Service Level Agreements - Minimum service requirements



ANNEX I

TENDER SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF SERVICES

NEGOTIATED PROCEDURE

I. Introduction

The Delegation of European Union to the Republic of Nigeria (thereafter referred to as 'the delegation') intends to conclude a service contract with a professional contractor in the organisation of travel, accommodation and other related services for official business purposes. The duration of the service shall be an initial period of one (1) year with an option to renew on the same terms upon satisfactory evaluation of performance and other prevailing circumstances. The maximum duration of the contract is 48 months at the sole discretion of the Delegation.

The Delegation hereby solicits tenders for the provision of the services on a management fee basis in accordance with the given terms of reference and the contractual obligation under Annex II. Prices must be quoted in Naira (NGN) exclusive of VAT. The delegation reserves the right to award the contract.

II. Objective

The contract shall cover the provision of travel management and related services that includes air travel reservation, ticketing, hotel reservations, airport transfers, protocol assistance and other incidental services based on the policy, procedures and guidelines of the delegation. The contractor shall provide full, prompt, accurate and expert services to the delegation as detailed in the tender specification and scope of services (the list being non- exhaustive):

III. Technical specifications and scope of service

a. Provision of any information deemed necessary for individuals or group travel on itineraries, flight schedules, different travel options, flight availability, airline companies, and prices including discounted/special fares.

▪ Provide prompt and reliable technical assistance acting as liaison with third parties involved in the service delivery.

▪ Fulfill basic requirements like responsiveness until ticket is issued, bookings through the shortest connections at the lowest fares applicable, ensure benefit for the delegation from any negotiated preferential tariffs on a non-exclusive basis with airlines or hotels, accuracy of tickets and itineraries, accuracy of accounting and rebates.

▪ Promptly inform the delegation traveler regarding changes in the scheduled flights as well as any significant circumstances that can incur changes in the scheduled flights e.g. planned strikes offers etc

▪ Availability of 24 Help Desk/Hotline for emergency services and prompt response to emails on enquiry of services.

b. Provision of air tickets for official travel from Nigeria to Brussels, to other international destinations and for local flights within Nigeria at the best available market price as per the on a timely manner.

▪ Provide service within 24 hours of a request from the dedicated persons at the delegation who shall specify the name of pax, itinerary, dates and if any part of the travel is for private purposes.

▪ Upon request the agency shall send to the delegation at least 3 quotations for air tickets favorable in terms of itinerary, schedule and price and replies conducted through mail to dedicated persons and the traveler and confirm the chosen travel plan without delay.

▪ Preference for e-tickets for environmental and cost reasons.

▪ Propose added value on related services, whether paid for or on complementary basis.

▪ Arrange tickets for international travel at short notice, in case of short notice cancellation or modification of a mission, the agency should provide the best option to facilitate fulfillment of the mission and should endeavor to minimize any penalties incurred by the delegation. Penalties regarding any additional arising out of negligence directly attributable to agency will be borne by the latter.

c. Provision of airport transfers for delegation staff.

▪ Provide airport transfers to and from the airports in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt and other cities. The transfers originate or end either at the delegation office at European Union House in Central Business District, and at the residences of the staff in the suburbs of Abuja.

▪ Provide neat and well maintained vehicles with enough luggage room and upon request provide options for traveler with special needs like disability.

▪ Provide shuttle service upon request for group travel.

▪ Provide other value adding and related services, whether paid for or on complementary basis.

d. Provision of meet/greet and assist services at airport in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt and other cities in Nigeria.

▪ Meet on a timely manner and assist travelers at the airport arrival hall by courteous, professionally dressed English speaking staff with proper identification placard.

▪ Provide value adding and other related services, whether paid for or on complementary basis.

e. Provision of other related services to a contract of this nature

Provision of any other services incidental to a contract of this nature e.g. travel related insurance, accommodation arrangement where applicable-identify suitable accommodation of good quality within proximity of the mission center within the delegation pricing policy(to be furnished for every request) and submit a proposal presenting the relevant features of the chosen facility.

f. Other Requirements;

▪ At Delegation request, the contractor must supply detailed analytical information on the provided and invoiced services (relating to tickets, hotel bookings, etc.) and management reports containing and analyzing travel data.

▪ The agency shall ensure provision of requested services during office hours and adapt to flexibility during weekends and public holidays as the case maybe.

▪ The agency shall limit access to personal data of delegation staff to its staff strictly for the performance, management and follow-up of the contract, and reserves the right to refuse use of any system that does not guarantee expected levels of security.

g. Staff and Technical Facilities;

To ensure the efficient performance of the contract, it is expected that the company awarded the contract shall:

▪ Demonstrate provision of similar services over a period of the last three years to diplomatic missions and international organizations in Nigeria; provide duration of the assignment, contract amount and the bidder's involvement as a single undertaking.

▪ Demonstrate ownership and/or availability of adequate physical and other resources to perform the contract – equipped offices and appropriate infrastructure e.g. linkage to the reservation systems of 2nd tier service provider, secure reporting tools for both telephone and email, the delegation reserves the right to ask for proof and to carry out site visit. The availability of an office at the different airports is an added advantage.

▪ Demonstrate high level of professionalism and customer orientation: Provide a list of proposed key professional and professional staff team by area of expertise, position that would be assigned their tasks, experience and certification. Tenderers shall clearly detail how the staff appointed will be able to ensure adequate quality of services.

▪ Demonstrate the ability to offer a well functioning airport transfer service by use of safe and comfortable vehicles, preferably with radio communication, and by use of drivers good at time-keeping, well versed with the main residential suburbs of Abuja and the ability to locate houses based on a map or verbal directions.

IV. Contractor’s obligations;

▪ Provide contract services exercising all reasonable skill, care and diligence, in a professional manner.

▪ Employ only staff of the highest caliber and appropriate skills to service the account.

▪ Comply at all times with the Service Level Agreement as defined in paragraph 2 (Minimum service requirements) of this document here below.

▪ Observe and comply with all legal requirements including Statute, Local Government and Public Authorities, and undertake compliance with all relevant Codes of Practice and Conduct, Local/Regional standards, professional standards, and the Organization’s own terms/requirements in the provision of the services; and ensure that all staff are aware of their obligations and adhere to them.

▪ Undertake all audits, surveys and record keeping in compliance with Local/Regional Health & Safety legislation/requirements, and relevant regulations under such legislation/requirements and other relevant legislation/requirements.

▪ Maintain and make available on demand all records and evidence of compliance.

▪ Attend monitoring and evaluation meetings as and when required to ensure the smooth running of this Agreement. These meetings shall also be used to evaluate the key performance indicators, which shall be agreed on and implemented both prior to commencement of, and during the contract.

▪ Provide management information in accordance with the requirements of the delegation and provide support in the interpretation of the data.

▪ Assign or sub-contract any part of this contract only with without the prior written consent of the delegation.

▪ Not to disclose any information to any third party without the specific permission of the delegation.

V. Service Level Agreements - Minimum service requirements

|SERVICE REQUIREMENT |COMPONENT |MINIMUM LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE AND COMPETENCIES TO BE ACHIEVED |ABILITY TO MEET EXPECTED LEVEL |COMMENTS |

| | | |YES/NO | |

|Staff Qualifications |Educational | | | |

| | |IATA certificate of competence. Familiar with Global Distribution System (GDS) | | |

| | |i.e. Galileo, Amadeus | | |

| |Technical |Complete basic Computer Reporting System (CRS) and other relevant systems | | |

| | |training, with annual review of training needs. | | |

| |Language |Proficiency in English. Knowledge of another EU Language an asset. | | |

| |Minimum | | | |

| |Experience |Manager - Minimum 8 years travel industry experience. Minimum 4 years prior | | |

| | |experience in managing and supervising a Travel Agency. Familiarity with | | |

| | |training programs/techniques and experience with a CRS/automated accounting | | |

| | |system. College degree or equivalent experience. Fluency in English required. | | |

| | |Knowledge of another EU language an advantage. | | |

| | | | | |

| | |Supervisor – Minimum 5 years corporate travel experience. CRS/automated | | |

| | |accounting system experience. Fluency in English required. | | |

| | | | | |

| | |Travel Consultant - Minimum 3 years corporate travel experience after | | |

| | |completion of travel agency apprenticeship or equivalent training. Proficiency | | |

| | |on CRS equipment, familiarity with leisure travel products. Fluency in English | | |

| | |required. | | |

|Dedicated Staff |Staffing | | | |

| | |No change to staff will be made without the consent of the delegation who will | | |

| | |reserve the right to request change of any designated staff. | | |

|Invoicing / and |Tickets and related services |Invoice or credit card payments. | | |

|Billing Procedure | | | | |

|Hours of operation |Provide full service |07.30-16.30 Monday to Thursday | | |

| | |07.30- 14.00 Friday | | |

| | |Flexibility after business hours weekends and public | | |

| | |holidays | | |

| |24-Hour Service | | | |

| | |24 hour emergency telephone access by all clients | | |

|Telephone |Response Time | | | |

| | |Answer 80% of calls within 15 seconds, or 5 rings | | |

| | |during official working hours | | |

| |Hold Time | | | |

| | |Maximum 20 seconds before requesting to call back | | |

| |Call-Back Time | | | |

| | |90% of all call-back within 60 minutes | | |

|Assistance |Waiting Time |Not more than 5 minutes | | |

|Fare Rate Offering |Air Fares | | | |

| | |Full booking - lowest available applicable airfare for class of service and | | |

| | |fare category in compliance with the delegation rules and regulations | | |

| | | | | |

| | |Upon request provide minimum 3 fare options unless only one option available | | |

| | |for comparison on every itinerary | | |

| |Re-Routings or | | | |

| |Re-Issuance or Cancellations |Calculation of differences in fare (add-on or refund) according to IATA | | |

| | |regulations and make all necessary re-booking including endorsement to other | | |

| | |carriers if required | | |

| |Hotel Reservations | | | |

| | |All bookings (local and international) – Suitable and secure accommodation in | | |

| | |compliance with delegation price threshold where applicable | | |

|Document Delivery |Time Frame |100% of all ticketed documents, including confirmation of E-ticket | | |

| | |availability, delivered no later than 24 hours prior to departure, unless | | |

| | |booking occurs within that period | | |

| |Last Minute Ticket Requirements | | | |

| | |Ticketing and delivery on-line or on departure at airline desks or at the | | |

| | |customer service desk at the airport of departure | | |

| |Delays | | | |

| | |Traveler will be promptly informed of any schedule changes, airport closings or| | |

| | |strikes | | |

| |Co-operation with other Travel Agencies /| | | |

| |Carriers |Collection and handling of incoming PTA’s for | | |

| | |travelers | | |

|Replacement of Documents |Lost, Stolen or Mislaid Tickets |Act as liaison between the airline and the traveler to resolve issues of lost | | |

| | |or stolen tickets | | |

| | |Replace documents in agreement with Clients | | |

| | |Assist traveler in filling out appropriate airline forms and filing them with | | |

| | |the airline | | |

|Client Documentation |Itinerary (Air) | | | |

| | |Date of travel, flight information (including connection times, seat | | |

| | |assignment, meals, wait-list information, terminal and check-in time) | | |

| |Itinerary (Hotel & Car) | | | |

| | |Arrival dates, confirmation number, rate secured, guaranteed reservation | | |

| | |information, time limit required for cancellation | | |

| | | | | |

| | |Pick-up location, rate booked, class of vehicle, confirmation number | | |

| | | | | |

| |Itinerary (Remarks) | | | |

| | |All itineraries include standardized remarks (Travel Agent’s and/or relevant | | |

| | |clients procedural reminders) | | |

| |Boarding Passes | | | |

| | |All tickets issued with boarding passes (where | | |

| | |applicable) | | |

| |Checking of Travel Documents |All documents subject to a final check prior to delivery/dispatch | | |

|Complaint Resolution |Acknowledgement | | | |

| | |Enter complaint in CRS/manual log | | |

| | |Written/e-mail acknowledgement provided within 24 | | |

| | |Hours | | |

| | |Advice on progress every third day | | |

| |Final Resolution |Communicated within 20 days | | |

|Refunds |Process |All returned documents to be processed within 48 hours of receipt | | |

| |Acknowledgement | | | |

| | |If refund cannot be effected by the Travel Agent, clients to be advised in | | |

| | |writing within 48 hours that the documents are being processed by a third party| | |

| |Calculation | | | |

| | |Verification of residual value of partially used tickets refunded by carriers | | |

| | |within 48 hours | | |

| | |Any differences between clients’ calculation and the actual refund to be | | |

| | |justified by the vendors calculation | | |

| |Documentation | | | |

| | |Log (CRS or manual) is maintained for refunds | | |

| |Refund | | | |

| | |Upon notification by clients’ cancellation of Travel | | |

| | |Authorizations and recovery of outstanding refunds from network | | |

| | |partners/representatives or carriers locally issued tickets within 30 days and | | |

| | |tickets issued abroad within 60 days | | |

|Client Satisfaction |General Survey | | | |

| | |Quarterly basis - to get feedback from travelers/designated contacts (travel | | |

| | |bookers) in the delegation | | |

|Data Management |Traveler Profile | | | |

| | |Traveler profile to be built in CRS for each traveler | | |

| | |Annual review of all profiles to ensure accuracy | | |

|Management Information |Sales |Quarterly reports on total sales, sale by airline, agreement discounts as | | |

| | |agreed with the Delegation. | | |

| | |Computerized reporting system to issue ad hoc reports based on carriers, type | | |

| | |of fares and internal organization structure to the designated contact persons | | |

| | |in the delegation | | |

| |Management Meetings |Attend quarterly (or ad-hoc on request) meetings with the Delegation | | |

| | |Monitoring & Evaluation Committee | | |

|Miscellaneous |E-Mail |Capacity to receive requests through E-Mail | | |

| | |E-Mail reply to a request with 1 working day of receipt | | |

| | |Acknowledgement of receipt returned within 5 working hours | | |

| |Health requirements |Information and advice related to vaccination requirements etc. to be provided | | |

| | |prior to traveler's departure | | |

| |Destination Information |Advice and recommendations on country of destination, climate conditions, | | |

| | |national and religious holidays, passport and visa requirements, Travel Agent | | |

| | |locations in country of destination, time zones | | |

|Directory |Documents /Travel Agent Locations Network|Where applicable a complete, updated listing of service provider’s agents, | | |

| | |partners / representatives to be available in electronic format. | | |

|Open Book Policy |Examination of Records |The delegation to have access to all the service provider’s financial records | | |

| | |pertaining to the contract. | | |

|Publication |Special Offers/Newsletters | | | |

| | |Special offers or newsletters in English to be made available electronically to| | |

| | |the delegation | | |

| |Special Announcements | | | |

| | |Special announcements by airlines e.g. industrial strikes etc. to be reported | | |

| | |for announcements to travelers and the delegation electronically. | | |

|Transport |Transfers |

|1. The quality of the tenderer’s managerial and technical/operational competence as demonstrated by the number and caliber of its managerial and |

|technical staff: |

|(Maximum 30 points) |

|At least 5 travel consultants each with travel industry diploma & work experience exceeding 3 yrs |20 |

|If the directors/principal officers dispose of the same minimum qualifications and work experience |5 |

|Other administrative staff with relevant qualifications and work experience exceeding 3 years |5 |

| 2. The quality of the physical facilities and resources available to the tenderer which are relevant to the scope of the contract such as (1) |

|offices; (2) vehicles; (3) VHF radio installations in offices & vehicles; (4) ICT installations |

|(Maximum 20 points) |

|Existence of an airport office at Abuja |10 |

|Availability of at least 5 vehicles, owned & equipped with VHF radio |5 |

|Availability of well located offices equipped with dual central reservation systems |5 |

|3. The quality of the business associations and/or affiliations with relevant stakeholders and counterpart organizations locally and internationally.|

| |

|(Maximum 20 points) |

|- Membership or franchise holder in an international travel organization/group |20 |

|4. The quality of the proposed contract organizational and operational measures including the modalities or work routines; the contract management |

|escalation structure; the type, content and frequency of the reports that the tenderer will furnish; the measures that the tenderer will take to |

|ensure quality delivery of service. |

|(Maximum 30 points) |

|Description of relevant work organization modalities e.g. dedicated teams, booking formalities, etc |15 |

|Description of the minimum/standard reports to be periodically submitted |10 |

|Description of the measures to be taken to assure quality delivery of service |5 |

|Total awarded score |100 |

The technical offer should address all other matters raised in the tender specifications to maximum possible extent. Only tenders which have attained a minimum score of 60 points out of the maximum possible of 100 points will be taken into account in the determination of the price/quality ratios leading to the ward of the tender applying the formula:

Score for tender X =

Lowest Price *100 * 40% + Quality score of X * 100 * 60%

Price in tender X (price %) Best quality score criteria (quality %)

X. Participation procedure and closing date

The call for tender notice was published on the Delegation website and subsequently in PUNCH and THE GUARDIAN Newspapers on the 29th June 2015

1). Any company that meets the minimum selection criteria and is not disqualified by any of the exclusion criteria above may apply to participate in the selection procedure.

2). The Call for Tender documents will only be issued to companies who present a written application signed by a duly authorized representative. The documents to be issued comprise the Invitation to Tender Document together with Annexes I, II, II, III & V.

3). Presentation of Tenders

Tenders must be submitted in triplicate clearly marked as original and/or copies, taking into account the following:

o The tender must contain all the information and all the supporting documents required by the tender specifications.

o The information or the supporting documents in the tender submission must be presented systematically in a clear and concise manner guided by the format outlined in the Tender Submission Document -Annex III.

o The tender document must contain a table of content, continuous page numbering and separation of contents by use of dividers.

o The copies of originals presented must be clearly legible.

o The tenders must include a signed Declaration of Honour relating to the exclusion criteria notarised by Commission of Oaths.

o Tenders must be dated and signed by the authorised representatives.

5). The submission from a company responding to the tender notice shall comprise:

a) The Tender Submission Document (Annex II) duly completed as required in sections A and G;

b) Copies of the documentation required in sections B, C, D, and E;

c) Catalogues, brochures, photos, samples, etc. where applicable.

6). All the documents comprising the company’s submission as indicated in clause (4) above should be submitted in 3 bound copies.

7). The submissions must be placed inside two (2) plain sealed envelopes as indicated below. The envelopes must be signed across the flap and sealed with cello tape.

Envelope 1: An outer envelope containing the inner envelope and addressed as below:

|The Head of Administration |

|Delegation of the European Union to the Federal Republic of Nigeria |

|21st Crescent, off Constitution Avenue, |

|Central Business District |

|Abuja, Nigeria |

| |

|TENDER AIR TRAVEL AND RELATED SERVICES |

| |

|DO NOT OPEN BEFORE 30TH July 2015 AT 10.00 HRS |

Envelope

2: An inner envelope containing the 3 bound copies of the company’s submission.

8). The submissions shall be delivered by hand, either in person or through private courier service, and deposited at the EEAS reception desk before 30TH July 2015 at 1000 hours. A receipt of the submission indicating the date and time of receipt will be issued to the person delivering the submission, who must declare this fact to ensure that the acknowledgement receipt is issued.

9). Submissions that have no receipt, or those that are received beyond the deadline, or those not sealed and addressed as indicated in clause (6) above shall be rejected and returned unopened. The acceptability of a submission is subject to detailed evaluation for compliance with the selection criteria and other requirements.

IX NOTIFICATION

1) All companies that present submissions will be sent a notification by fax and/or email informing them whether or not they are successful.

2) All communication regarding this tender procedure must be in writing. The communication from the EEAS to a participating company shall be sent by fax and/or email to the attention of the company’s authorized representative identified in the company’s submission.

XI. DISCLAIMERS

1) The tender procedure notice does not constitute an offer or a contract for the provision of services for which it is subject; neither does it place any obligation on the EEAS to award the tender.

2) This Call for Tender is in no way binding to the Delegation. The Delegation’s contractual obligation commences only upon the signature of contract with the successful tenderer. Prior to the point of signature of the contract, the Delegation may either abandon the tender procedure or cancel the award decision without the tenderers being entitled to claim any compensation.

3) All tender submissions are prepared and submitted at the sole cost and responsibility of the company.

4) The EEAS shall treat with utmost confidentiality all the information provided, and hereby declares that the information shall solely be used for the purposes of evaluating the submissions.

5) Should any participating company find errors or discrepancies in the tender documents, or should the intent or meaning appear to be ambiguous, the company may contact the Head of Administration in writing (fax, email or hand-delivered letter) for correction or clarification thereof.

For parity of information amongst the participating companies, any responses from the EEAS for corrections and/or clarifications shall be copied to all participating companies.

END

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