SETTING UP THE EXTERNAL AFFAIRS TEAM
The Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme is the biggest and most complex restoration of a heritage building ever undertaken in the UK.
The multi-billion pound project to save the Palace of Westminster, part of a UNESCO world heritage site and the seat of Britain's democracy, is technically complex, politically controversial and attracts intense scrutiny.
After a law was passed to create a Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority to oversee and develop the work, Caseman Communications set up the project's first external affairs function, covering media, digital media, design, brand, governance and public and stakeholder engagement.
Working closely with the Sponsor Board and two newly-appointed CEOs, Caseman set the strategy and recruited a team to encourage support from a range of audiences: the public, the media, statutory stakeholders and wider civil society organisations.
Acting as interim director, Richard drafted the narrative; won coverage in national and international media; developed in-depth briefings, which were distributed to every MP and peer, and hosted a stakeholder conference, rated good or excellent by 93% of delegates.
With his new team, he delivered the media and public engagement strategies; co-wrote the first Corporate Plan; produced the first qualitative and quantitative research; designed a new brand and trademark for the programme and launched its website and social media channels.
“Richard is a vigorous communications professional whose relationships with the media are hugely impressive.
He is well able to defend a position but also quick to spot opportunities for proactive interventions. And he manages all this with a quickly assimilated understanding of the intricacies of an issue. Richard did a great job setting up our external affairs team against a tight deadline.”
The newly-restored clock face of Elizabeth Tower, home of Big Ben