BACKGROUND
Transport Canada (TC) is responsible for the creation, promotion and enforcement of policies and regulations to protect the safety and promote the efficiency of Canada’s air, rail, road and marine transportation systems. By virtue of this mission, TC has a constant need to communicate important information to stakeholders in the transportation industry, service users and to the broader Canadian public.
Within TC, the Communications and Marketing Group (CMG) has the responsibility for all communications and marketing initiatives and is required, on an ongoing basis, to provide speeches to the Minister of Transport (or federal representative), and the Deputy Minister (DM) of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TIC). These speeches are used for ministerial events and announcements as well as for the Minister’s appearances before parliamentary committees.
The CMG employs a staff of communications specialists, including one speechwriter, to provide ongoing communications and marketing support to the department and the Minister’s Office.
In order to meet periodically high and occasionally critical demands for quality speechwriting services, the CMG also requires the services of contractors. The group currently has contracts in place with three (3) firms that will expire on March 31, 2014. New contracts need to be in place before this date to ensure continuity of service to the Minister’s Office and the Deputy Minister’s Office.
REQUIREMENT/DESCRIPTION OF WORK
The purpose of this RFP is to select up to three (3) professional speechwriters (firms/individuals) to enter into Standing Offer Arrangements (SOA) with the CMG for services to be provided on an as-and-when required basis.
The term of the SOA will be a one-year period with two additional one-year periods to be exercised at the discretion of TC.
The contractors selected will work independently in direct support of the CMG speechwriter and the project authority in the delivery of speeches. It should be noted that TC communications and messaging contain technical terms and vocabulary specific to particular sectors of the transport industry.
The work to be provided by selected contractors will be characterized by periods of peak activity depending on the number of upcoming speaking engagements and events. At times speechwriting services may be required on short notice and on an urgent basis. This requires contractors to demonstrate considerable flexibility and quick response time in order to guarantee availability for work.
