Case studies

Managing a tender process

2005 Terror attacks – managing the fallout

Council-wide reorganisation

30-year eviction case

Message in the Bottle – supporting vulnerable people

Managing a tender process
Surrey County Council’s (SCC) Adult and Community Learning Service (ACL) outsource their promotional activities to a full-service marcomms agency. The contract was due for retendering, and Inspire Communications ran the whole tender process on behalf of the council.

We met with the ACL leads to scope out what the successful agency would be required to deliver, and any key challenges or political issues which were likely to come into play during the next contractual period. We wrote the pre-tender and full tender documents, including a history of the service, marketing and communications targets, budgets, a forecast of the future landscape for adult learning, and a request for design ideas and examples, and communications strategy.

Inspire Communications researched the market and invited suitable companies to put in a tender. We liaised with the council’s communications team to advertise the tender. We were the only contact point for the applicants on behalf of ACL and the council, to answer their queries. We assessed all pre-tender responses and recommended a shortlist of agencies to invite to submit a full tender.

Again we dealt with all questions in regard to the full tender responses, and reviewed all applications according to the council’s assessment process. We recommended the shortlist for interviews, and had this verified by SCC communications.

We organised all interviews, and were part of the interview panel alongside ACL staff. We assessed the tenderers’ performance and selected the successful agency. Inspire Communications facilitated the financial checks and ensured all aspects of the process met with council protocol. (see client: Surrey County Council)

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2005 Terror attacks – managing the fallout
The July 2005 bombings in Vauxhall and Stockwell, and the death of John Charles de Menezes, occurred within Lambeth’s boundaries. While running Lambeth Council’s communications, Inspire Communications was a key part of the council’s reaction to the bombings and its aftermath.

A major concern was that different groups within Lambeth’s extremely diverse communities may come into conflict as tensions were high. Inspire Communications developed and implemented an emergency joint strategy on community cohesion in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, with partners including the emergency services and faith groups. This included a joint press call for the council, faith group leaders and police, and regular joint newsletter updates with the police to all groups.

In the immediate aftermath we worked with the council’s emergency planning team to develop and disseminate regular information to staff. Reassuring communications staff themselves was vital, as without them being able to function clearly we could not have delivered the required communications service.

We prioritised passing on police safety advice and clarifying how the usual processes for functions like special transport for school and day-care attendees would be adapted in the crisis. This information was also shared with the public via the council’s website.
The prompt timing of information was crucial, particularly internally as many staff ‘on the ground’ did not have access to email, so we had to ensure a cascade of clear information gained from electronic sources and verbal briefings could be passed on by their managers.

The council was successful in returning all the young and vulnerable older people in its care on those days safely home, without confusion, thanks to the clear communications and efficiency of the emergency planning process. (see client: Lambeth Council)

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Council-wide reorganisation
Lambeth Council undertook a year-long reorganisation of its departments. Many teams merged or moved directorates. It also created the Adults and Families, and Children and Young People’s directorates from the former Social Services and Education directorates. Inspire Communications was an integral part of the project team running the reorganisation.

We worked closely with the departmental directors and HR advisors to give affected staff appropriate information at the right time. We developed and delivered a wide-ranging communications strategy that included regular newsletters (both council-wide and departmental as required), a dedicated feedback email for questions, briefings for senior staff to support them managing their teams through the change, and a dedicated area of the intranet for immediate updates.

For most of the changes the audience was purely internal. The service processes would alter but the public interface with the service wouldn’t change. Any public-facing changes were managed as part of the departmental communications remit.

At the same time, one of the new directorates moved into a new property in a different area. Inspire Communications oversaw a dedicated communications resource that worked with the building project team to keep communications a key part of the move. We used newsletters, a special intranet site, briefings, feedback mechanisms, orientation folders and visits, and welcome mousemats and mugs for all staff to help them adapt. Communications involvement included the internal colours, signage and general building finish.
The reorganisation and move were completed to schedule and with positive feedback on the communications from staff group representing all directorates.

Chris Lee, Assistant Chief Executive, Lambeth Council
'The communications planning and delivery for the reorganisation was extremely thorough. You were a key part of the cross-council project team managing the changes. It enabled senior staff to respond quickly to their teams through a variety of channels appropriate to each group. I valued your support and advice during this highly sensitive period in identifying, pre-empting and limiting potential concerns for staff about the future through comprehensive communications work. Thank you.' (see client: Lambeth Council)

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30-year eviction case
A long-running eviction case came to a head after 30 years. This was a politically sensitive issue, with some of the squatters mounting a highly-organised campaign.

Inspire Communications developed and implemented communications and crisis strategy for Lambeth Council.
A key focus was giving the public and media the facts about the reasons for the eviction and the council’s plans to regenerate the site, to balance the emotive campaign by the squatters. We produced materials very quickly for local residents and businesses to explain the eviction and reassure them.

We also supported the housing department to produce information for the squatters on how they could access advice and practical help to be rehoused and access benefits where appropriate. We liaised with the police as the eviction involved a closure of the area and police in riot gear, and we were on site to assist with media enquiries during the actual eviction. (see client: Lambeth Council)

(see client: Lambeth Council)

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Message in the Bottle – supporting vulnerable people

The Message in the Bottle campaign was a partnership between the council, police, Lambeth PCT, police, ambulance and fire services. 30,000 bottles containing emergency information were distributed to elderly and vulnerable people in the borough.

Inspire Communications took a lead role in co-ordinating media, launch events, production of the bottles and marketing materials, and in maintaining the public interest in the scheme. (see client: Lambeth Council)

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