I’m a communications and change management consultant who works on enterprise IT projects for the federal government. This means that when a federal government agency implements new enterprise software or modernizes applications used by tens of thousands of people, contracting companies engage me to develop the strategy for communicating the impact of this major change and ensure that these users feel included and brought along with the change.
The service I provide is by no means a one-person job—even though government contracting companies bid it out as one. Repeatedly. Let me explain.
Recently, I was tapped to lend my expertise on the same type of project I described earlier. I’m used to standing up specific communications programs like this, usually with some assistance from someone in a communications adjacent role at the agency. What’s unique about this project is that this agency has no one like this. None. Rather, my points of contact hold other unrelated positions within the agency. Communication is a function they fit into their already busy roles.
Agencies, especially this one, are overwhelmed when I present the change communications strategy to them. This is a document that outlines my understanding of their project, communications goals, the project’s stakeholders, messaging for those stakeholders, possible communications products, and other pertinent information. They’re even more overwhelmed when I present the communications work plan that details which products we’ll develop and their publishing deadlines. In a few short weeks, I’m able to discover that a project could benefit from at least two full-time resources (one strategic and one tactical) as well as a few part-time resources for ad hoc projects like graphic design and video production. But the contracting company is looking for me to move an agency from deafening radio silence to regular communication and engagement and stakeholder trust.
So let’s back up a bit. As a government contracting company interested in providing the most value possible to an existing or future government client, a better way to approach change communications services is to engage a consultant like me during the contract bidding phase. This will allow me to ask questions to understand what communications staff are present on the client’s side and the true nature of the type of communications and change management services required. Nine times out of ten, this will allow a government contracting company to allocate (at the very least) two full-time resources—if not more—for these usually complex offerings. Most of the time, contracting companies have a bevy of resources on the tech side, but have trouble securing resources with communications expertise. Engaging me at the contract bidding phase also allows me to tap my communications resources to work on your project.
The next time your company is poised to bid on a communications and/or training contract, or an enterprise IT contract with a communications and/or training task order, consider engaging someone like me during this phase to ensure that your company is best equip to service the client and that the contract is even more lucrative than you imagined initially.
