How to Write a Brief for a

Public 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 an
organisation’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. In
reality, the activities of public relations practice include:

• Issues management – involves proactive systematic identification of issues of

potential concern to an organisation and development of a system to respond to
them.

• Crisis management – involves reactive systematic identification of issues and an

appropriate response mechanism for unanticipated situations.

• Media relations – involves dealing with the media in seeking publicity for, or
responding 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 attract
media attention to a person, organisation, idea or product. A launch is a typical
example.

• 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 involves

community and government relations – which is dealing with officials within the
community and working with legislative groups and various pressure groups such as
consumers.

• Publicity – involves disseminating purposefully planned and executed messages

through selected media, without payment to the media, to further the particular
interest of an organisation or person. Publicity is a tool used by public relations
practitioners – it is not public relations in itself.

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 2

• Sponsorship - is a contractual agreement between two parties whereby benefits

such as money or services in kind are traded for promotional opportunities offered by
a campaign or event, for example, naming rights, brand exposure, corporate
recognition, or endorsements.

What is a communication strategy?

A communication strategy provides an essential framework for developing a
comprehensive and integrated campaign. It is a plan which outlines the rationale for, and
desired outcomes of, your proposed public information campaign. The strategy defines
specific objectives to provide a framework within which to formulate strategies and
against 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 of
the campaign will be co-ordinated and managed to achieve its objectives most efficiently
and effectively.

Do I need to write a communication strategy?

Yes. Before you write a brief for a public relations consultant, you need to write a
communication strategy. Public relations is usually only one part of an integrated
communication campaign and, as such, the role of the public relations activities needs to
be 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 specific
amendments and differences as appropriate for the briefing of a public relations
consultant.

The value of a good PR brief

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 3

The PR brief is the foundation upon which the public relations consultant plans (and
costs) 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 someone
who has no knowledge of the subject and key issues, and can be read as a stand
alone document;

• explain the need for public relations and where it fits within the broader
communication 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 of
English, disability, geographical isolation or other reasons.

The following people are considered special audiences and should be given due
consideration 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 ask
the public relations consultant to do this work along with their ‘mainstream’ strategy,
particularly if the strategies are targeted for Indigenous Australians or Australians from a
non-English speaking background. This is because it is not usually part of the
consultant’s core experience or expertise.

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 4

Generally, specialist consultants are contracted by Government departments, through a

separate tender process involving the MCGC, to develop and implement these separate
strategies concurrently with the ‘mainstream’ campaign. These specialist consultants will
also look after adaptations or translations of creative material from the advertising
agency.

The GCU also has guidelines on how to write briefs for non-English speaking background
communication 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 to
write the brief in plain English (ie avoid bureaucratic jargon or terminology too specific to
particular 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 of
appropriate communication tactics than clients, so resist prescribing techniques which
you think the consultant should use. Rather, give consultants the opportunity to
demonstrate their knowledge and use it as a means of choosing between them. Using
the consultants’ expertise will facilitate proposal evaluation; you will then be able to
compare 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/contract

areas when buying consultancy services.

• Find out whether you need to seek the approval of your Minister and the Ministerial
Committee on Government Communications (MCGC) for the brief and the consultants
to 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 to
your public relations project, information about the shortlisted consultants and any
other relevant background information. For more information on the MCGC approval
process, visit the GCU website at www.gcu.gov.au.

The GCU strongly recommends that you contact your Legal section for advice on writing
the 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 contract
between 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 performance
guarantee.

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 5

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

contract.

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 the
following 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 of Allow one-two weeks

consultants to approach with the brief

4. Your Minister (or appropriate officer) approves

the amended brief and list of consultants

5. Final version of the brief to GCU to submit to the

MCGC (this might be a scheduled meeting or
out-of-session)

6. MCGC approves brief/consultant list in session Allow one week

MCGC approves brief/consultant list out-of- Allow two-to four weeks

session

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 6

Section Two: Step-by-step guide

1 Purpose
State why you are sending out the brief; it is important that consultants know what they
are 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 relations
strategy, 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 communicate
and 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 communication
strategy is a part of, in particular any key outcome areas. The program objectives will
provide an overarching context for the campaign. You should also indicate how the
communication strategy will integrate with the program to achieve the desired outcomes.

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

3 Current or previous research

Include any research results you have to support the need for, and/or approach to, the
communication 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;

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 7

• 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 communication
strategy.

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 and
available resources. Remember, the most successful communication campaigns are
underpinned by program support strategies, which deliver the product or service that your
communication strategy is addressing.

6 Communication objectives
Clear, specific and measurable objectives are critical to the success of information
activities: not only are they critical to the development of an appropriate public relations
strategy, but they also form the basis of campaign evaluation. Therefore it is imperative
that specific and measurable objectives are stated clearly in your brief.

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 8

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

• Tasks are what you/or your consultants do to achieve your objectives (ie outputs) and
commonly 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 an
outcome) 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 and
therefore 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 increase

awareness, understanding and knowledge of a government policy or program.
Awareness objectives relate to what you want your target audience to be informed
or 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 an
increase in the positive behaviours a campaign is promoting. Some campaigns
aim to reinforce positive attitudes to ensure that positive behaviours are
maintained; while others attempt to change negative attitudes. Attitude objectives
are 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 being
exposed to your campaign. Behaviours are the specific actions which you are
encouraging 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

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 9

• 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 the
communication strategy. However, you might not necessarily wish to just replicate all the
objectives found in the strategy. It may be that emphasis is placed on achieving some
specific objectives in the public relations component of the campaign.

7 Target audiences
Exactly who do you want to receive your message? Target audiences should be
described 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. Broad
descriptions such as the “general public” are less likely to lead to a successful campaign
than 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 your

message 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 receive
the campaign messages, people who will also benefit from hearing the campaign

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 10

messages or people who influence your target audience now or in the future: for
example, 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 your
strategy. For example, they might be intermediaries or information providers for the
target audiences.

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

8 Key messages
The key messages should encapsulate the purpose of your communication activity in as
few 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 your
message. There is time later, during campaign development, to mould your message into
a form that is appropriate for your audience/s.

If you do not have a clear, concise understanding of the campaign purpose, then this lack
of 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 weak
campaign.

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” outlining
what 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 more
complex campaign messages and provide a level of detail which the advertising
campaign can often not achieve. Careful consideration should be given to which
messages are best suited to the public relations versus the advertising strategy.

9 Proposed communication mix

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It is useful to outline the proposed components of the communication campaign to enable

the consultant to understand the context within which the public relations activity will
occur. For example, it is useful for the public relations consultant to know that a mass
media advertising campaign is planned so that they can ensure synergy between the
advertising and public relations strategies.

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

Further, if it is the intention of your department to carry out some of the public relations
activities in-house, you must detail in the document exactly what the external public
relations 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 brief
to give the consultant an understanding of the campaign context.

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

You should include in your public relations brief details of any research conducted or
proposed 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 creative
concepts for advertising and products);

• benchmark and tracking the campaign (testing strategies, reporting on coverage and
readership 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 how
they propose to evaluate the effectiveness of the public relations strategy they are to
implement.

11 Key issues/considerations
Include details of any constraints on your information activities to give consultants the
opportunity to consider issues that might impact on the campaign when preparing their
proposals. Examples of issues for consideration include:

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

communicating the message and design;

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• 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 indigenous
Australians communications consultant);

• regional or geographical constraints;

• financial constraints;

• the need for materials to be approved by particular positions or by interest groups

before 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 part
of the tender process. This is distinct from the task required of the successful consultant
which 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 you
receive proposals which reflect what you really want. It is best to meet face-to-face with
consultants about two to four days after they receive the brief so they can clarify any
issues 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 held
with 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 are
conducted if you require.

State when, where and with whom the Q&A sessions will be held. It is usual practice to
offer 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 in
assessing the proposals and shortlisting the consultants, including a GCU representative,
should be present at the Q&A sessions.

2. Develop a written proposal

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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 on

Government 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

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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 others
which 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.

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• 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 following
examples 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;

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• 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 the
department and the consultant.

15 Budget
The GCU strongly recommends that you specify your budget in the brief. Specifying your
budget will aid consultants to provide realistic proposals and also enable you to make fair
and 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 and
you may end up trying to compare a proposal written to a budget of $80,000 with one
written 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 the
client:

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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 of
proposals and selection of consultants. Be realistic with the timeline as unreasonable
expectations can compromise the quality of the proposals you receive or cause some
high quality consultants not to submit a proposal at all.

Allow consultants at least two weeks, after the Q&A session, to produce written
proposals. 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 the
involvement 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

14 days later (minimum

3. Written proposals due
recommended)

All consultants present their proposals to

4. evaluation panel. Panel shortlists - usually two Three to five days later
-for presentation to MCGC

Your Minister approves panel recommendation

5. Allow 10 days
of short list, including evaluation report

Short listed consultants present to next available

6. One to three weeks later
MCGC meeting - MCGC selects consultant

One to two days after

7. All consultants informed of outcome
MCGC selection

8. Contract signed Before any work started

9. Consultant starts work After contract signed

Within two weeks of

10. Unsuccessful consultants debriefed
MCGC decision

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 18

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 is
important because consultants will develop their proposals on the basis of these
resources being available. You can be contractually obligated to make these resources
available 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 might
be deemed appropriate as a sign of good will and to subsidise the cost of pitching. The
decision 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 clients
whose interests are not compatible with your campaign. For example, an account for a

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 19

tobacco company would be considered a conflict of interest on a campaign designed to

encourage people to quit smoking. Where the conflict of interest can be perceived as
having a significant influence on the quality and objectivity of the consultant's work, or
where there is a risk that another client could have a potential for financial advantage
from the receipt of restricted information, the consultant's proposal should not be
considered.

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 the
assessment of proposals however, it is beneficial to have the information.

In any case, the GCU recommends that departments include the following paragraph in
their 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, you
should do so.

21 Security, confidentiality and copyright

Copyright
Intellectual property remains vested with the originator unless otherwise agreed. To
secure ownership of copyright or intellectual property, ensure your contract with the
successful consultant gives your department sole ownership of any material produced
during the course of the contract.
Note: It is unethical to take an idea from one consultant and incorporate it into the
successful 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 and
copyright:

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

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 20

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 have
professional indemnity insurance. You should check with your legal area on this so that
you can specify both the necessity and the value of this insurance. If professional
indemnity insurance is a requirement, the GCU advises the inclusion of the following
sentence 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 an
extended period of time, it might be in your interest to seek a financial guarantee of some
kind. It is advisable to contact your legal area about this, as it will be your department
who carries out the financial check. Where financial guarantees are to be sought you
should 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 section
should 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 to
consultants, 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:

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 21

• 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 the
evaluation panel as queries should relate to the subject matter of the campaign.

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How to Write a Brief for a Public Relations Consultant 22

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 Rom
and obtained by contacting the GCU, or may be accessed on the GCU website.

Government Communications Unit, www.gcu.gov.au