This resource is part of our Communications Toolkit for Civic & Nonprofit Tech.

One of the most daunting parts about undertaking a communications project comes right at the project’s beginning: planning and scoping the project. These projects, by definition, aren’t frequent. You only need to do them once every few years at most. So it makes sense that most organizations don’t have much practice scoping them.

If you choose to fund and pursue the project internally, you need a sense of not just the expertise required, but also the time investment needed for various results. The scoping templates we have created can guide you through planning and resourcing your project.

Engaging external partners is a great option, but that too requires a sense of the project’s scope. Even if you work with external partners, these scoping templates will help you communicate your needs and use the partner’s time efficiently.

Note that we’re using the word “organization” to refer to the group doing the project. Substitute “project,” “group,” “collective,” or any other description that matches you.

1. Identity project
2. Communications strategy project
3. Communications design project

Identity design project

What is an identity design project?

An identity design project has to do with defining the way your organization’s visuals communicate your mission, values, and personality. On a small scale, it involves harmonizing multiple elements that don’t quite hang together. On a larger scale, it involves articulating who you are and creating a visual language that expresses it.

Depending on the scale and scope of the identity project, you may also need a small, medium, or large communications strategy project or communications design project.

Doing identity work together with your community can be a powerful way to learn and reorient. You may know why you would like to rebrand and what you would like to communicate, but what do others think? Before you decide on your direction, convene at least a few interviews with people affected by your work. Find out what they like, how they see you, what they think you should be emphasizing in your brand.

Identity project scoping template

Work area	Project scope
Work area	Small (50-200 hours)	Medium (200-500 hours)	Large (500-800 hours)
Goal	Fix inconsistencies and technical issues, fill gaps, bring together existing resources	Update and modernize identity, expand available assets	Refresh and redefine identity, reframe position in landscape, a “makeover”
Does this work need to be communicated to your community?	Probably not. Your identity will look better but not that different.	Maybe. Depends on how close you stay to your existing identity.	Definitely! Make sure you plan time and resources for your rollout. People need to know that you're still you, just with a new look. If you structure a process that gets input from your community, this can help you communicate the rationale and result behind this work.
Brand audit	✔	✔	✔
Name audit		Possibly	✔
Naming workshop		Possibly	✔
Logo	✔ Technical adjustments, such as different file formats or resolutions	✔ Update logo with tweaks and adjustment — when the logo direction is right but needs visual touch-ups.	✔ New or refurbished logo — exploring new directions for existing logo.
Color scheme	✔ Fixing any styling inconsistencies	✔ Adjust and tweak color scheme, fonts, font combinations	✔ New color scheme, fonts, font combinations
Typography
Illustrations, icons, photography
Visual language	✔ Examples of how colors, fonts, illustrations/icons/photos come together in comms materials such as social media posts	✔ Examples of how colors, fonts, illustrations/icons/photos come together in comms materials such as social media posts	✔ Examples of how colors, fonts, illustrations/icons/photos come together in comms materials such as social media posts
Market research		✔ Gathering a few impressions about what similar organizations are doing with their branding.	✔ Market informed brand design — studying the landscape
Community involvement	✔ Convene a session with some members of your community to get their reaction to your branding – but make it clear that you are only making small tweaks at this point. This session can help you focus on the important aspects for now, and give you ideas for larger projects you might want to undertake later.	✔ Convene a session with some members of your community to get their reaction to your branding.	✔ Convene several sessions with some members of your community to get their reaction to your branding, structuring your process so that they give feedback and help you make decisions as you go.
Stakeholder feedback		Maybe	✔ 1-2 rounds of feedback from internal and/or external stakeholders
Assets	✔ Asset library including: Brand book Illustrations (stock selections)	✔ Asset library including: Brand book Illustrations (stock selections) Merch (stickers, tshirts, letterhead…)	✔ Complete asset library including: Brand book Set of branded illustrations Merch (stickers, tshirts, letterhead, business card…) Set of social media posts

Communications strategy project

What is a communications strategy project?

A communications strategy project helps you figure out how to shape your communications process, content, and workflow.

A small communications strategy project is suitable for an organization that already has defined a clear audience and message, but needs to refine their internal toolkit for delivering the message to the audience. It is also a good fit for organizations that need to communicate a major organizational change (e.g. rebrand, acquisition).

A larger communications strategy project helps organizations that are not yet clear on their audience and/or message, helping them define their communication goals and create an efficient, effective plan for getting there. A larger communications strategy plan also needs to both contain goals to be achieved, and have a plan for how to evaluate whether those goals are achieved.

If your organization’s identity is fragmented or you may need to undertake an identity project as well. See the “Identity design project” scoping template.

Communications strategy project scoping template

Work area	Project scope
Work area	Small project (20-40 hours)	Medium project (40-100 hours)	Large project (100-300 hours)
Goal	Clarify open questions regarding organizational communication; communicate a major change	Refine messaging, define audiences, streamline internal procedures	Create a cohesive set of organizational communication goals; collect resources needed to reach them and evaluate progress
Communication strategy audit	✔	✔	✔
Audience definition	✔	✔	✔
Community interviews		Maybe	✔
Voice and tone guide		✔	✔
Social media channel analysis	Maybe	✔	✔
Social media posting calendar	Maybe	✔	✔
Set up, use, and monitor analytics (as well as privacy policy and disclosure!)			✔
Evaluation plan		✔	✔

Communications design project

What is a communications design project?

A communications design project makes your external communications harmonize with and strengthen your organization’s identity. It concerns templates for reports, presentations, social media posts, and more.

If your organization doesn’t already have a consistent identity, you may need to undertake an identity project as well. See the “Identity design project” scoping template.

If your organization hasn’t defined its audience or message, you may need to undertake a communications strategy project as well. See the “Communications strategy project” scoping template.

Communications design project scoping template

Work area	Project scope
Work area	Small project (10-30 hours)	Medium project (30-60 hours)	Large project (60-200 hours)
Goal	Apply elements from existing identity to templates for a few specific use cases	Create a template library based on an existing identity	Create a design system that guides future visual design
Presentation templates	If needed	✔	✔
Document templates (letters, proposals, press releases etc…)	If needed	✔	✔
Report templates	If needed	✔	✔
Social media post templates	If needed	✔	✔
Icons/avatars	If needed	✔	✔
Design system			✔

This toolkit was developed with the support of the Open Technology Fund Learning Lab. Got feedback? Want to work together? Please write to us at [email protected].