How to choose a communications agency in Rwanda: 12 questions to ask

Most organisations start by asking colleagues for names. That is useful, but it comes second. Before you approach any communications agency in Rwanda, write down what you need it to do, for whom, by when and within what budget.

A one-page brief is enough. Name the audiences, the two or three outcomes you want and the outputs you expect, such as a strategy, a film, a report or media relations. Say which languages you need: English, French, Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda or a mix.

The brief protects you. It stops agencies selling you what they happen to make well, and it gives you a fair basis for comparing answers. If you cannot yet describe the work, a short paid scoping exercise with one agency is often wiser than a full pitch.

A pitch costs every agency time, and a poorly run one costs you good candidates. The PRCA, the professional body for public relations and communications, sets out its Pitch Forward best practice under the heading FRESH: fair, realistic, ethical and structured, with a healthy conclusion.¹

Several of its points translate well to Kigali:

• Invite no more than three agencies to the final stage, and only those with a reasonable chance of winning the work.¹
• Agree the budget internally before you circulate the brief, and state it clearly.¹
• Give every agency the same information at the same time, and equal time to respond. The PRCA says three weeks should be the minimum time to respond to a brief.¹
• Be open about your decision criteria, such as value for money.¹
• Remember that creative ideas presented in a pitch remain the agency's intellectual property.¹

If you are a public body bound by procurement rules, follow those first and fit these principles around them.

Ask every shortlisted agency the same questions, in the same order. Listen for specifics: names, examples and how things went wrong as well as right.

• Can you show us work similar to ours? Ask for two or three pieces made for a comparable audience, sector or format, and ask what the agency itself did on each.
• Who exactly will work on our account? Ask to meet the people who will do the work, not only those who present. The PRCA guidance says an agency should be represented by the people who would work on the client's account.¹
• How do you turn a brief into a plan? A good answer starts with audiences and objectives before it reaches channels and outputs.
• How do you measure whether it worked? Look for measures tied to your objectives, not only reach and views.
• Which languages do you work in, and who checks translations? A native speaker should review every language you publish in.
• How do you obtain and record consent? Ask to see a consent form and how consent is stored.
• What is your safeguarding practice with children and vulnerable people? Ask who is responsible and what happens if a concern is raised.
• How do you protect personal data? Ask how the agency meets Rwanda's data protection law and where files are stored.
• What happens if something goes wrong? Ask about a missed deadline, a factual error or a crisis, and how it was fixed.
• Who owns the work and the raw files? Ask for the usage rights in writing, including footage, photos and music.
• How do you price and invoice? Ask what is included, what counts as a change and how revisions are handled.
• Are you legally registered, and can you issue proper invoices? Ask for business and tax registration details, and how invoices are issued.

Some of these questions have factual answers you can verify. The Rwanda Revenue Authority explains that anyone starting a business must register it with the Registrar General within seven days, through an online RDB service that is immediate and free of charge, and that the RDB and RRA systems are linked so the business is registered for tax at the same time.² It also states that businesses registered for VAT must issue invoices from an Electronic Billing Machine, and that issuing any other invoice attracts penalties.² Your finance team will usually want to see these details before the first payment.

Data protection matters just as much. Rwanda's Law No. 058/2021 of 13/10/2021 relating to the protection of personal data and privacy names the National Cyber Security Authority (NCSA) as the supervisory authority.³ Public and private institutions have been asked to register with it as data controllers, processors or both.⁴ The law treats some information, such as health status and medical records, as sensitive personal data, and requires the consent of a holder of parental responsibility to process the data of a child under 16.⁵ An agency that films beneficiaries or manages contact lists for you is handling personal data, so ask how it complies.

Development and public-sector communications often feature people in difficult situations. How an agency treats them tells you a great deal about its standards.

The Dóchas Guide to Ethical Communications, launched in May 2023, rests on respect for the dignity of the people concerned, belief in the equality of all people and a commitment to solidarity, fairness and justice.⁶ Dóchas describes consent as a central tenet of the guide, and encourages organisations to consider power dynamics in the creative process.⁶

In a meeting, ask the agency to talk through a real shoot. How did it explain the purpose to participants? Could people say no, or withdraw later? How did it avoid images that reduce people to their needs? In our own practice, we agree consent, safeguarding and approvals in writing before any camera is switched on. Expect the same ethical standards from any partner you hire.

Agree a simple scoring sheet before the first meeting, so the loudest pitch does not win by default. Weight the criteria to fit your brief. A typical split might give most weight to relevant experience and the proposed team, with the rest shared between approach, ethics and data, and value for money.

Ask each panel member to score alone, then compare. Where scores differ widely, discuss the evidence rather than averaging the numbers.

Take references only for the agency you intend to appoint. The PRCA says clients should not seek references from other clients unless the agency has been chosen.¹ When you call, ask specific questions: did the team meet deadlines, how did it handle feedback and would the referee hire it again?

Copy this checklist into your procurement file and tick each item as you go.

• One-page brief written: audiences, outcomes, outputs, languages, timeline and budget range.
• Decision-makers agreed internally, including finance, legal and leadership.
• Shortlist of no more than three agencies for the final stage.
• Same brief, same questions and same deadline sent to all.
• Scoring criteria and weights agreed before the meetings.
• Portfolio of comparable work reviewed, with the agency's role on each piece confirmed.
• Named team met, including the day-to-day lead.
• Consent form, safeguarding approach and data protection practice seen.
• Business registration, tax registration and invoicing method confirmed.
• Usage rights, ownership of raw files and revision policy set out in writing.
• References taken for the preferred agency only.
• All unsuccessful agencies told the result, with brief feedback.
• Contract signed and a start meeting booked.