A. Strategy, creative, and media planning and buying B. Digital and social media. Sections may be awarded separately.

Transcription

1 Request for Proposal Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia Integrated Marketing Communications A. Strategy, creative, and media planning and buying B. Digital and social media Sections may be awarded separately. Proposal #: WCB Closing Date: Friday, February 20, 2015 Proposal Opening Date: Monday, February 23, 2015 at 9:00am Location: Workers Compensation Board, 5668 South Street, Halifax FAX OR BIDS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE

2 Request for Proposals Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia 1. Creative services and media planning/buying and; 2. Digital and social media counsel 1 Introduction and Background 1.1 The Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia The following introduction to the WCB is intended to set the stage for the relationship of the successful vendors and the WCB. Our Vision, Mission, Goals and Values form the framework within which all activities of the WCB take place, including the development of a relationship with a vendor Our Vision Nova Scotians safe and secure from workplace injury Our Mission We set the standard for workplace injury insurance. We inform and inspire Nova Scotians in the prevention of workplace injury, but if it occurs, we support those whose lives it touches by championing a timely and safe return to work. Our Values Can do Attitude We will deliver on our promises and provide top notch service. Safety Champion We will be a champion for workplace safety through our relationships and innovative solutions, and by keeping prevention and return to work at the heart of our business. Caring and Compassionate We will strive to walk a mile in workers' and employers' shoes. We will serve as we like to be served and provide those we serve with the respect and support they need to be successful. Our Goals With our partners, we are building a workplace safety culture. With our partners, we improve outcomes for safe and timely return to work. We are an organization with a skilled and committed team of employees with the knowledge and tools to provide excellent service, and who are proud of what they do. We are an organization providing excellent and efficient service that is open and accountable to the people we serve and the public. We are an organization that is financially stable and sustainable. 2

3 1.1.3 Our Culture We take pride in the work that we do and the value we bring to Nova Scotia. Over the past Year, we have expanded efforts to enhance our service, and recently introduced Service Principles to improve the WCB customer experience, and how we serve one another: 1. Act Respectfully 2. See the person first 3. Communicate with purpose 4. Find the best solution 5. Own my work 6. Keep getting better We operate in a unionized environment with healthy and collaborative labour relations. We believe in our people, in broad employee engagement in change initiatives and open, honest communications. This collaborative relationship contributed to the WCB being voted as one of the top employers in Atlantic Canada and in Nova Scotia for the past six years. We have also been fortunate to receive a number of awards specifically for our communications and marketing work at the local, national and international levels. 1.2 Background and our current situation Brand and strategy The WCB is Nova Scotia s provider of workplace injury insurance. We inform and inspire Nova Scotians in the prevention of workplace injury, but if it occurs, we support those whose lives it touches by championing a timely and safe return to work. We have a vision for Nova Scotia safe and secure from workplace injury. Together with our partners, including the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education in particular, we are working toward an ultimate long term goal, under the workplace safety strategy, to make Nova Scotia Canada s safest place to work is a bridge year between strategic plans. We are currently developing our strategic plan, which follows on the strategic plan. The previous strategic plan is available on our website, and it provides an overall sense of the organization and our place in the world. Vendors interested in working with us are encouraged to learn more about us at wcb.ns.ca as part of submission research. Change is, and will continue to be, a theme for us into the future. Our stakeholders have told us in consultation for the development of our strategic plan that change is needed, for example, in the way we do business. We know we must evolve some processes and in particular the way we use technology. We have a high level plan in place to evolve the organization in this direction over the coming years. Externally, we operate in a complex stakeholder environment. It is a complexity that is rich with positive relationships and opportunity, and we are able to partner with 3

4 stakeholders in many ways to great results. Our work in fishing (safeatseans.ca) is a good example of this our work, often, includes visible partnerships with others. The future holds many more of these types of partnerships. The successful proponent will be a strategic partner from a brand perspective, and fulfilling our requirements will require consideration of both our internal and external publics. We have an engaged, productive, and talented employee base, and employee engagement will be critical as we move our messages closer to the workplace, and continue to support better outcomes in Nova Scotia from the points of view of both prevention and RTW Social marketing Our definition of social marketing is broad. It refers to all we do, from a marketing and communications point of view, which is aimed at fostering the behavior change Nova Scotia needs to see with regard to workplace injury and return to work. Advertising is the highest profile component of our approach, but it is not the only component. Our approach to promoting and encouraging behavior change, corporately considered, includes the work of many people across the organization including teams that work directly with employers to improve their outcomes. Increasingly, as our social marketing approaches evolve, mass market communications is taking a backseat to targeted support and outreach aimed at building relationships with workers and employers in Nova Scotia. Under our business model, the largest workplaces in the province, where most time loss workplace injury occurs, are served by dedicated Large Workplace Service Teams arranged by industry group. In 2014 we assigned a Workplace Consultant to reach out and provide resources for small and medium businesses across the province. This means that we are personally in touch with those gatekeepers to the behavior change Nova Scotia needs in regard to workplace safety and return to work. This channel is a fundamental consideration in our social marketing approaches. Our approach is one of partnership. Since it was launched jointly by the WCB and the Department of Labour and Advanced Education in March of 2013, the Workplace Safety Strategy for Nova Scotia has guided efforts to make our province one of the safest places to work in Canada. Many of our social marketing efforts today are aligned with the strategy and its six strategic areas: Safety Culture, Education and Training, Inspection and Enforcement, Leadership, Performance Management and Measurement, and Small and Medium Business. The objectives of each are inter connected and strategically aligned with the WCB s mission and objectives, as well as the goals of LAE s Occupational Health and Safety Division. This has resulted in the WCB working more closely with LAE than ever before in many areas, including advertising and outreach campaigns. 4

5 However, preventing workplace injury is only one of our social marketing goals. Over the past several years, we have begun to explore how the principles and practices of social marketing might be applied to supporting return to work following workplace injury. On this component of our work, we work together with the other Atlantic Canadian jurisdictions. The Atlantic Social Marketing Partnership is a long standing agreement defined by open collaboration and discussion between Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador. We cost share the creative and production elements of shared campaigns. It is a partnership that has produced effective, interesting, memorable work over the years. Nova Scotia coordinates the overall process, and the Nova Scotia agency therefore plays a significant role in this work. The social marketing assignment is broad, and continues to evolve. Our agency partners require skill and experience in managing the views of multiple stakeholders toward strong outcomes. More about digital. The WCB is on a long term path of change to modernize and improve our business processes. We are continually working toward improving and modernizing services and support available to all businesses. Through MyAccount, for example, (my account.ns.ca), businesses can access their full claims information, and receive up to the minute information on the impact that workplace injury is having in their workplace. Digital is an important part of our marketing mix. We re thinking digitally and building/joining conversations about workplace safety in multiple formats and in multiple online and social media channels. Over the past few years we ve developed and expanded our brand through Twitter, Facebook and through our considerable and growing web assets. We ve shifted our focus to storytelling and content development, to make our social marketing activities more grass roots, topical and impactful. Although they are separate sections of this RFP and may be awarded separately, it is our expectation that the successful proponent, or proponents, would consider digital opportunities very early. The digital team must therefore be part of the creative process at inception, rather than after the fact. This is to say, we would expect digital and creative teams, whether in the same agency or in different agencies, to work as colleagues on our business from the outset. Research Research is critical. We don t do anything without it, and it guides our decisions. We regularly undertake quantitative and qualitative research with all of our stakeholders, including workers, employers and the general public. 5

6 Our planned campaigns are developed and evaluated based on market research that is managed separately from the scope of this RFP. As you put together your estimates, do not include the subcontracting of research in your proposal, only your costs to attend any qualitative research as explicitly outlined Integrated Approach With a number of markets and a number of diverse audiences, the communications challenge for the WCB is one that requires creativity, flexibility, and a firm grasp of the environment in which we operate. As we advance the Workplace Safety Strategy, expand partnership and collaborative initiatives, increase our digital interactions, customize solutions by industry and business size, and deal with increasingly more targeted communications approaches while still maintaining an overall awareness presence, the WCB seeks flexibility but also consistency in its communications support. We have therefore organized our requirements into two specific categories: The first includes strategic planning, account management, and creative services, media planning and buying; the second includes digital and social media counsel and services. Proponents may respond to one, or both sections Internal capabilities Our team of communications professionals includes various areas of focus, including: Social marketing, community relations and outreach Media and external relations Internal communications Online and social media Further, our Education Consultant works in partnership with the Departments of Education, and Labour and Advanced Education in the development and support of materials within the Nova Scotia public school system, and post secondary institutions, and leads our support of ongoing research related to occupational health, wellness, and safety. All members of our team will have interaction with the successful proponent(s), who will lead various projects throughout the year. 6

7 SECTION 2: Summary of Proposal Details The WCB requires the services of an experienced marketing communications consultancy, or consultancies, for two distinct but closely related and overlapping areas of counsel and implementation in its integrated marketing communications: 1. Strategy and brand, creative and production, media planning and buying 2. Digital and social media The requirements for proposals are set out below as follows: (1) A common introductory section with general background applicable to your firm. (2) A section, or, two distinct sections, outlining the actual work within one, or both, service areas. Proponents may respond to one or both areas of services. (3) A common closing section with such elements as CVs, other work samples, references, etc. We are seeking a single agency, or one agency subcontracting and/or partnering with other firms or consultants, for strategy, creative, production, and media planning and buying. We are very much open to subcontracting and/or partnerships, either existing or developed for this work. Our goal is to have a single point of contact for this work. Separately, we are seeking a partner for digital counsel. This may, or may not, be included in the above mix. Regardless, we expect the successful proponent, or proponents, to work together in true and open collaboration. For clarity, it is not necessary to respond to both Strategy, Creative and Production, Media Planning and Buying and Digital. Simply note on your cover page the sections for which you are submitting a proposal. If you do wish to respond to both, sections (1) and (3) would be considered in both categories. Each of these two sections is evaluated separately, with separate evaluation criteria. The WCB may award the services outlined in this RFP to one firm, one firm with partners, or to two entirely distinct firms. Please note that this is an initial RFP, and as such is limited in scope. It is not intended to solicit detailed recommendations or approaches. In short, it is meant to establish agency capabilities, strengths, and operational approaches with the goal of finding a match to our needs. A short list process will follow which will ask for a slightly more in depth approach to a particular marketing communications challenge. 7

8 SECTION 3: Administrative Requirements and Other Information The following terms will apply to this Request for Proposal and to any subsequent contract. Submission of a proposal in response to this Request for Proposal indicates acceptance of all the following terms. 3.1 Terminology Throughout this Request for Proposal, terminology is used as follows: a) WCB means the Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia. b) "Contractor" means the successful proponent to this Request for Proposal who enters into a written contract with the Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia; c) "must", "mandatory" or "required" means a proposal element that is to be met in a substantially unaltered form in order for the proposal to receive consideration; d) "Proponent" means an individual, proprietorship, partnership or corporation who submits, or intends to submit, a proposal in response to this Request for Proposal; e) "should" or "desirable" means a requirement having a significant degree of importance to the objectives of this Request for Proposal. 3.2 Request for Proposal Process and Procedures for Evaluation Mandatory Requirements This Request for Proposal contains mandatory requirements. Proposals not meeting all mandatory requirements will be rejected without further consideration Evaluation Team An evaluation team of at least three WCB employees will evaluate and score proposals. The scoring team will include, but is not limited to, staff in the Marketing and Communications Department of the WCB. Staff from the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education, WorkSafe NB, WCB PEI and WHSCC Newfoundland and Labrador may also, at the WCB s discretion, review proposals. 8

9 3.2.4 Evaluation and Selection The evaluation team will check proposals against the submission requirements listed in this RFP. Proposals meeting all these requirements will then be assessed and scored against the desirable criteria noted in each section. The WCB may conduct a short list process with a number of firms, including site visits or presentations at the WCB offices. Following reference checks, and subject to successful negotiation and execution of a contract, the successful proponent will provide the required goods or services Debriefing Unsuccessful proponents may request a debriefing meeting following execution of a contract with the successful proponent Negotiation Delay If a written contract cannot be negotiated within thirty days of notification of the successful proponent, the WCB may, at its sole discretion, at any time thereafter, terminate negotiations with that proponent and either negotiate a contract with the next qualified proponent or choose to terminate the Request for Proposal process and not enter into a contract with any of the proponents. 9

10 SECTION 4: PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS The requirements for each proposal are outlined in this section. Generally speaking your proposal should capture who you are as a consultancy and how you do business, provide a sense of your costs, and should show why the WCB should further consider partnering with you. More in depth information is the purpose of the short list process. Nothing in this proposal is intended to solicit a long, complicated, in depth document. Please be succinct and to the point. Recommended page lengths are provided as a guide. In addition, please be sure to include an appendix of your CVs. When questions are asked within the body of our RFP, this is an indication of the types of things we are looking for. While you should try to have those sections answer those components, you don t need to literally answer them in the order they are mentioned in the text. You may support your proposal with online samples of work if you wish, but please do not send CDs or DVDs with your proposal. 4.1 Corporate and operational profile Recommended Pages: 3 Provide a brief introduction to your firm. This is a general overview of your firm and its approach. How long have you been in business? In what areas of marketing communications do you specialize? Are there any achievements of which you are particularly proud? Are there certain philosophies or approaches that define your organization, and your service to clients? Use questions like these to guide an introduction to your firm, which must include at a minimum: - Corporate ownership structure - Partners/shareholders - Affiliation with larger agency networks, if any - Membership in professional associations. - Head office and branch office locations, if any Operational profile Provide a breakdown of your operations and your capabilities. - Services provided in house by area of specialty - Outline media buying and planning experience within the Nova Scotia marketplace. - Services sub contracted. 10

11 - If applicable, note the nature of operations between various office locations. - Total employees, by area of specialty above. Include average tenure with your firm. Highlight key individuals within each area here if desired. CVs are to be included in the final section of this RFP Fee structure Outline a typical remuneration structure for your agency. a. Provide hourly rates for the key individuals to be involved. b. How do you approach to cost reconciliation and budget management? What is your process for monitoring time spent vs. estimate, and overall reconciliation across projects? c. Outline administration or mark up fees, if any Agency approach This section should capture, at a high level, what it feels like to be your client. The format is open, but generally, use questions such as the following to guide your response. - If you were the successful proponent, where would you start? - How do you approach work in the public sector, and how does it differ from work in the private sector? - What should we expect from you? - What do you expect from us? Philosophy toward workplace safety The WCB expects its suppliers to place a priority on workplace health and safety. Among other requirements, for example, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, firms in Nova Scotia with five or more regular employees are required to have a safety representative. With 20 or more employees, a joint occupational health and safety committee is required. Discuss your overall approach toward the health and safety of your employees, and some of the recent initiatives of your health and safety committee or representative, as applicable. 11

12 Discuss your expectations for same with your subcontractors such as printers, and your processes and programs for returning any employee who is injured to the job to work Liability insurance Proponents are advised that the successful bidder will be required to maintain business liability insurance coverage of at least $2 million Client List Please provide your current client list, and the length of your service to each account. If possible, please identify the number of large clients ($500,000+ total billings) medium ($100,000 $500,000) and small (up to $100,000). 12

13 4.2. Brand and strategy, creative and production, media planning and buying General Requirements Generally, independently or working with partners or subcontractors, the proponent will be required to: Provide strategic brand related advice and counsel as needed. Provide strategic marketing counsel. - Chair discussions of the agency team including partners and subcontractors. You would be expected to consult and draw on all expertise available, even when it differs from your own. Be held accountable to results measured through pre and post campaign market research. Cooperate in a spirit of professionalism and openness with other consultants toward a result that best accomplishes our goals. Be responsible for meeting all deadlines and managing the overall functioning of the strategy and creative development and production. - Carry out the development of the campaigns and/or materials, including creation and production of materials and management of any sub contractors (excluding research) - Where appropriate, work in a spirit of cooperation with the WCB s social marketing jurisdictional partners, and their consultants. - Develop media plans. - Purchase all media. - Be responsible for traffic, meeting all deadlines and managing the overall functioning of the media portion of the campaign Specific Requirements More specifically, among other counsel, the proponent will be required to: - Provide overall strategic and brand counsel. - Working together with the communications and marketing team, review, and provide advice on our social marketing plan, which is a sub plan of the broader WCB corporate communications strategy. 13

14 - Support the WCB and our partners in the execution of the Workplace Safety Strategy for Nova Scotians. - Consider approaches to support workplace injury prevention and return towork objectives that leverage and adapt existing social marketing assets. - Build on the research and concept development work undertaken in 2014 by the Atlantic Partnership, to identify, develop and execute targeted social marketing approaches that support efforts to reduce workplace injury durations. - Build on existing material to execute a campaign for launch on or before April 14, 2015 around the provincial Day of Mourning, a day dedicated to those injured or killed at work (dayofmourning.ns.ca). - Develop media plans and update regular blocking charts. This includes not only mass media but non traditional opportunities that may involve subcontractors such as community level street teams or other local, community based tactics. - Anticipate instances of creative applications that may require specific media approaches or negotiation. - Negotiate competitive rates for media time and/or space, with particular recognition of the PSA nature of the WCB s messages. - Purchase media on the WCB s behalf, including up front payment of traditional (not digital) media vendors as required. Monitor placements and ensure fulfillment of buy, including reconciling all insertions against the buy itself. - Provide a full buy report with detailed cost breakdowns by station, publication, etc. - Reconcile all media invoices for accuracy with the WCB s financial representative. - Provide regular project updates and financial status/ar reports. - Invoice the WCB monthly, or as needed, for all costs for creative and production, media planning and buying Approach 4 6 pages Overall. Tell us about your planning work. How do you approach the idea development process, especially in the vast area of behavior change social marketing? 14

15 4.2.4 Experience How do you, as the lead agency, engage and work with other partners? Recognizing the environment in which the WCB operates, what steps would you take to ensure the strategic insight reflects input from various perspectives as the overall campaign is planned and researched? How do you achieve continuous improvement and consider best practice approaches from other jurisdictions? Overall strategy and brand. Describe your counsel in this space. Discuss your approach to brand counsel, particularly to an organization going through change. What are the philosophies and approaches that underpin your work? Account Management. Give a sense for the operation of the account, from an account services perspective. Discuss, being as specific as possible, the day to day contact and management, the overall account direction, and the longer term account planning. How will you care for and about our business? Creative. What is your creative approach or philosophy? How do you proceed in developing a creative brief, and achieving agreement on it? From there, what steps occur, and how do they unfold internal review, client presentation, and revisions? Importantly, please directly answer: How do you manage the continuum between challenging your clients with an award winning creative idea, and responding to their needs with an appropriate business solution? Media. Detail your proposed media planning and buying process. What role does the media planner play in the process? How do you develop and execute the media plan and buy that will reach our target audiences? How would you consider local, community based opportunities, such as (as an example only) street teams or partnerships with local sports teams? Digital. How is digital considered in your overall process? If you were asked to work with a specialist firm on this piece of our business, how would you approach that? How would you work together? Please discuss, generally, your experience, and the experience of your people, in the areas noted above. You may include detailed CVs in addition, in an appendix. We are looking here for overall experience in your team, and evidence of your professional contributions in spaces similar to that in which we operate Work Samples Include three samples of your work that you are most proud of, and that have been deployed within the past two years. You may include links to online samples if needed. 15

16 We are looking here at the work itself. Feel free to include the client and a short synopsis of the challenge, if it is helpful in supporting the work, but these are not detailed case studies. Do not include samples that were pitched but did not run. We are looking for tactical examples of your creative and conceptual thinking, and the ability to guide them from concept to execution. Please do not include WCB Nova Scotia work samples in your submission Case studies 3 pages Look closer at three case studies of which you are particularly proud. Choose cases where you feel you have significantly contributed to the success of the client in achieving its business goals. We are looking here for your agency skillsets in the areas we require counsel, applied to a business problem, with demonstrated results. Focus on: o o o The Challenge The Solution The Result Each case study should demonstrate that your approach was right for the client, and how it led to real results. Where possible these results should be quantified through research or other measures. The case studies should be no more than a page or two in length each. Please do not include any WCB Nova Scotia examples Remuneration and costs 1 2 pages Please include in your estimate a cost for the development of the following. Assume that your time in coming to understand our business, our approach, our overall strategy, review of current materials, stakeholder environment, etc., is separate from these project costs. 1. Please provide a cost for the development and programming of one creative concept and draft creative. Include in your estimate: An initial meeting of agency staff members to understand the challenge. Assume you know the client overall, but have no knowledge of the issue being briefed. Assume a 16

17 2 hour meeting with the agency staff you would recommend. Brief development, revision, and approval. Assume, at a minimum, another 1.5 hour meeting as part of this process, with the staff you would recommend. The creative development process of the overall insight that would drive the campaign, feedback, and approval. Assume, at a minimum, a 1.5 hour meeting to share this insight, with the staff you would recommend. Based upon that insight, development to approval of mock ups, with no hard costs for actual photography or other costs, of a campaign inclusive of: o o o o o Three posters Three :30 radio advertisements A targeted direct mail piece to employers A big box online ad A banner ad. Assume, at a minimum, a 1.5 hour meeting as part of this process, with the staff you would recommend. Details provided for consistency in cost comparison only. Again, for clarity, your costs focus on sketches/scripts to communicate the concepts, not actual production costs which would vary. 2. Provide a more detailed breakdown of your media costs. a. Is media planning charged via hourly rate, or is it included in a commission? b. Set aside any role media staff might have in the concept development and overall campaign approach. Assume that creative assets exist, and that we provide our target demographic and marketing objectives. Set aside account management and client meeting costs we are looking for specific costs for media planning and buying. Assume a total media budget of $400,000 this is the total cost to WCB, including fees, commission, and placement. Exclude taxes. i. What would your planning fees be to create the media plan? 17

18 ii. Please provide a breakdown of what your commissions on this budget would be. As context and for consistency, assume the approved plan includes $300,000 in TV, $50,000 print, and $50,000 radio. iii. Provide any other related information in terms of the end costs to us of the media portion of our campaign Overall contract value The total value of the creative and production, media planning and buying contract is generally in the range of $800,000. Evaluation Criteria, Strategy, Creative and Production, Media planning and buying 10% Corporate and operational profile 10% Experience 10% Work samples 30% Overall Approach 20% Case Studies 20% Price and cost structure A short list presentation based on a more thorough brief will follow. 18

19 4.3 Online, Digital and Social Media Counsel The WCB is building a considerable online presence. We want our digital agency to help us continue to define our brand in the online world. We also want our agency to recognize opportunities and present them proactively, pushing us to continually advance our thinking and action. While our corporate website provides tools and information for injured workers, employers, stakeholders and all Nova Scotians about the WCB and how our system of workplace insurance operates and is governed, worksafeforlife.ca is connecting our stakeholders to the prevention campaigns, programs and resources that support a strong and vibrant safety culture. We re active on Twitter, with almost 2,000 followers, and we ve developed Facebook pages linked to our What Matters Most, Young Worker, and Fishing Safety campaigns, that are engaging the online world in dynamic conversations about injury prevention and return towork. We ve also engaged our key audiences via Instagram and Youtube, and other emerging media channels. Today, all of our campaigns have a digital component to ensure we reach and engage with our target audiences from across the province and across the demographic spectrum. We want to continue to evolve and improve our online approaches. We want to reach and engage with more of our stakeholders, and we want to be an important and credible source of news, information, resources, and conversation about workplace safety in Nova Scotia and beyond. We are seeking a digital and social media partner that can help us achieve these goals General Requirements Generally, the proponent will be required to: Advise, as part of an agency team, on strategic and tactical approaches specifically from an online, digital and social media perspective, with external objectives focused on behavior change in Nova Scotia workplaces. Be held accountable to results measured through market research and typical online metrics, which you would recommend. Cooperate in a spirit of professionalism and openness with other consultants, Be responsible for meeting all deadlines and managing the overall functioning of the campaign. 19

20 4.3.2 Specific Requirements STRATEGIC ELEMENTS The proponent will be required to: Technical: - Demonstrate experience working in the Dot Net Nuke (DNN) environment, as this is the platform for all WCB websites. Digital: - Design marketing concepts and strategies in the online and digital space. For example, as part of the agency team, you would be involved in conceptual development of a campaign approach, and would bring expertise from the perspective of the digital and online space. Overall Strategy: - Lead consultation to develop a long term digital marketing and communications strategy, supporting the WCB s overall business plans and our communications strategy. This will involve consultation with a number of external organizations as well as internal teams. TACTICAL ELEMENTS More specifically, this means (but isn t limited to): - Executing the digital and social media component of campaigns, such as the Day of Mourning campaign. This means the architecture, design, and coding of digital elements associated with these campaigns. In most cases you would create or implement systems and CMS tools to allow WCB to update directly, but also be available for ongoing changes throughout a campaign. Providing ongoing support and counsel in the social media space, as appropriate, to keep campaigns, and the WCB s message of workplace safety generally, fresh, relevant and in touch with its target audience. - Over the longer term, executing the broader digital marketing plan. Working for the WCB directly but in partnership with the agency team, design the main components and consult on an ongoing approach to leveraging digital technology to foster behavior change, guided by the overall communications and marketing strategy Process and approach: Digital Marketing Communications 4 6 pages As part of the overall marketing team, you would be at the table for all research phases, and you would help develop the overall insight for a campaign. 20

21 Your role would be to express and execute the strategic insight in the digital realm, working closely with your colleagues in creative and on the WCB communications and marketing team. Describe how this process would work. List your team members and delineate each person s role in the development, planning, and execution of a campaign. Explain your firm s approach to - Overall account planning and management - Website design - Social media content development, monitoring and updates as needed - Other services as you might recommend. Include detailed CVs of all key individuals in an appendix Process and Approach: Site Development 2 pages Describe, in more detail, your process for designing a web and online presence for a campaign. How would you go about this? Please describe your approach to Experience - Consultation process - Architecture and wireframes - Connection and process with the creative, account, and media team Please discuss, generally, your experience, and the experience of your people. You may include detailed CVs in addition, in an appendix. We are looking here for overall experience in your team, and evidence of your professional contributions in spaces similar to that in which we operate Work Samples Include three samples of your work that you are most proud of, and that have been deployed within the past two years. You may include links to online samples if needed. We are looking here at the digital work itself. Feel free to include the client and a short synopsis of the challenge, if it is helpful in supporting the work, but these are not detailed case studies. Do not include samples that were pitched but did not run. We are looking for tactical examples your work, and the ability to guide them to execution. Please do not include WCB Nova Scotia work samples in your submission. 21

22 4.3.7 Case Studies 3 pages Provide three examples of your counsel in the areas below, which you feel are relevant to your consideration as online counsel for the WCB. Please do not provide WCB Nova Scotia examples. One should focus on the architecture development, design and execution of a major web property. One should focus on social media, and how you worked as part of a team to extend a campaign concept through social media. One should be a case study of your choice. Show how your work helped the organization achieve its business goals in new ways. Keep them brief, about a page each Remuneration and costs Please provide a breakdown of your hourly rates for key staff. Please provide an estimate for the development of a very simple campaign microsite. For the purposes of objectivity, assume no development of an interactive device, app, or similar piece. For the purposes of this quote, discuss only the microsite itself, not associated social media counsel and presence. Assume an overall creative direction is established, and that you have been part of that process from the beginning. Your role is now to execute the microsite as planned, working directly with us as your client, but in partnership and consultation with the overall agency team. Assume three total client meetings throughout the process, with the staff you would recommend, of about 1.5 hours each Assume 10 total pages, to include: o o o Wireframes for primary and secondary pages Content population from content and images provided Measurement As a guide in terms of level of complexity, consider the pages at worksafeforlife.ca Evaluation Criteria, Digital Counsel 10% Corporate and operational profile (from section 4.1) 22

23 10% Experience 10% Work samples 30% Overall Approach 20% Case Studies 20% Price and cost structure 23

24 4.4 Other Proposal Requirements (For both RFP streams) Client List Provide a client list, including the name of the client and the services provided. Identify any conflicts of interest Curriculum Vitae Provide CVs for all key individuals who would be involved in the fulfillment of the services outlined in your proposal Other Work Samples Beyond the samples included in case studies above, include, as an appendix, no more than three additional work samples that showcase your abilities (Please do not include WCB Nova Scotia examples in your submission). You are encouraged to provide these online. Please do not include numerous hard copies of collateral material. Showcase such pieces digitally wherever possible Contact information Please provide name and contact information for the lead individual who should be contacted regarding this RFP. The WCB appreciates the interest of all proponents and we realize RFPs are an investment of time and energy. All proponents will be notified of the outcome of their proposal Short List A short list will be developed for this RFP. The WCB will contact shortlisted proponents to schedule a presentation, with appropriate time provided for preparation Speculative creative Do not include speculative creative. 24

25 5.0 OTHER INFORMATION 5.1 Inquiries Direct any inquiries related to this Request for Proposal by to: Denise Corra Manager, Communications and Marketing Questions will be answered as soon as possible directly to the proponent inquiring. Information obtained from any other source is not official and may be inaccurate. Inquiries and responses may be recorded and may be distributed to all proponents at the WCB s option. 5.2 Proposal Changes and Amendments Any changes made to the Request for Proposal/Information or any change in the closing date or time will be communicated via addendum on the Nova Scotia Government website ( Proponents are urged to chaeck regularly for changes. When these changes occur within five government business days of the close of the proposal, the proposal closing date may be extended to allow for a suitable number of bid preparation days between the closing date and the issuance of the change. 5.3 Closing Date The closing date is Friday, February 20, 2015 All proposals must be received by this date and time. 5.4 Submission Process Submit THREE complete, bound copies of your proposal and ONE unbound copy. Full colour is preferred for samples of work. The unbound copy need not be presented in colour. Address proposals as follows: Denise Corra Manager, Communications and Marketing Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia 5668 South Street PO Box 1150 Halifax, NS B3J 2Y2 25

26 Do not send proposals by facsimile or . Ensure the following is clearly visible on the external envelope: Your firm name and return address The text Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia Marketing and Communications Counsel The TENDER NUMBER ( ) 5.5 Opening Date Proposals will be opened at the Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, 5668 South Street at 9:00am, Monday February 23, Evaluation will commence thereafter. 5.6 Late Proposals Proposals received after 4 p.m. on the closing day will be returned, unopened, to the proponent. 5.7 Additional Information Proposals may contain additional information than that requested in the Request for Proposal. 5.8 Changes to Proposal after Closing The proponent will not change the wording of its proposal after closing, and no words or comments will be added to the general conditions or detailed specifications unless requested by the WCB for purposes of clarification. The proponent may change a previously submitted proposal by withdrawal, amendment or submission of a replacement if done prior to the proposal closing date and time. This information or request should be submitted in writing on company letterhead or equivalent and contain the signature of the individual submitting the original submission. 5.9 Proponents' Expenses Proponents are solely responsible for their expenses in preparing, delivering or presenting a proposal and for subsequent negotiations with the WCB, if any Firm Pricing 26

27 Proposals must be open for acceptance for at least 90 days after the closing date. Upon acceptance, prices will be firm for the entire contract period, unless otherwise specified Currency and Taxes Prices quoted are to be: a) In Canadian dollars b) Exclusive of all sales taxes 5.12 Eligibility Prospective proponents are not eligible to submit a proposal if current or past corporate or other interests may, in the WCB s opinion, give rise to a conflict of interest in connection with this project. 6.0 Additional Terms 6.1 Acceptance of Proposals The WCB reserves the right to modify the terms of the Request for Proposal, at any time, at its sole discretion. This Request for Proposal should not be construed as a contract to purchase goods or services. The WCB is not bound to accept the lowest price or any proposal of those submitted. Proposals will be assessed in light of the evaluation criteria. Subsequent to the submission of proposals, interviews may be conducted with some of the proponents, but there will be no obligation to receive further information, whether written or oral, from any proponent. The WCB will not be obligated in any manner to any proponent until a written contract has been duly executed relating to an approved proposal. Neither acceptance of a proposal nor execution of a contract will constitute approval of any activity or development contemplated in any proposal that requires any approval, permit or license pursuant to any federal, provincial, regional, district or municipal statute, regulation or by law. 6.2 Definition of Contract Notice in writing to a proponent of the acceptance of its proposal by the WCB and the subsequent full execution of a written contract will constitute a contract for the goods or services, and no proponent will acquire any legal or equitable rights or privileges relative to the goods or services until the occurrence of both such events. 6.3 Duration of Contract 27

28 The contract will be for 12 months, with a Board option to extend the contract for three additional 12 month periods. 6.4 Proposals as Part of Contract Proposals may be negotiated with proponents, and if accepted, may form part of a contract. 6.5 Liability for Errors While the WCB has used considerable efforts to ensure an accurate representation of information of this Request for Proposal, the information contained in this Request for Proposal is supplied solely as a guideline for proponents. The information is not guaranteed or warranted to be accurate by the WCB, nor is it necessarily comprehensive or exhaustive. Nothing in this Request for Proposal is intended to relieve proponents from forming their own opinions and conclusions with respect to the matters addressed in this Request for Proposal. 6.6 Acceptance of Terms All the terms and conditions of this Request for Proposal are assumed to be accepted by the proponent and incorporated into its proposal. Proponents who have obtained the Request for Proposal must not alter any portion of the document, with the exception of adding the information requested. To do so will invalidate the proposal. 6.7 Financial Stability The successful proponent may be required to demonstrate financial stability and may be required to register to conduct business in Nova Scotia. 6.8 Ownership of Proposals and Freedom of Information All documents, including proposals, submitted to the WCB become the property of the WCB and are subject to disclosure only under the Nova Scotia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. By submitting a proposal, the proponent thereby agrees to public disclosure of its contents. Any information the proponent considers 'personal information' because of its proprietary nature should be marked as "confidential", and will be subject to appropriate consideration as defined within the Nova Scotia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. 6.9 Use of Request for Proposal This document, or any portion thereof, may not be used for any purpose other than the submission of proposals Confidentiality of Information 28

29 Information pertaining to this competition obtained by the proponent as a result of participation in this project is confidential and must not be disclosed without written authorization from the WCB Reciprocity The WCB may consider and evaluate any proposals from other jurisdictions on the same basis that the government purchasing authorities in those jurisdictions would treat a similar proposal from a Nova Scotia supplier. 7.0 Contract Clauses 7.1 Registration for Appropriate Coverage with the Workers' Compensation Board The contract may contain a provision that the contractor and any approved subcontractors must be registered for appropriate coverage with the WCB, in which case coverage must be maintained for the duration of the contract. Prior to receiving any payment, the contractor may be required to submit a WCB Clearance Letter indicating that all assessments have been paid. 7.2 Indemnity The contractor will indemnify and save harmless the WCB, its employees and agents from and against all claims, demands, losses, damages, costs and expenses made against or incurred, suffered or sustained by the WCB at any time or times (either before or after the expiration or sooner termination of the contract where the same or any of them are based upon or arise out of or from anything done or omitted to be done by the contractor or by any servant, employee, officer, director or subcontractor of the contractor pursuant to the contract. 7.3 Insurance The contract may contain a provision that the successful proponent will, without limiting its obligations or liabilities and at its own expense, provide and maintain throughout the contract term comprehensive general liability in an amount not less than $2,000,000 inclusive, per occurrence, insuring against bodily injury, personal injury and property damage and including liability assumed under contract with insurers licensed in the province of Nova Scotia and in the forms and amounts acceptable to the WCB. All required insurance will be endorsed to provide the WCB with 30 days advance written notice of cancellation or material change. The successful proponent will, on demand, provide the WCB with evidence of the required insurance. 7.4 Contract Administrator A contract administrator will be assigned by the WCB to oversee the contract awarded to the successful proponent. In addition, the successful proponent will be expected to name a counterpart project manager. The successful proponent's project manager will 29