UC ANR_RFP_Public_Relations_Firm_004027

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Strategic Communications and Public Relations Services
UC ANR_RFP_Public_Relations_Firm_004027
Estimated contract term: October 1, 2026 - December 31, 2029
Overview
The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) seeks proposals from highly
qualified public relations and strategic communications firms to provide senior-level strategic
communications counsel, communications planning, stakeholder engagement, media relations, community
outreach, issues and crisis management, executive communications, and related services.
The selected firm will serve as a strategic communications partner to UC ANR and its executive leadership.
The firm may be asked to advise on a broad range of institutional priorities, emerging issues, major
initiatives, sensitive or high-profile matters, and public-facing projects. Services may include confidential and
pre-decisional strategic counsel, as appropriate, as well as support for communications that are authorized
for public release.
UC ANR seeks a collaborative partner with demonstrated experience supporting public agencies, higher
education institutions, executive leadership teams, and complex initiatives involving governmental,
community, media, and other stakeholder interests.
Potential Major Initiative / Special Project
One potential initial assignment would involve strategic communications support related to the evaluation of
a potential future use or development of a UC ANR-owned property in Southern California. The initiative may
attract interest from elected officials, public agencies, neighboring communities, university stakeholders,
media, and other interested parties.
The selected firm may serve as an extension of the UC ANR team, providing strategic communications
counsel, stakeholder and political landscape assessment, media relations, issues management, community
outreach, and executive support throughout applicable planning, environmental review, entitlement, public
review, and implementation activities.
The communications strategy should be adaptable to evolving project conditions, stakeholder feedback,
regulatory processes, and institutional decision-making. The firm must be able to advise UC ANR before,
during, and after public-facing milestones and assist leadership in determining appropriate communications
sequencing, audiences, messengers, and timing.
The selected firm must demonstrate the ability to handle confidential, sensitive, and pre-decisional
information and to maintain appropriate information controls consistent with University's requirements and
applicable law.
Scope of Services
The consultant shall provide professional services necessary to support UC ANR's ongoing strategic
communications and major initiatives. The tasks below represent anticipated areas of responsibility and are
not intended to be an exhaustive list of services that may be requested during the engagement.
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Task 1 - Executive Strategic Counsel
Provide senior-level strategic communications counsel to UC ANR executive leadership regarding
institutional priorities, emerging issues, major announcements, reputational matters, sensitive or high-profile
matters, stakeholder concerns, and other issues as requested. Advise leadership on communications
strategy, timing, sequencing, audiences, messengers, risks, and opportunities.
Task 2 - Strategic Communications Planning
Develop comprehensive communications plans, messaging frameworks, stakeholder strategies,
communications risk assessments, scenario plans, approval protocols, decision points, and success metrics.
Coordinate, as appropriate, with UC ANR leadership and relevant legal, government relations, real
estate/development, programming, and other internal teams.
Task 3 - Stakeholder Engagement and Public Outreach
Identify and map stakeholders; assess political, governmental, community, and institutional dynamics;
develop engagement strategies; and support briefings, and conduct public meetings, community outreach
activities, and digital engagement. Advise on who should be engaged, when engagement should occur, and
the appropriate messenger and format.
Task 4 - Messaging and Content Development
Develop institutional and project narratives, key messages, presentations, briefing materials, FAQs,
executive communications, talking points, public information materials, and other communications products.
Materials may address complex or sensitive issues and should be appropriate for executive, governmental,
community, media, and internal audiences.
Task 5 - Media Relations and Reputation Management
Provide proactive and reactive media support, media strategy, media training, press materials, interview
preparation, editorial outreach, spokesperson support, and reputation management. Advise on responses to
inquiries, leaks, premature disclosure, misinformation, and heightened media attention.
Task 6 - Issues and Crisis Communications
Develop issues and crisis communications protocols, scenario plans, response strategies, holding
statements, escalation procedures, and executive support during emerging or high-profile issues. Assist UC
ANR in anticipating potential opposition, stakeholder concerns, and reputational risks and in preparing
appropriate response strategies.
Task 7 - Monitoring, Intelligence, and Reporting
Monitor media coverage, social media activity, stakeholder sentiment, emerging issues, and relevant
regulatory or political developments. Provide regular reporting, risk assessments, actionable
recommendations, and early warning of developments that may affect UC ANR initiatives or reputation.
Task 8 - Land Use, Development, and Institutional Asset Communications
As requested, provide communications counsel related to land use, development, entitlement,
environmental review, institutional asset decisions, and other complex property-related initiatives. Services
may include stakeholder mapping, political and community landscape assessment, scenario planning,
communications sequencing, opposition and risk analysis, executive preparation, and coordination of
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communications across project milestones. Specific confidential project information will be provided to the
selected firm as appropriate and authorized by UC ANR.
Deliverables
The selected firm shall prepare and deliver work products necessary to support the engagement, which may
include strategic communications plans, stakeholder and landscape analyses, risk assessments, scenario
plans, reports, recommendations, presentations, executive briefing materials, public information materials,
media materials, talking points, FAQs, and other communications products developed in accordance with
this Scope of Work.
Deliverables shall be coordinated with applicable milestones, submitted in a timely manner, and provided in
formats acceptable to UC ANR to support project governance, informed decision-making, stakeholder
engagement, and accurate and appropriate public communications when authorized by UC ANR. All
deliverables shall be subject to UC ANR review and approval prior to public release or implementation, as
applicable.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals shall demonstrate the firm's qualifications, experience, staffing, approach, and pricing to support
UC ANR's ongoing communications needs and major or special initiatives. Proposals shall not exceed 12
pages, excluding resumes and fee schedules.
Firm Qualifications and Experience
Provide the following:
1. Firm overview and relevant experience.
2. Examples of strategic communications programs supporting public agencies, higher education
institutions, or similarly complex organizations.
3. Experience providing senior-level strategic communications counsel directly to executive leadership.
4. Experience with government funding, policy, regulatory, or politically sensitive initiatives.
5. Experience with community engagement and stakeholder outreach programs.
6. Experience with high-profile, controversial, or reputationally sensitive matters.
7. Experience with land use, development, real estate, entitlement, environmental review, or institutional
asset-related communications.
8. Demonstrated capabilities in strategic communications, media relations, stakeholder engagement,
community outreach, issues and crisis communications, executive communications, digital
communications, and monitoring/analysis.
9. At least two anonymized case studies demonstrate how the firm advised an organization before and
during a sensitive or high-profile decision or initiative. Describe the situation, strategic approach, senior-
level counsel provided, stakeholder and media considerations, and results, without disclosing
confidential client information.
10. At least three references from comparable engagements.
Proposal Team
Provide:
1. Proposed project manager and key personnel.
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2. Identification of the senior strategist(s) who will be available to advise UC ANR executive leadership,
including their anticipated level of direct involvement.
3. Relevant experience and qualifications of proposed team members.
4. Availability, response expectations, and anticipated level of involvement for key personnel, including
support during urgent or rapidly developing issues.
5. Resumes for key team members.
Project Approach
Describe the firm's approach to:
1. Providing confidential, senior-level strategic counsel to executive leadership.
2. Communications planning, messaging development, and scenario planning.
3. Stakeholder mapping, political/community landscape assessment, and public outreach.
4. Media relations, reputation management, and preparation for leaks or premature disclosure.
5. Monitoring public sentiment, media activity, and emerging political or regulatory issues.
6. Crisis and issue response, including rapid-response protocols and executive support.
7. Supporting land use, development, entitlement, environmental review, and public review processes
without assuming a predetermined project outcome.
8. Working collaboratively with legal counsel, government relations, real estate/development professionals,
and other internal or external advisors.
9. Protecting confidential and pre-decisional information and managing information access within the
proposed team.
Cost Proposal
Provide pricing in the following format:
1. General Strategic Communications Services
* Hourly billing rates for all proposed personnel.
* Estimated annual budget range for ongoing strategic communications and executive advisory support.
* Reimbursable expense schedule.
* Any optional services and associated costs.
2. Major Initiative / Special Project Communications Services
Provide an estimated budget range, or other proposed pricing methodology, for the following services:
* Strategic communications planning and executive counsel.
* Stakeholder engagement and political/community landscape assessment.
* Messaging and content development.
* Media relations and reputation management.
* Community outreach.
* Issues and crisis communications.
* Monitoring, reporting, and emerging-issue analysis.
* Hourly rates for additional services outside the defined scope.
* Assumptions used to develop cost estimates.
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