Independent Diplomat Request for Proposal (RFP) Overview:

Within the scope of our current Comprehensive Marketing/Communications Plan and as part of our Strategic Plan, Independent Diplomat (ID) seeks a qualified public relations/communications specialist to assess, develop and design a strategy to promote ID’s public profile. The selected Consultant will conduct a limited branding exercise based on ID’s current mission, profile and individual personal brands to incorporate it into ID’s external posture. The Consultant will design a communications strategy that covers all vehicles and platforms. The Consultant should already have or can quickly develop relationships with, and keep our organization updated with, public relations, event/speaking opportunities, and media contacts, as deemed relevant, for use by ALL departments and staff of ID.

Independent Diplomat Organizational Overview:

ID is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency (NPA) and accredited organization in New York, NY since 2004. We employ a professional staff of 20 supplemented by numerous consultants. Our annual budget is approximately $4.7 million.

Our Mission: ID is a unique non-profit venture that advises countries and political movements worldwide on diplomatic strategy to prevent conflict and solve global problems. Comprised of a staff of experienced former diplomats, international lawyers and other experts in international relations, ID provides impartial advice to governments and institutions to help them amplify their voices and level the diplomatic playing field.

Within ID’s Strategic Plan, the critical strategic components that must be accomplished over the next year in order for ID to achieve excellence are:

  • Solidifying ID’s brand and raising ID’s profile
  • Securing new sources of funding
  • Marketing of ID’s services and mission
  • Development of new business (Client/Project)

Please check our website (www.independentdiplomat.org) for more detailed information.

Scope of Work:

ID seeks a Consultant with experience and expertise in marketing and communications planning (print, digital and social media strategy), media relations and overall evaluation of communications efforts. The work will require close coordination and cooperation with ID’s Director of Development and External Relations, Digital & Media Advisor and Executive Director.

Our major goals are to: raise the profile of ID and effectively communicate ID’s mission, and educate the broader community about the work of ID. This work may be conducted through the following activity areas:

Marketing/Communications/Public Affairs

  • Lead limited branding exercise to identify and solidify ID’s brand
  • Identify most effective platforms across all media including but not limited to traditional press, social media, blogs, public events or speaking engagements, and multi-media opportunities
  • Design a communications strategy that covers all vehicles and platforms including a plan for promotion and execution, including metrics to measure success

Objectives

The three (3) major objectives to be accomplished through this contract are:

  1. A refined and coherent ID Brand with a clearly articulated public message.
  2. Design a very specific communications and public outreach strategy that effectively uses all vehicles and platforms to market and promote ID.
  3. Develop manageable and affordable evaluation mechanisms, track communications/marketing efforts and other outreach initiatives.

Independent Diplomat WILL require a Consultant for these requirements:

  • working with ID staff through branding exercise to identify ID brand and messaging
  • effectively communicating ID brand to a wide variety of stakeholders, including government, press and the public, and leveraging and enhancing the internal resources we have in house
  • navigating the nuances of international political issues, audiences and outreach opportunities
  • developing innovative—as well as traditional—communications methods, marketing strategies, and distribution channels, segmented by target audience
  • working with digital media advisor, apply the principles and practices of social media messaging (e.g., understanding target audiences, designing communications strategies based on their needs, and communicating messages through multiple channels and outlets (social media vs print materials)
  • assessment and development of personal brands within the organization in order to incorporate these assets into the broader ID brand.
  • the successful Contractor will work with ID to establish agreed-upon goals with milestones, metrics, deliverables, timelines and a report-back mechanism whereby ID can quickly and easily ascertain whether or not key success indicators are being met.

Proposal Submissions and Evaluation:

The proposal in response to this RFP should include:

  1. Brief background and biography.
  2. Relevant experience on this type of project.
  3. Statement/scope of Work.
  4. Suggested (or sample) branding exercise and communications strategy vehicles and timelines.
  5. Sample performance-based standards and measures.
  6. Reporting requirements or technical evaluation criteria (if any).
  7. Desired professional fees required. Fees may be stated in terms of hourly rates with estimated hours per week, month and year.
  8. References from similar engagements.

Additional information is available in the live links included in the body of this RFP. If you are unable to access the links to ID’s proprietary information or external websites for more information, please contact ID immediately.

Just as all materials submitted herein and via links are considered ID’s proprietary information, all proposals submitted will be considered proprietary and not available for viewing by any competing agency(s) that may be awarded the Contract. As outlined in ID policy, Consultant will be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Evaluation of proposals will be made based on clarity, specificity and outline of how the Contractor will address the needs indicated here as well as cost.

Following proposal submission and the initial review process, all RFP respondents will be notified of the outcome. Face-to-face presentations may be scheduled based on submission finalists. Not all submissions will warrant a personal presentation. Proposals must be received electronically (preferable) or via mail no later than July 24, 2015

Plans are to award a Contract as soon as possible. ID expects the entire process to be completed by no later than first week of September. For more information or to submit an RFP, please contact:

Sherrie Ager

Director of Development and External Relations
Independent Diplomat
[email protected]
45 East 20th Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10003
www.independentdiplomat.org