Strategic Communications Support

Strategic Communications Support SOURCES SOUGHT No. 70Z02324R00026654 The United States Coast Guard is seeking sources from industry professional organizations who possess the capabilities, capacity, and requirement specific knowledge of the following scope: SCOPE United States Coast Guard Office (USCG) of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) requires a specialized support in making highly complex and technical concepts relatable to the workforce and key external stakeholders. Techniques like design thinking and human-centered design are to be employed in the products delivered to instantiate transparency and collaboration to ensure alignment and consensus across all stakeholders. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS/TASKS The contractor shall create a variety of strategy and strategic visual communication tools to achieve community-wide consensus, promote clarity and transparency and create shared visions that allow all stakeholders to see themselves in the strategy or process or technology. Example strategy and communication artifacts include: - Visual Information Map - Infographic - Strategy Development Package - Communication Plan - Communication Content Package Visual Information Maps 1. Visual Information Maps are static visual artifacts that make complexity - whether organizational, technical, or otherwise - accessible, approachable and digestible to the stakeholders and end users. Information maps are more involved than an infographic, in that they communicate the relationships and dependencies between stakeholders, concepts, or products, while an infographic communicates a single concept. 2. Through a series of facilitated workshops with key stakeholders, one-on-one interviews, third party research and iterative delivery and review with the relevant stakeholders, the contractor will deliver one or more visual information maps to communicate the state of various technical initiatives and approaches. 3. Information maps vary in complexity based on the number of stakeholders, related concepts, dependencies and similar. The contractor shall leverage the following methods to ensure thorough collaboration, iteration and consensus throughout the creation of a visual information map: - Graphic Facilitated Sessions - Stakeholder interviews - Technical documentation review - Visual working sessions - Client product review sessions and associated revisions Infographics 1. Infographics convey a high-level vision and narrative of an organization, initiative, or challenge by displaying the various stakeholders, segments, or phases of a project on a single page. The Infographic is used to communicate a single project or concept, be it a technical, organizational or otherwise, and thoroughly explain it, in a visual way. 2. The contractor shall work with the government to identify technical concepts that can be communicated effectively through these infographic visualizations and develop these deliverables for the program's use both internally and externally. The contractor shall leverage best practices in document and stakeholder review and analysis, third party research, strategic communication and graphic design, to deliver quality work products that can be used to convey strategic concepts and allow broad understanding of programmatic imperatives across a variety of audiences. 3. The contractor shall leverage the following methods to ensure thorough collaboration, iteration and consensus throughout the creation of a visual information map: - Graphic Facilitated Sessions - Stakeholder interviews - Visual working sessions - Client product review sessions and associated revisions - Includes Message Card featuring corresponding talking points Strategy Development Package 1. A Strategy Development Package defines and clearly articulates a program or organization's vision and goals as well as the specific methods, approaches, timelines, investments (or similar) that the organization plans to undertake to achieve it. 2. The Contractor shall develop a Strategy Development Package based on the agency's overarching guiding documents and strategies. The Contractor shall organize, prepare materials, and facilitate all technical exchanges, workshops, planning sessions and meetings of the organization's personnel, stakeholders and customers required to develop and implement the strategy. The Contractor shall collate and curate the information and iterate with the customer to achieve an executable strategy that can be shared across the enterprise to drive alignment, awareness, engagement and action. 3. The Contractor shall facilitate the distribution of the strategy to maximize transparency and reuse and enable awareness and implementation through effective communication campaign development and implementation. Communication Plan 1. Communication Plans are the specific details related to a strategic communication campaign. The Plans articulate core messages, key audiences, stakeholder groups, communications channels, communication timelines and effective measures of success for the communication of the initiative. 2. The Contractor shall work with teams, programs, organizations, or similar to develop Communication Plans to effectively drive awareness, adoption, engagement, buy-in, alignment and action across a wide spectrum of concepts. The Contractor shall work with the Public Affairs community to understand existing communication strategies, channels and challenges to develop the campaigns and the associated Communication Plans. The Contractor shall use primary and secondary research methods, including persona development, and best practice in journalism, mass communication and information design to develop and implement effective communication campaigns and Plans. Communication Content Package 1. A Communication Content Package is a package of specific communications artifacts that is based on a Communication Plan and is required to effectively put the plan into action. Artifacts include but are not limited to: capability briefings, fact sheets, web copy and visual elements, social media copy and visual elements, video and animations, presentations, storyboards, posters, signage, advertisements, scripts, talking points, and other various print and digital media. 2. The Contractor shall work with teams, programs, organizations, etc., to develop the required communication artifacts to implement the Communication Plan and effectively drive awareness, adoption, engagement, buy-in, alignment and action across a wide spectrum of concepts. The Contractor shall work with the technical and program management points of contact and the Public Affairs community to develop the artifacts. The Contractor shall use primary and secondary research methods, including persona development, and best practice in journalism, mass communication and information design to develop and implement effective communication campaigns. Period of Performance: 9/30/2024 - 12/31/2024 All responsible sources may identify their interest and provide capability statements in response to this notice. This notice is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all responses received within 10 calendar days after date of publication of this sources sought notice will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement, on a full and open basis, based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Approval of a source is required. Capability Statements due on or before 23 AUGUST 2023 @ 1400 EDT via email: patricia.s.willett@uscg.mil. The Point of Contact (POC) is Patricia Willett; E-mail: patricia.s.willett@uscg.mil; Phone: 571-607-7787.