Call for proposals: Mini-training of various nature for SNV Vietnam all-staff retreat

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Mini-training of various nature for SNV Vietnam all-staff retreat

BACKGROUND  

SNV Netherlands Development Organization  

SNV is a mission-driven global development partner working in more than 20 countries across Africa and Asia. Building on 60 years of experience and grounded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we work on the core themes of gender equality and social inclusion, climate adaptation and mitigation, and strong institutions and effective governance. Together with our team of over 1,600 people, our mission is to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems, which enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all. 

SNV has been working in Vietnam since 1995 and has over 30 national and international staff. SNV Vietnam’s team works hand-in-hand with communities, government agencies, and businesses in more than 50 provinces, including the remotest and poorest areas of the country. We operate from a country office in Hanoi and project offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Lam Dong province. Our work focuses on three sectors: Agri-Food, Energy, and Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH).

On Tuesday, September 17^th, 2024, SNV Vietnam will kick off a 3-day all staff retreat for all 65+ members of the SNV Vietnam team, focusing primarily on staff training. Through a range of feedback processes, staff have identified training as a priority need, and a request for the retreat itself. The types of training needs and interests are various. We have generated a list of training subjects that staff are interested in receiving and are thus looking for Hanoi-based trainers to join us and facilitate these training sessions.  

OBJECTIVES 

The training aims at providing a general level of understanding, more or less introductory level on the thematic topics, which shall be served as input to the follow-up training in the later stage. The topics are based on the needs and priorities of the SNV team.  

TRAINING REQUIREMENTS  

Training sessions will be 1-hour on the afternoon of Tuesday, 17^th September 2024.  Training class sizes will range from 5-15 participants but will be capped at no more than 15 people.  

Training location is at La Thanh Hotel office complex, Building D, 218 Doi Can, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. Training must be conducted in person.  

Participants in the session can potentially be of any background relating to agri-food, energy, and water sectors. Training sessions are requested to be condensed in content, and include practical, usable information, avoiding vague generalizations which are already widely known, or difficult to put into practice, keeping participants engaged and interacting. We want our teams to walk out after an hour and say, “Wow! That was great! I learned a ton!” Trainers are requested to compile a list of complementary resources on the training subject, to be emailed to all participants in the training after the session.  

Trainings can be conducted in Vietnamese or in English. Dual language materials are welcomed.  

TYPES OF TRAINING SESSIONS SOLICITED WITH THIS TENDER 

As SNV will offer a range of optional training sessions to the staff, we list below the ideas for training that have been generated by our team. We invite bidders to submit under one or more of these ideas, OR to submit a different idea which they feel could be of interest to the team. Note, training descriptions are illustrative, and bidders are welcome to refine or modify similar training descriptions. Selected trainers will have the opportunity to discuss the training content with the SNV team before the training session, as required.  

• Photography. A training session for staff in amateur photography, both for work purposes and personal. Something to teach basic fundamentals of photography, primarily using a mobile phone camera, to include landscapes, people, action and activities and even selfies for fun. Session should be a mix of skills useful in taking project- related photos as well as personal ones, a mix of work and fun. 
• Stress Management. Many of our staff have heavy workloads and are balancing work, family, and personal pressures on a regular basis. A short theoretical understanding of stress- good stress and bad stress- plus tips on identifying stress, and most importantly, practical, specific tips on managing stress, both in the moment and in longer-term, would be appreciated. 
• Adaptive Management in Practice. In the development sector, we talk about “adaptive management” often, but our teams would love a bit more education about what the concept really means, as well as very practical examples, tips and tool of how to practice it on a regular basis in a project management context. 
• Project Learning Agendas. Theory/ a set of questions/ planned activities, practice, and examples of how to identify, design, plan for, and implement a learning agenda within the project and team. Learning agendas may rise to the strategy level of the operating unit, may address more specific project- or activity-level concerns, or may facilitate learning at multiple levels.
• Digital Technology in Development Programs. Our teams have expressed an interest in stretching their knowledge, understanding and creative brain power in applying digital technology options as appropriate solutions in development programs. Tech could include how we work internally (even ideas like maximizing MS Teams or other workplace apps) to tech solutions in our programs, which include the sectors of water, renewable energy, and agriculture/food security, all cross-cutting with climate change. An ideal training might combine thoughtful approaches on the HOW to identify and effectively deploy appropriate tech solutions, as well as a wide range of examples and resources for enhancing our team’s ability to do so. 
• Behavior Change Communications (BCC). Also known as Social BCC (SBCC) and other similar names. A basic overview of theory, concepts and practical tools to apply when development projects are working with community members on changing behaviors with a purpose. 
• ESG. What is ESG? Environmental, Social, and Governance – investment principles. We hear about these terms a lot in our sectors and more and more as we work with the private sector. This training can help provide definition of the concepts and give an overview of how businesses are working to be ESG compliant and what services are needed to do that better. 
• Green Finance. We keep hearing this concept, but a lot of our staff would welcome an expert in the green finance space to give an introductory overview of “what is green finance” and how would it relate to an INGO’s ability to implement programs? Key terms, concepts, stakeholders, and principal issues in this space could be the primary content of an introductory 1-hour session.  

TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL  

Bidders should submit a 1–2-page submission which includes: 

• Summary of qualifications and experience of the consultant(s) and/or firm in conducting training of this nature. 
• Self-Declaration Form via https://smrtr.io/mSNzv  
• Business registration certificate of the company (if any). 
• A brief description of the training proposed. 

Interested consultant(s) and/or firm should submit the documents via the link https://smrtr.io/mSNzvby 17.00 p.m. on September 3^rd, 2024. 

PAYMENT: The package fee for a 1-hour session, inclusive of time for preparation and a training brief after the session, is VND 5,000,000 VND (tax included).  

If following the one-hour training, SNV teams are interested in a follow-up, more detailed training from a trainer, SNV may consider a separate, expedited tender process at a later date.  

Project proposals not selected for the SNV Annual Retreat in September may be invited to conduct the training in another context, at a later date.  

SELECTION PROCESS 

SNV will review all Proposals received in accordance with the guidelines and criteria in this solicitation. SNV reserves the right to exclude any Proposals that do not meet the guidelines. Please note that SNV is unable to provide detailed feedback to those proposals that are not selected. 

• Step 1: SNV will shortlist selected Proposals, and unsuccessful respondents will be notified. Successful applicants will be contacted by SNV. 
• Step 2: SNV will contact the selected organizations/ consultants for the specific activities and contract with the selected organizations/ consultants. 

Protection of Information 

We request that Proposal responses be free of any intellectual property that the applicant wishes to protect. Should offerors wish to include proprietary intellectual property that they believe would be helpful for SNV, please note the proprietary nature of such information. Costing information will be kept confidential and will not be shared beyond SNV. 

Issuance of this Call for Proposals does not constitute a commitment, award, or engagement on the part of SNV nor does it commit SNV to any future commitment or engagement. 

Note: SNV reserves the right to change or cancel this requirement in the solicitation process at any time.