthe public relations consultant to do this work along with their ‘mainstream’ strategy,particularly if the strategies are targeted for Indigenous Australians or Australians from anon-English speaking background. This is because it is not usually part of the

consultant’s core experience or expertise.





Generally, specialist consultants are contracted by Government departments, through aseparate tender process involving the MCGC, to develop and implement these separatestrategies concurrently with the ‘mainstream’ campaign. These specialist consultants willalso look after adaptations or translations of creative material from the advertisingagency.

The GCU also has guidelines on how to write briefs for non-English speaking backgroundcommunication specialists and Indigenous Australian communication specialists.

A few words about style

It is critical that the brief is comprehensible to consultants. Therefore, it is advisable towrite the brief in plain English (ie avoid bureaucratic jargon or terminology too specific toparticular programs or policies).

What should I be wary of putting in the brief?

By writing a brief, you are seeking advice from professionals with specialist knowledge.Consultants are at the ‘coalface’ every day, and usually have a better knowledge ofappropriate communication tactics than clients, so resist prescribing techniques whichyou think the consultant should use. Rather, give consultants the opportunity todemonstrate their knowledge and use it as a means of choosing between them. Usingthe consultants’ expertise will facilitate proposal evaluation; you will then be able tocompare the merits of a range of communication solutions and costings.

Other considerations

The following points need to be considered to assist you with the brief:

• Consider what is required by your departmental purchasing instructions/contractareas when buying consultancy services.

• Find out whether you need to seek the approval of your Minister and the MinisterialCommittee on Government Communications (MCGC) for the brief and the consultantsto whom it will be sent. The GCU will advise you on this matter.

• If MCGC approval is required, the GCU will brief the Committee on issues relevant toyour public relations project, information about the shortlisted consultants and any

other relevant background information. For more information on the MCGC approvalprocess, visit the GCU website at www.gcu.gov.au.

The GCU strongly recommends that you contact your Legal section for advice on writingthe contract before you complete the consultant selection process.

This is particularly important because:

• The brief and the successful consultant’s proposal form the basis of the contractbetween the two parties, ie they attain a legal status.

• Your department might have specific requirements which should be included in the

brief, eg the requirement for professional indemnity insurance or a performanceguarantee.





• One of the most common delays in campaign commencement is an unpreparedcontract.

The consultant should not begin work until the contract has been signed.

Approval processes

When developing your strategy timeline you will need to allow sufficient time for thefollowing approval processes before the brief can be sent out:

Order Action Time required

1. Draft brief and seek legal advice

2. Forward draft brief to GCU for comment

3. GCU comments on brief and provides a list ofconsultants to approach with the brief Allow one-two weeks

4. Your Minister (or appropriate officer) approvesthe amended brief and list of consultants

5. Final version of the brief to GCU to submit to theMCGC (this might be a scheduled meeting orout-of-session)

6. MCGC approves brief/consultant list in session

MCGC approves brief/consultant list out-of-session

Allow one week

Allow two-to four weeks





Section Two: Step-by-step guide

1 Purpose

State why you are sending out the brief; it is important that consultants know what theyare being asked to do.

Example:

The (name of department) is seeking proposals from public relations companies with experience in national, integrated communications campaigns, to develop and implement the public relations components of a high profile public awareness campaign on (new policy) for a period of x months/years.

Or, if the department only requires assistance with one aspect of the public relationsstrategy, a more appropriate purpose might be:

The (name of department) is seeking proposals from public relations companies to develop and implement the issues management component of the public relations strategy on (new policy) for the period of x months/years. The department’s public affairs area will be responsible for developing and implementing the other components of the public relations strategy.

2 Background

Provide a broad outline of the circumstances which prompted the need to communicateand attach any relevant information and research, for example the initiative might:

• result from a government decision;

• be in response to client requests or feedback; or

• form part of a new policy proposal.

You should state the aim and objectives of the program which the communicationstrategy is a part of, in particular any key outcome areas. The program objectives willprovide an overarching context for the campaign. You should also indicate how thecommunication strategy will integrate with the program to achieve the desired outcomes.

The background should provide enough detail about the policy or program for someonewho has no knowledge of the subject to understand the key issues to be addressed bythe communication campaign.

3 Current or previous research

Include any research results you have to support the need for, and/or approach to, thecommunication campaign. This could include:

• market research undertaken to inform the development of the policy/program;

• market research conducted to inform an earlier campaign on this issue;





• market research conducted specifically for your campaign (primary research);

• market research from another department on a related issue;

• relevant statistics or demographic data; or

• analysis of consultative processes.

Attach copies of cited research reports where possible.

4 Previous communication activities

If you have previously communicated on this subject, provide details of:

• the target audiences;

•

when and how you communicated; and

• the effectiveness of this communication campaign.

Example:

In 1997 we undertook a communication campaign to promote our new service.The strategy included a ministerial launch of the service, followed by television advertising, a two-month publicity strategy and distribution of an information booklet upon request to people who rang an 1800 number. Evaluation of the campaign indicated that the advertising was effective in generating calls to the number, but that this did not translate into actual use of the service.

5 Communication aim

The aim should be a short statement of the desired outcome of the communicationstrategy.

Example:

To increase the level of full age appropriate childhood immunisation coverage by creating a climate of acceptance and active support from both parents and service providers.

Be realistic about what the strategy can achieve within the timeframe, budget andavailable resources. Remember, the most successful communication campaigns areunderpinned by program support strategies, which deliver the product or service that yourcommunication strategy is addressing.

6 Communication objectives

Clear, specific and measurable objectives are critical to the success of informationactivities: not only are they critical to the development of an appropriate public relationsstrategy, but they also form the basis of campaign evaluation. Therefore it is imperative

that specific and measurable objectives are stated clearly in your brief.





It is a common error to confuse objectives with tasks. When writing your brief be mindfulof the following:

• Tasks are what you/or your consultants do to achieve your objectives (ie outputs) andcommonly start with such words as “To develop…” “To implement...” for example:

− to develop an issues management strategy;

− to undertake a national launch of the campaign;

− to implement a three-month public relations campaign.

• An objective is what you hope to achieve from your information activities (ie anoutcome) and commonly start with such words as “To increase…” “To inform…”“To reinforce…”.

Research will assist you to develop realistic objectives. Your research will give you a

greater understanding of current awareness and attitudes toward your subject matter andtherefore provide a starting point for communication activity.

Setting objectives

When setting objectives you should:

• be realistic within the timeframe, budget and resources;

• ensure they are measurable;

• state what you aim to achieve in terms of the target audience:

− Awareness, understanding and knowledge – most campaigns aim to increaseawareness, understanding and knowledge of a government policy or program.Awareness objectives relate to what you want your target audience to be informedor educated about.

− Attitudes – favourable or unfavourable feelings about an issue, which are learned,and relatively enduring. It is assumed that changing attitudes will lead to anincrease in the positive behaviours a campaign is promoting. Some campaignsaim to reinforce positive attitudes to ensure that positive behaviours aremaintained; while others attempt to change negative attitudes. Attitude objectivesare really a statement of how you want the target audience to feel about the issue.

− Behaviours – are what you want the target audience to do as a result of beingexposed to your campaign. Behaviours are the specific actions which you areencouraging members of the target audience to undertake.

Some examples of objectives are:

Awareness

To increase awareness with 18-40 year olds:

• of the immediate and longer term health effects of smoking;

• that every cigarette does physical damage; and





• that support for quitting smoking is available in various forms.

Attitudes

To generate/strengthen:

• personal relevance to the health messages of the campaign;

• a sense of the ‘immediacy’ of the health effects depicted in the campaign advertising;and

• the confidence of people aged 18-40 in their own ability to change their behaviour.

Behaviours

To increase intentions to:

•

quit/attempt to quit smoking; and

• access available support services. Note: The public relations brief should not introduce objectives not outlined in thecommunication strategy. However, you might not necessarily wish to just replicate all theobjectives found in the strategy. It may be that emphasis is placed on achieving somespecific objectives in the public relations component of the campaign.

7 Target audiences

Exactly who do you want to receive your message? Target audiences should bedescribed in terms of:

• current behaviour

• level of awareness

• level of knowledge

• preferred methods for receiving information

• motivations/barriers to hearing and believing/accepting the information.

You should describe your target audiences in as much detail as possible. Broaddescriptions such as the “general public” are less likely to lead to a successful campaignthan a tightly defined target. The more thoroughly you understand your target audience/s,the higher the probability of success.

• Primary Target Audience – people/groups who will be directly affected by yourmessage or need to be exposed to your message. For example:

Parents, particularly mothers of children aged 0 – 6 years.

• Secondary Target Audience – people of less importance who you wish to receivethe campaign messages, people who will also benefit from hearing the campaign





messages or people who influence your target audience now or in the future: forexample, general practitioners.

• Stakeholders - Other people/groups who might be directly or indirectly involved in,affected by or with a stake in your campaign. For example:

Peak body organisations, community organisations, other Australian Government departments, state governments etc.

You should clearly outline the role you expect these people/groups to play in yourstrategy. For example, they might be intermediaries or information providers for thetarget audiences.

Note: The public relations brief should not introduce target audiences not identified inthe communication strategy. However, you need to consider whether particularemphasis is placed on reaching specific target audiences in the public relationsstrategy.

8 Key messages

The key messages should encapsulate the purpose of your communication activity in asfew words as possible. Key messages do not need to be catchy. They are not the“slogan” or the “jingle” for your campaign or the actual words to be used as yourmessage. There is time later, during campaign development, to mould your message intoa form that is appropriate for your audience/s.

If you do not have a clear, concise understanding of the campaign purpose, then this lackof clarity will be exaggerated as the campaign progresses. If the key messages are

unclear this will result in a weak strategy, weak proposals and, probably, a weakcampaign.

Research indicates that the following types of messages are likely to be rejected:

• messages which are global in nature;

• messages which are a series of ‘motherhood’ statements;

• messages which are self congratulatory; or

• self-promotion without substance.

Effective key messages should include details of the program or policy being promoted,the benefits of the initiative for the target audience, and a clear “call to action” outliningwhat the target audience should do as a result of receiving your messages.

Note: You should remember that public relations has the ability to deliver the morecomplex campaign messages and provide a level of detail which the advertisingcampaign can often not achieve. Careful consideration should be given to whichmessages are best suited to the public relations versus the advertising strategy.

9 Proposed communication mix





It is useful to outline the proposed components of the communication campaign to enablethe consultant to understand the context within which the public relations activity willoccur. For example, it is useful for the public relations consultant to know that a massmedia advertising campaign is planned so that they can ensure synergy between theadvertising and public relations strategies.

This section should include a brief description of advertising, strategies targeting peoplefrom non-English backgrounds and Indigenous Australians, any planned events,sponsorships or direct mail. It would also be useful to indicate who was responsible forthe delivery of each component. This section should also include details of anycomplementary communication activity being undertaken by stakeholder groups or stateand territory governments.

Further, if it is the intention of your department to carry out some of the public relationsactivities in-house, you must detail in the document exactly what the external publicrelations consultant will be responsible for and what the department will be managing.

The GCU recommends that you attach a copy of the communication strategy to the briefto give the consultant an understanding of the campaign context.

10 Research

Research is used to guide the development, implementation and evaluation ofinformation activities. It can, and does, prevent resource wastage by ensuring that thecampaign is indeed necessary and appropriate for the target audience/s.

You should include in your public relations brief details of any research conducted orproposed as part of the campaign, including:

• developmental research which has underpinned the strategy and messages;

• concept testing (to assist in selecting the advertising agency and refining creativeconcepts for advertising and products);

• benchmark and tracking the campaign (testing strategies, reporting on coverage andreadership of your issue, checking recall); and

• evaluating the outcomes (checking for changes in target audience attitudes,knowledge, behaviour).

PR consultants should also be reminded to provide the department with details on howthey propose to evaluate the effectiveness of the public relations strategy they are toimplement.

11 Key issues/considerations

Include details of any constraints on your information activities to give consultants theopportunity to consider issues that might impact on the campaign when preparing theirproposals. Examples of issues for consideration include:

• subtleties of the communication task, such as "musts" and "must nots" in

communicating the message and design;





• sensitive issues;

• state government activities (such as consultation processes and protocols);

• the need to work in consultation with other consultants (eg market researcher,

advertising agency, or a specialist non-English speaking background or indigenousAustralians communications consultant);

• regional or geographical constraints;

• financial constraints;

• the need for materials to be approved by particular positions or by interest groupsbefore release; and

• the approval process for campaign strategies and materials.

12 The tender task

The consultant must be provided with specific details on what is expected of them as partof the tender process. This is distinct from the task required of the successful consultantwhich is defined in the final contract with the department.

Example

As part of the tender process the consultant will be expected to:

1. Attend a question and answer session after receiving the brief

A Question and Answer session will be held with the tendering consultants on… at…with representatives from the (department) and the Government Communications Unit to clarify any issues in the brief. Interstate consultants will be provided with one return economy airfare to attend the session.

The GCU strongly recommends that briefing sessions called Question and Answer(Q&A) sessions are held with consultants after they have received the brief to ensure youreceive proposals which reflect what you really want. It is best to meet face-to-face withconsultants about two to four days after they receive the brief so they can clarify anyissues in the brief which might be of concern to them before finalising their proposals.The MCGC also expects Q&A sessions to be held with tendering consultants.

These sessions should be held individually with each consultant (not group sessions heldwith all the consultants at once), and all sessions should be treated as commercial-in-confidence. The GCU can give you more information on how these sessions areconducted if you require.

State when, where and with whom the Q&A sessions will be held. It is usual practice tooffer a return economy airfare for interstate consultants to attend a face-to-face meeting.

Although the MCGC will make the final consultant selection, key people involved inassessing the proposals and shortlisting the consultants, including a GCU representative,should be present at the Q&A sessions.

2. Develop a written proposal





The proposal must include:

• an outline of how the public relations strategy will be developed and implemented, if successful;

• a rationale for the proposed strategic approach;

• a proposed approach to launching the campaign;

• strategic advice regarding other suitable publicity events;

• details of an appropriate publicity program including an issues management strategy;

• an outline of a proposed approach to stakeholder management;

• recommendations on and a rationale for information materials, if applicable;

• a detailed timeline for implementing the strategy;

• a detailed costing of services, including daily/weekly/hourly rates;

• details of personnel who will be working on the strategy, clearly identifying roles and, if applicable, hourly rates;

• details of similar projects worked on including the contact details of (three)referees;

• an explanation of how the public relations strategy will be evaluated; and

• details of reporting and invoicing formats and procedures.

To assist the selection process, you should also detail in the brief that consultants must:

• restrict the written proposal to 20 or fewer, A4 single-sided, numbered pages using a 12 point font size (excluding curriculum vitaes and company experience which would be less than 30 pages in an attachment to the main document);

• provide an executive summary of no more than two pages;

• provide a specific number of copies (eg five bound and one unbound); and

• include a table of contents.

Note: These specifications are also a requirement of the Ministerial Committee onGovernment Communications.

3. Present the proposed strategy to the evaluation panel;

Consultants are required to give a one hour presentation (including time for questions) of their response to the brief to the evaluation panel. The evaluation panel

then assesses proposals against the selection criteria. The evaluation panel prepares





a shortlist of consultants, usually two, to present to the MCGC. Interstate consultants will be provided with two return economy airfares to present to the panel.

And if the project requires MCGC approval:

4. Shortlisted consultants present to the MCGC.

The MCGC requires that the following wording is also included in the brief:

Shortlisted consultants present to the Ministerial Committee on Government Communications (MCGC) for selection of the successful consultant. The MCGC may also review the decision on the shortlisted consultants. MCGC meetings will usually be convened in Parliament House, Canberra. Not all members of the MCGC will necessarily be in attendance throughout the presentations. For example, at least three members of the MCGC are Members of Parliament and their attendance may be interrupted by divisions of the House of Representatives or Senate.

Interstate consultants will be provided with two return economy airfares to present to

the MCGC.

13 Selection criteria

State the criteria against which you are going to evaluate the consultants’ proposals,which should be kept to a minimum to facilitate the selection process.

The following selection criteria cover most requirements, although you can add otherswhich you deem appropriate:

Example

• Understanding of the issues.

• Clarity of the rationale for the proposed strategy.

• The quality of the proposed communication strategy

− Are there clear links with the communication objectives?

− Will the target audience/s be reached effectively by the proposed strategy?

− Are the proposed communication vehicles appropriate for the campaign

messages?

− Do the proposed information materials clearly reflect the strategic approach?

• Innovation and creativity demonstrated within the strategy.

− Will the proposed strategy have impact/cut through?

− Are there ideas beyond standard public relations activities?

• Value for money:

− an assessment of cost against perceived impact/reach of the strategy.

• No conflict of interest.





• References from previous projects will be used to assess the consultant’s ability on:

− proven capacity to deliver projects on time and within budget; and

−

proven ability to work cooperatively with the department.

• relevant/related experience of the team of people who will work on the business.

NB. Experience could be defined in terms of government experience, social marketing experience, subject matter experience or experience in developing and implementing similar communication activities, whichever is deemed to be most relevant to the campaign.

The following wording should also be included in the brief:

If you cite particular projects to support your claims within the strategy, you need

to include the relevant contact as one of your referees.

14 The task for the successful consultant

Clearly outline the tasks you expect the successful consultant to perform. The followingexamples cover a wide range of activities and may not always be relevant.

Example:

The successful consultant will be required to:

•

refine the winning proposal in consultation with the department;

• confirm the program of activities/events to be developed as part of the strategy;

• develop and implement:

− the final public detailed relations strategy as agreed with the department

− a launch strategy for the advertising campaign which includes liaising with the media to ensure maximum media coverage and the development of support materials

− a publicity program to garner support for the campaign over a six month period

− a comprehensive issues management strategy

− a stakeholder management strategy

• develop, produce and distribute supporting information materials;

• organise and manage publicity events;

• liaise with other consultants and key stakeholders as required;

• present the strategy or its components to the MCGC as required;





• report regularly to the department on campaign progress;

• at the campaign’s completion, submit a report containing:

− copies of all media releases, fact sheets, invitation, running sheets, etc

− print and electronic media clippings

− outline of other outcomes such as alliances, partnership activity, etc

− summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the approach and recommendations for future public relations action

− budget summary

− an assessment of the outcomes and internal efficiencies

• on completion of the campaign provide all the artwork for creative material to the department.

NB. These tasks will need to be clearly defined in the final contract between thedepartment and the consultant.

15 Budget

The GCU strongly recommends that you specify your budget in the brief. Specifying yourbudget will aid consultants to provide realistic proposals and also enable you to make fairand accurate comparisons of proposals as they will all be written to the same amount.

For example, if no budget is provided, consultants will try to guess what is wanted andyou may end up trying to compare a proposal written to a budget of $80,000 with onewritten to a budget of $200,000, which is very difficult to assess.

Where possible, you should quote:

• The amount of money available now;

• The amount of money available in future;

• The amount of money allocated to each component of the strategy eg whether the

budget includes design, printing and distribution of materials;

• Whether the budget is subject to negotiation;

• Your preference for either a project fee or negotiated monthly accounts;

• The period in which the money will be available eg 1 July 2002 - 30 June 2003.

16 Billing and payment

The GCU recommends a payment schedule which promotes a working relationship of

mutual respect where the financial load is balanced between the consultant and theclient:





You should include the following sentence in your brief:

Quotes are to be provided to the client for each task for approval by the departmental project officer before commencement of work. Accounts must be submitted by the public relations company to the department within 30 days of completion of each task. Payment will be made within 30 days following the receipt of a correctly rendered invoice.

Companies should submit invoices for the pitch fees (if applicable) and the amount of the airfares at the conclusion of the selection process to: (insert contact name and details).

17 Timeline

Provide an outline of the timing and sequence of events including presentation ofproposals and selection of consultants. Be realistic with the timeline as unreasonableexpectations can compromise the quality of the proposals you receive or cause somehigh quality consultants not to submit a proposal at all.

Allow consultants at least two weeks, after the Q&A session, to produce writtenproposals. If applicable, you should also allow at least four weeks for MCGC processes.

The following timeline is a guide only and will be affected by such factors as theinvolvement of your Minister’s office and the timing of MCGC meetings.

Order Action Time required

1. Approved brief sent to consultants Day after MCGC approval

2. Q&A sessions held with all consultants Two to four days later

3. Written proposals due14 days later (minimumrecommended)

4.All consultants present their proposals toevaluation panel. Panel shortlists - usually two-for presentation to MCGC

Three to five days later

5.Your Minister approves panel recommendationof short list, including evaluation report

Allow 10 days

6.Short listed consultants present to next availableMCGC meeting - MCGC selects consultant

One to three weeks later

7. All consultants informed of outcomeOne to two days afterMCGC selection

8. Contract signed Before any work started

9. Consultant starts work After contract signed

10. Unsuccessful consultants debriefed

Within two weeks of

MCGC decision





11. Periodic evaluation and reporting

12. Project finishes

13. Project evaluation

18 In-house resources

List all facilities and/or staff (if any) which could be used by the consultant. Accuracy isimportant because consultants will develop their proposals on the basis of theseresources being available. You can be contractually obligated to make these resourcesavailable during the period of the consultancy.

Resources might include:

• access to contact databases of clients or interest groups;

• use of departmental computer systems, e-mail or Internet access accounts;

• existing supplier arrangements such as mailing house contracts;

• access to office space or conference venues;

• existing communication materials to include in kits;

• access to meetings with key interest groups;

• access to press clippings;

• existing research reports;

• departmental management information systems which collect relevant information; or

• access to academics or other experts in the field who are known to the department.

19 Pitching fee

Departments are not obliged to pay pitching fees to public relations consultancies, and it

usually does not occur. However, if it is a particularly complex brief, the pitching fee mightbe deemed appropriate as a sign of good will and to subsidise the cost of pitching. Thedecision whether or not to pay pitching fees is one to be taken by the department.

An example of the wording used in this section of the brief, if applicable, is:

A pitching fee of $ (insert amount) will be paid to public relations consultancies participating in the selection process for this contract. An invoice should be submitted at the conclusion of the selection process.

20 Conflict of interest

Ask consultants to declare any conflict/s of interest. Some consultants might have clientswhose interests are not compatible with your campaign. For example, an account for a





tobacco company would be considered a conflict of interest on a campaign designed toencourage people to quit smoking. Where the conflict of interest can be perceived ashaving a significant influence on the quality and objectivity of the consultant's work, orwhere there is a risk that another client could have a potential for financial advantagefrom the receipt of restricted information, the consultant's proposal should not beconsidered.

An ethical consultant will disclose details of conflicts of interest either perceived or actual.In some cases, a perceived conflict of interest might be so trivial that it will not affect theassessment of proposals however, it is beneficial to have the information.

In any case, the GCU recommends that departments include the following paragraph intheir brief:

The consultant will be engaged using a standard Australian Government contract that requires the consultant to declare any risk of conflict of interest. Where the department establishes, from information provided by the consultant or other information available to it, that a conflict of interest exists, such a conflict might be grounds for exclusion of the consultant from consideration for this consultancy after an opportunity is given to discuss the matter with the consultant.

In the event the department establishes a conflict of interest exists after the engagement of the consultancy, the contract between the department and the consultancy might be terminated by letter in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.

If you can be more specific about what constitutes a conflict for a particular project, youshould do so.

21 Security, confidentiality and copyright

Copyright

Intellectual property remains vested with the originator unless otherwise agreed. Tosecure ownership of copyright or intellectual property, ensure your contract with thesuccessful consultant gives your department sole ownership of any material producedduring the course of the contract.

Note: It is unethical to take an idea from one consultant and incorporate it into thesuccessful consultant’s proposal without the permission of the originator. In this instance,the purchase of the idea should be negotiated with the unsuccessful consultant.

Statement on security, confidentiality and copyright

The GCU suggests inclusion of the following statement on security, confidentiality andcopyright:

The information in this brief is confidential. The consultant and other persons working on this project will be bound by Public Service regulations with respect to confidentiality. All information gathered in relation to the project is the property of the Australian Government. No consultant involved in the tender process is at liberty to disclose any of this information to any other party. If confidential information is leaked during the tender process this may be grounds for exclusion

of the consultant from consideration for this consultancy. The successful consultant is also not at liberty to disclose any of this information to any other





party and if information is leaked after the successful consultant is appointed this may be grounds for termination of the contract.

22 Professional indemnity insurance

It is now the usual practice for government departments to require consultants to haveprofessional indemnity insurance. You should check with your legal area on this so thatyou can specify both the necessity and the value of this insurance. If professionalindemnity insurance is a requirement, the GCU advises the inclusion of the followingsentence in your brief:

One of the contract conditions for this project is a requirement that all consultants submitting for this project must have professional indemnity insurance to the value of $x.

23 Performance guarantee

If your communication project has a large budget and is being conducted over anextended period of time, it might be in your interest to seek a financial guarantee of somekind. It is advisable to contact your legal area about this, as it will be your departmentwho carries out the financial check. Where financial guarantees are to be sought youshould include this information in your brief. For example:

The company chosen for this consultancy might be subject to a financial viability check and Directors might be personally required to enter into a performance guarantee . Performance guarantees are used for risk management by the Australian Government essentially as a safeguard in securing the performance of contractors. There are three main types of performance guarantees - corporate guarantees, directors’ guarantees and bank guarantees. The department will indicate which type of performance guarantee is required.

If it is not the intention of your department to carry out such a check, this sectionshould not be included in the document.

24 Project termination and/or variation of project

To protect yourself in case the project does not go ahead after the brief has been sent toconsultants, the GCU strongly recommends that you include the following paragraph.

The Australian Government may, in its sole discretion, at any time, vary or deviate from the processes outlined in this brief, or terminate the briefing process or any negotiations being conducted at that time with any person. The Australian Government reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend, terminate or abandon this project any time prior to the execution of a formal contract by the Australian Government. The Australian Government reserves the right to refuse to consider and/or accept the lowest or any proposal without reference back to any consultant provided that the Australian Government shall give written notice of such decision to each of the consultants.

25 Contacts

Provide the name, postal address, email address, telephone and fax numbers of:





• the departmental project manager, usually in the department’s communication area;

• people who are able to help the consultant with queries on the brief; and

• a departmental program area officer, with background policy/project knowledge, who

can attend the Q&A sessions and the presentations.

It is not appropriate to include the name of a GCU officer, even when they are on theevaluation panel as queries should relate to the subject matter of the campaign.





Section Three: Need more help?

For further enquires on writing a brief or on the MCGC approval process, contact:

Director, Communications and Research

Government Communications Unit

3-5 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600

Tel: (02) 6271 5805

Fax: (02) 6271 5850.

Or visit the GCU website at www.gcu.gov.au.

For further reference to market research, refer to the GCU guide: How to use Research and Evaluation in Government Communication Campaigns . Copies are available on CD Romand obtained by contacting the GCU, or may be accessed on the GCU website.

writing a communications brief

Documents