How to write good terms of reference for communication

Anyone who has responded to many terms of reference recognizes a good one on first reading. It says what the organization wants to solve, for whom, with how much money and by when. It leaves room for the creative proposal and is precise where it matters. Vague terms of reference, by contrast, produce proposals that can’t be compared: one agency budgets a three-minute film, another a series, and the third has misread the audience.

Terms of reference, or ToR, are the document that organizations, funds, government agencies and development cooperation agencies use to hire services. In communication, they are usually the first contact between those who need a piece and those who will produce it. Written well, they save time on both sides and improves the result. Here is what, in Forest’s experience, makes a difference.

Start with the problem, not the piece

The most common mistake is to open the ToR with the deliverable: “hiring of a five-minute institutional film”. The piece is the answer. The ToR needs to start with the question.

What does the organization want to happen? Attract funders, mobilize a community, report on a project, influence a public decision, launch a call for proposals? What change in perception or behavior is expected? When the problem is clear, the agency can propose the most suitable format, which is sometimes a different one. A long film might work better as five reels. A campaign might call for a short documentary series.

It’s worth indicating the format the organization has in mind, while leaving room for well-argued alternatives.

Say who it’s for

“Society at large” is not an audience. The more specific, the better the proposal. Environmental officials? International donors who don’t speak Portuguese? Young people from urban peripheries? Community leaders who will watch on their phones, without stable internet?

Each audience calls for its own language, length, spoken language and channel. A film for the assembly of an international network can run eight minutes with English subtitles. A video to circulate in WhatsApp groups of riverine communities needs to be light, short and work without sound.

Provide the context

The agency doesn’t need to know everything about the organization, but it needs to know enough not to start from scratch. A page about the project or program, the results achieved so far, the territories involved and the partners who should appear all help a great deal. If there are earlier materials, such as a visual identity, videos, reports and photos, list what is available.

Point out the sensitivities too. Are there delicate political issues? Communities that asked not to be identified? Funder logos with their own rules? This information changes both the proposal and the budget.

Be concrete about deliverables

When the format is already defined, describe the deliverables precisely:

• Number and length of the pieces.
• Versions: languages, subtitles, social media cuts, vertical format, a light version for WhatsApp.
• Whether there is field filming, where and for how many days.
• Whether production includes script, voice-over, animation, soundtrack, photography and translation.
• Who provides archive footage and who handles image releases.
• What needs to be delivered besides the film: raw footage, edited photos, transcripts, a YouTube cover.

Details like these seem small, but they account for much of the cost. Two proposals can only be compared if they answer the same scope.

State the budget and the deadline

Many ToRs leave out the budget, for fear of limiting the proposals. In practice, the opposite happens: without a price range, agencies guess, and the organization receives proposals on very different scales. A ceiling or a range lets each proposal show the best that fits that amount.

The same goes for the deadline. State the final date and the dates that won’t move, such as an event or launch. And include in the timeline the organization’s own review time, which is almost always underestimated. When several departments or partners need to sign off, a single round of comments can take weeks.

Explain how approval will work

Who follows the project on the organization’s side? Who approves each stage? How many rounds of review are planned? Do funders or other organizations also need to approve?

These answers help the agency plan its time and avoid surprises. A script approved by the technical team and later reopened by the board can derail the whole schedule.

Say how proposals will be evaluated

Clear criteria make the selection fairer and the proposals more focused. What matters most: experience with the subject, portfolio, creative proposal, team or price? Ask only for what you will use to decide. Requiring a full creative proposal, with a script, for an unpaid selection tends to drive away good suppliers and generate work no one will use. A conceptual approach and a relevant portfolio are usually enough to choose.

Before publishing, check

Does your ToR answer these seven questions?

1. What communication problem do we want to solve?
2. For whom, exactly?
3. What is the context, and what are the sensitivities?
4. What deliverables do we expect, with quantity, length and versions?
5. How much can we invest, and by when?
6. Who approves, and in how many rounds?
7. How will we choose the proposal?

On the agency side, a good ToR is the starting point of the counter-brief, the document in which we give the client back our reading of the request. The clearer the starting point, the more time is left for what matters: making a good piece.

If your organization is preparing a ToR and would like to talk before publishing it, get in touch. See also our services and our work.