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The Department for Education is to review and revamp its use of social media in a bid to reduce the number of phone calls and emails it fields from the public.

The DfE has published a contract notice on the Digital Marketplace seeking a supplier that can undertake an “in-depth analytical review” of the department’s use of Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. 

Having completed this assessment, the chosen firm will then be tasked with making recommendations – for each of the four channels – for how the DfE can “can engage directly and regularly in a strategic and targeted way with specific audiences like parents, teachers, businesses, young people and other key groups”.

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The department is also seeking recommendations for how to use social channels to better promote its public campaigns, and reduce the number of calls and emails fielded by its staff.

It may also require the winning bidder to provide “bespoke training to support comms directorate development”.

Bids for the project – which has no specified value – are open until 25 October, although the contract notice also states that the DfE wishes to stage a kick-off meeting during the week that commences on 21 October. 

The review and subsequent recommendations must be made by the end of November.