FHG Advances to Final Round of Jamaica's Nation(al) Brand Project
Findlay House Global (FHG) has advanced to the final round of the Government of Jamaica’s Nation(al) Brand Project!
FHG is the smallest and youngest finalist for this project.
We are proud to be the ONLY Jamaican-led team, and our project team showcases some of the best and brightest persons Jamaica has to offer!
The Nation branding project is designed to impact Jamaica’s economic development, as it has the potential to raise Jamaica’s global investment profile.
However, meaningful change that truly benefits the people of Jamaica must mean that Jamaica’s economic progress is not divided from its social progress.
Our desire is to implement the project in a way that strengthens Jamaica’ social development by giving Jamaicans, especially local citizens, a greater voice and role in improving the lived experience of the citizenry (which must be the first priority), and Jamaica’s international reputation.
One way FHG expects to do that is through ensuring that the voices of ‘ordinary’ Jamaicans (“the people,” especially those in rural areas who have been traditionally excluded) are centred and amplified in the Nation(al) brand creation process.
PRAYING WHILE WE WAIT
Cara-Marie Findlay (FHG’s Founder) created several Prayer Points and has issued an international call to 8 Days of Prayer for Jamaica, beginning Tuesday, February 7th - February 14th, 2023.
“We’re praying for the nation, not praying that we win a project. It is the purpose of the LORD that will stand (Proverbs 19:21).
Who knows whether Findlay House Global has come into this opportunity
for such a time as this (Esther 4:16)?
Even though praying and taking the name of JESUS into government and business spaces like this is not customary, it is how FHG operates, and prayer is our heartbeat! It also wasn’t customary for the king to hold an audience with someone he didn’t call for either, the custom of the day was actually death. Still, Esther said, “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).
If FHG is not selected, we are not selected.
The call to prayer remains the same.
It’s my honor, my privilege, and my responsibility to pray for my home country of Jamaica.
I’m learning that since its the LORD that has brought me, and FHG, this far—in all aspects,
prayer is indispensable,
and it will continue to be a vital part before, during, and after serving any country or community.”
— Cara-Marie Findlay
THE GOVERNMENT’S EVALUATION PROCESS
The evaluation process has been extensive.
First FHG passed an initial evaluation issued in July of 2022 by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).
Then, FHG was selected as one of only six firms invited by PIOJ in September 2022 to submit a full proposal.
Findlay House Global submitted its proposal for the World Bank-funded assignment, Development of a Nation Brand Strategy and Brand Identity in Jamaica, in November 2022.
On January 30th, 2023 FHG received notification that it had advanced to the final round of evaluation for the project.
A decision and announcement is expected later this month (February 2023) with a slated assignment start date of April 2023.
In the event that FHG is not selected, our prayer for this project will be that the people of Jamaica have the opportunity to control the development of the brand strategy and identity—from start to finish—since the nation brand will directly affect the country’s socio-economic development.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A NATION BRAND
The objective of the pending project is to develop an overall Nation(al) Brand Strategy for Jamaica, that targets a global audience in a way that is inspirational to Jamaican nationals and drives global awareness and commerce for Jamaica.
A Nation(al) Brand is how a country positions and promotes itself as a place in order to build a good reputation. The optimal global reputation includes being recognized as having high quality goods and services and top talent; as well as being an esteemed place for people to do business, invest in, visit, and live.
The process of Nation branding can be summed up as aiming to build, manage, and measure a country’s reputation.
MORE ABOUT FINDLAY HOUSE GLOBAL
Powered by a vision of impacted and underserved people leading the discussion on development, FHG collaborates with community members to assist them in providing community solutions. We are a Jamaican woman-owned, small business that provides Development and Communications consulting to governments, international non-governmental organizations (iNGOs) and non-profits, and the private sector. Using our people-centered, Re-Power Development® approach, FHG mobilizes people in targeted communities and countries towards ownership of development processes, thereby increasing the effectiveness and sustainability of development projects, programmes, and services.
FHG’s founder, Principal Consultant, and Nation Brand Project Team Leader—Cara-Marie Findlay—is Jamaican-born with deep roots in Linstead, St. Catherine, Jamaica.
Cara-Marie's Master's Thesis in Communication for Development, entitled, "Towards Decolonisation: Afro-Caribbean Philosophy and Development in Jamaica", explored the current (2022) perceptions of Jamaicans, both at home and abroad, in regard's to Jamaica's socio-economic development process based on Vision 2030 Jamaica; and its intersection with Afro-Caribbean values.