Request for Proposals Communications Services to the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES TO THE SASKATOON BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS
1. Overview:
The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners, appointed by Saskatoon City Council, and operating as a statutory board, holds responsibility for providing oversight of the Saskatoon Police Service as well as being a conduit between the public and the Service.
As additional information on the Board’s role and mandate, the Strategic Plan of the Board includes the following:
Mission Statement: To strengthen the culture of community safety in Saskatoon.
Goal #1: To provide effective and objective oversight of the Saskatoon Police Service.
Under Goal #1, its objectives include:
An enhanced and widespread culture of community safety throughout Saskatoon.
That the Saskatoon Police Service is regarded as the best Police Service in Canada by the
community.
The confidence of the community that a public body is effectively overseeing policing activity.
Goal #2: To be a highly-effective conduit between the public and the Saskatoon Police Service.
Under Goal #2, its objectives include:
An enhanced and widespread culture of community safety throughout Saskatoon.
That the public regularly provides input on issues relevant to policing and community safety.
That the Board of Police Commissioners is widely known as a connection point between the public and the Police Service.
Goal #3: To strengthen the culture of community safety through effective and efficient Police Commission governance and operation.
Under Goal #3, its objectives include:
Recognition of the Board as an entity whose processes reflect best practices in governance.
Recognition as an entity that is strategically focused.
That the Board is positioned to carry out its mandate, in a highly effective manner, on a timely basis.
2. Background to the Request for Proposals:
Since 2005, Percy Communications has provided a wide range of support services, primarily communications in nature, to the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners. During 2019, the Company’s president advised the Board of Police Commissioners of his intention to end the service arrangement that has been in place for the past 14 years.
During its annual Strategic Plan update meeting, the Board of Police Commissioners set out its plan to recruit for the provision of these services to begin as early as practicable in 2020.
The provision of these communications services to the Board of Police Commissioners, it should be noted, are in conjunction / in tandem with secretariat services that are provided to the Board by the City of Saskatoon Clerk’s Office. That is, the two sets of services are unique, but do require co-ordination on a fairly frequent basis. While the Board intends to address the mechanism for provision of secretariat services in the future, at this time, strictly the communications services are being considered.
It should be noted that Percy Communications will remain available to the selected contractor and provide background information, advice and assistance reasonably required, subject to Board approval, to ensure a smooth and effective transition.
3. Scope of Work and Primary Responsibilities:
Although the RFP is termed “Communications Services” there are several components in which the successful applicant will have the required expertise. These components include:
Media and public communications,
Strategic plan annual update facilitation and report,
Strategic plan monitoring and reporting,
Special events planning and execution,
Website and social media updating and reporting,
Oversight of the process of handling Freedom of Information Requests directed to the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners, and
Other duties as directed by the Board.
For further clarification, the specific duties of the contract will include the following.
a) Media and public communications:
Assist the Board in achieving its Mission by establishing and maintaining contact with those in the community that assist in strengthening a culture of community safety.
Provide a communications report to the Board each month, identifying media coverage of the Board that has taken place during the past month as well as media issues likely to arise in the upcoming months,
Review the public Police Commission meeting agenda and identify issues on which the Board spokespersons may be interviewed by the media, in the form of a Q&A,
Regularly monitor media and capture stories and issues relevant to the Board and its Mission of enhancing community safety,
Write and issue media releases each month on issues being addressed by the Board,
Write letters, communiques, documents to individuals, institutions or groups at the direction of the Board,
Arrange media interviews at, and following, meetings of the Board,
Regularly monitor and update the Police Commission website with all updates from Board meetings, Board statements, etc., by either supervising the website administrator or undertaking all website updates and maintenance,
Monitor activity on the Police Commission website,
Write and post year-end review reports and others as directed by the Board for public communication,
Communicate through the media and directly with targeted constituent groups on issues relevant to the Board’s responsibility in community safety.
b) Strategic plan annual update facilitation and report:
Facilitate annual Board of Police Commissioners Strategic Plan,
Prepare Strategic Plan report for Board review,
Convert Strategic Plan full version into summary version for publication,
Report on progress with strategic plan initiatives.
c) Strategic plan monitoring and reporting:
Monitoring the Board’s strategic plan each month, identifying actions that need to be taken, or decisions made, that month,
Monitoring the Board’s strategic plan, identifying actions required or information gathered in order for Board actions or decisions in the following month,
Update and report on the Summary Strategic Plan in the public version and also in the detailed Strategic Plan,
Provide background information and facilitate any strategic plan discussions or processes in which the Board wishes to engage,
Undertake the development, compilation and reporting on surveys including:
Board governance self-evaluations,
Police service performance evaluations, and
Police chief performance evaluations as directed by the Board and/or per the Strategic Plan,
Monitor the Board’s governance policies and practices, bringing issues as required to the attention of the Board with recommended resolutions.
d) Special events planning and execution:
Provide all arrangement and event management services for the Board’s annual community consultation including:
Setting an agreed agenda,
Writing all script materials,
Developing required PowerPoint presentations,
Undertaking all advertising and public communication of the event,
Overseeing the contracting of all required services,
Issuing media releases,
Overseeing the effectiveness of the event as a conduit exercise with the community by the Board, and
Capturing all messaging from event(s) for Board review.
Provide promotional, communications, speech writing or other messaging services to Board spokespersons for events in which the Board is represented.
e) Website and social media updating and reporting:
Oversee or undertake all website updates for, and from, monthly Board Meetings,
Oversee or undertake the posting of all Board communications and plans on website,
Oversee or undertake the issuance and monitoring of social media messaging,
f) Oversight of the process of handling Freedom of Information Requests directed to the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners:
Working with the Board secretariat (City Clerk’s Office) at the outset of assumption of this contract, and transitioning to direct responsibility for the FOIP process, being the initial point of contact for such requests,
Following City of Saskatoon protocols in decisions on, and responses to FOIP requests,
Assigning, as required instances where further assistance from the Board’s legal services is required,
Communicating with persons submitting FOIP requests to the Saskatoon Board of Police
Commissioners,
All above steps to be taken in accordance with Board direction and approvals.
g) Other duties as directed by the Board, including the following:
Governance updates as required including policies and bylaws,
Assist Board with all aspects and steps in the recruitment of Police Chief if required,
Assist with specially convened meetings or presentations by Board members, at the direction of the Board.
4. Background, Experience and Expertise Required:
The successful applicant / contractor will hold the following experience, expertise and client service traits:
Experience in assisting clients in establishing and maintaining contact with those in the community that assist in strengthening a culture of community safety,
Clearly illustrated responsiveness to client requirements,
Balancing the above responsiveness with the ability to work independently to provide effective
support to the Board,
Strong organizational skills that will provide the Board with mapping of upcoming communications and event requirements,
Extensive media relations experience in which client messaging is clear, concise and accurately understood by the client’s public(s),
Strong governance knowledge for boards and not-for-profit organizations,
Demonstrated ability to provide strategic advice and effective communications to the Board,
Demonstration of expertise within the individual (or team, if applicable), that matches up with
project requirements as set out in Section 3, with those being:
Media and public communications,
Strategic plan annual update facilitation and report,
Strategic plan monitoring and reporting,
Special events planning and execution,
Website and social media updating and reporting,
Freedom of Information processes,
Other duties as directed by the Board.
5. Budget:
The annual (calendar year) budget for this contract is to a maximum of $50,000.00. The contract fee is to be inclusive of all services provided under this agreement, and is to include all suppliers, sub- contractors, project partner costs or costs of providing the noted services, with the exception of applicable taxes.
Fees will be paid to the contractor based on actual hours of service provided to the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners, with the above noted fee being the maximum to be paid in a calendar year.
Respondents to this RFP are requested to identify the number of hours that will be included in an agreement between the Board of Police Commissioners and the contractor. In the event that the proposal includes services to be provided by more than one person within the contractor team, RFP respondents are requested to indicate the number of hours, on an annual basis, that will be provided by each member of that team along with the hourly rate that is included in the overall commitment of annual hours.
For clarity, with any submissions involving more than one person, it is essential that one person be the consistent lead, that is, the sole point of contact, between the contractor group and the Board of Police Commissioners.
The Board of Police Commissioners will be entering into an initial one-year agreement with the contractor with the intent of entering into subsequent two-year agreements provided the Board of Police Commissioners remains satisfied with the quality of work provided by the contractor.
6. Criteria for Selection:
The decision on selection of a contractor for provision of the noted services will be made by the Board of Police Commissioners as a body.
The criteria to be applied in this decision includes (but is not limited to, and may be weighted in value):
Clear demonstration of experience and expertise in undertaking the functions identified in Section 3,
In the event that an applicant is a group, as opposed to an individual, the above information on
experience and expertise is to be shown by individual alongside the functions for which that person would be responsible,
Clear commitment that, if more than one individual is involved, that the Board of Police
Commissioners would have only one person from the team with which it interacts,
Confirmed commitment of capacity to undertake the work described herein,
Willingness of the contractor to sign off on all relevant organizational policies including, but not
limited to, confidentiality, and
Although fees are a factor, the assessment will also include which contractor or team will deliver the greatest value to the Board of Police Commissioners.
7. Application Process:
Please forward your response to this Request for Proposal via email to the attention of: Police Commission RFP Responses
c/o info@saskatoonpolicecommission.com
Responses must be received (all submissions will be receipt-confirmed) by 12:00 noon Friday, December 20, 2019.
Applicants with whom the Board of Police Commissioners wants to hold an interview will be contacted at the contact points listed in the RFP response.
Please provide a minimum of three client references with all contact information. It is preferable that the references be such that they will touch on different elements of the Scope of Work that is identified in Section 3.
If you should have any questions on the Request for Proposal or would like any additional information on work to be performed under this contract, please feel free to contact Dwight Percy at any time at 1-306-222-1361 or info@saskatoonpolicecommission.com
It is expected the Board of Police Commissioners will be in a position to award the contract early in 2020.
The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners thanks applicants for their interest.