Virtual Convention Service Provider Consultancy

The USAID SEA Project is now on its last year of operations and plan to hold a national virtual symposium between October and November 2020. For this purpose, USAID SEA Project plans to engage with a virtual convention service provider (team/company) to support SEA’s communication team and STA team in organising this event.

I. Overview

The Indonesia Sustainable Ecosystems Advanced (SEA) Project is a five-year contract that supports the Government of Indonesia to conserve biological diversity and improve the governance of marine resources at local, district, provincial and national levels. By using an ecosystem-based approach to management and engaging key stakeholders, the SEA Project will 1) enhance conservation and sustainable use of marine resources by reforming fisheries management and promoting marine protected areas to enhance fisheries productivity, food and nutrition security, and sustainable livelihoods within the target area; and 2) strengthen the leadership role and capacity of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and provincial governments namely Maluku, North Maluku and West Papua, to promote conservation and sustainable fishing. The SEA Project is implemented by Tetra Tech and by a consortium of partners. The SEA Project will run from March 2016 through March 2021.

In 2019, Tetra Tech received additional support to USAID SEA Project from Walton Family Foundation as a Supplementary Technical Assistance (STA) specifically for Sustainable Fisheries and Policy components of USAID SEA Project and will be used to augment USAID SEA Project results using science, technology, and innovation. The STA provides significant leverage funding for the project and is fully integrated into USAID SEA Project plan and activities.

II. Background

The USAID SEA Project is now on its last year of operations and plan to hold a national virtual symposium between October and November 2020 to disseminate its lessons learned as well as strengthen collaboration of USAID SEA Project partners and stakeholders beyond the term of USAID’s support.  The national virtual symposium will consist of series of sessions focusing on different aspects of USAID SEA Project including those of the STA.  The series will be comprised of two segments, the first segment will run in the mid to late October 2020, and the second segment will run in November 2020. Both segments will lead to a total of 13 sessions with a maximum number of 500 participants which are mostly Indonesian-based audience.  The plan is to run 1.5 to 2-hour sessions 2 times per week consecutively for up to 8 weeks in total.

In general, the objectives of these events are:   To bring together SEA’s partners, government agencies and broader related organizations and institutions to present, share, and discuss the work of the USAID SEA Project through the four core workstreams, culminating in a Lessons Learned symposium.

The first segment of symposium will be conducted in mid to late October 2020 (4 sessions) and will focus on Fish Stock Assessments, Fisheries Management and Stock Assessment System in Indonesia that has been jointly implemented by USAID SEA and STA teams.  This segment will in involve stock assessment scientists from various institutions, representatives from various non-governmental organizations, academics, industry, and policymakers within MMAF.

The second segment will be conducted in November 2020 (9 sessions) and will focus on sharing case studies, innovations, and lessons learned in the focal SEA workstreams in WPP-715 and beyond, recording the interactions and allow for sharing and create discussion to enrich the lessons learned from the SEA project.  This segment will engage a multi-sectoral group of partners including MMAF, CSO partners, industry associations, academic institutions, provincial and district governments, and donors (USAID).

Outputs and Outcomes of the event:

• A community of practice of fish stock assessments and fisheries management in Indonesia: to bring together Indonesia’s stock assessment experts, managers, and practitioners through a series of virtual symposium to develop more effective management measures in fish stock assessment.
• Shared experiences, successes, and failures
• Partner initiatives to sustain the progress
• Lessons Learned and trends in Fisheries Governance in Indonesia that can be used as input for future policy and project.

For this purpose, USAID SEA Project plans to engage with a virtual convention service provider (team/company) to support SEA’s communication team and STA team in organizing this event.

III. Job Summary and Tasks

Objective:

The primary objective of this assignment is to organize, manage and conduct a national virtual symposium, to provide technical/materials arrangement for the virtual event and to wrap-up the aftermath of the virtual event so that materials, recordings and outputs are disseminated properly, and that news about the virtual event are properly published in reputable media channels.

Under direct supervision of the STA Team Leader for the first segment and the Communications and Outreach Specialist for the second segment, the virtual convention service provider is responsible to carry out the following tasks:

Event preparation:

1. Propose Platform: Zoom / Microsoft Teams / others (Zoom appears to be the most accesible for Government and other partners in Indonesia), each session will run for up to 2-hours. The virtual convention service provider is also expected to propose a back-up virtual meeting platform to use as anticipatory measure if the selected virtual meeting platform does not work.
2. Propose and establish a media platform to promote this event including create / develop a dedicated website or page and social media for this event in connection with the USAID-SEA website: sea-indonesia.org
3. Develop content and distribution plan to promote this event in the proposed media platform both online and offline in coordination with Project Leads and STA Team.
4. Develop and manage the online registry service
5. Provide email support when receiving queries from participants and speakers and share any details or changes about the virtual sessions
6. Support hosts and speakers’ preparation including their power point presentation template, background image, camera, sound system and webinar test for the internet connection prior to events.
7. Coordinate with the MC/Moderator/Host, who will be arranged separately.
8. Provide safety and security information / consent arrangements, etc. if needed
9. Arrange rehearsal time as necessary
10. Media management: contacting media and provide briefing (as directed by SEA project)
11. Provide administrative support from drafting invitation, distribution of invitation and agenda and confirmation

Event Implementation:

1. Implement the run-down of event agendas (i.e., segment 1 and 2) smoothly and effectively.
2. Provide real time translation (Bahasa Indonesia into English, and vice versa) in the chat setting of the platform (locked for chatting, only for simultaneous translation by typing) or simultaneous interpreting.
3. Assign an Event Manager who will be responsible as the person-in-charge (PIC) during the event implementation and an Event Management Team to support during the event.
4. To anticipate for potential IT and internet network glitches, assign a dedicated Technical Support person that will provide technical back-stopping and trouble-shooting during the event and ensure seamless operations of the management of technology (IT and connectivity), including coordinate and ensure that all participants’ entries are well synchronized with the registration list and that all presenters’ material are ready for the virtual event.
5. Ensure smooth transition from speaker to speaker including technical components and other supporting services are in place and ready as per schedule
6. Ensure all events are recorded and available for sharing
7. Ensure that all chatting materials (translation and Q&As) are saved as additional materials for rapporteurs to use.
8. Assign a team of rapporteurs to take note of the discussion throughout the sessions. Notes from rapporteurs will be the basis for the proceedings.
9. Prepare and run polls or interactive questions throughout the sessions using an application such as Mentimeter (https://www.mentimeter.com/) or Mural (https://www.mural.co/), etc.
10. Performs other duties as assigned by USAID SEA Project and STA Team.

Post Event:

1. In close coordination with MMAF staff and the USAID SEA Project and STA Team, prepare press release and arrange with the online and offline media to publish the news about the virtual symposium.
2. Distribute materials to audience
3. Prepare the video recordings of the national virtual symposium and have them ready for dissemination.
4. Ensure the completeness of the documents (invoice, contract agreement, etc.) needed by the STA (segment 1) and USAID SEA (segment 2) Teams.
5. Report event supported with event documentation (photos, e-files, etc.)
6. Design and distribute e-certificate to speakers and participants.

Specifically, the service provider will include the following scope of tasks:

IV. Deliverables and Reporting

The provider shall submit the following deliverables:

1. Weekly update consists of progress for each task in both segment before the events and in discussion with USAID SEA and STA Teams as needed
2. Daily report during the events
3. Final report after the final event.

V. Qualifications of Virtual Convention Service Provider:

A. Company Qualification

1. Have a good track record in organizing, either in-person or virtual, international and/or national conference/symposium/seminar or similar event with at least 50 participants.
2. Have a financial capacity to assist in pre-financing for the event.
3. Experience in dealing with international and national experts and organizations.

B. Personnel Qualification

1. The company must provide personnel who are experienced in the event management and should attach the resumé of each personnel in the proposal.
2. Minimum 3 years of experience in handling national and international virtual events.
3. Strong written and spoken English and Bahasa Indonesia.

C.    Competencies

1. Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards.
2. Highly organized, able to set priorities, produce quality outputs, meet deadlines and manage time efficiently.
3. Able to work under pressure to meet deadlines.

VI. Supervision         

The virtual convention service provider will report to STA Team Leader for the first segment and to Communications and Outreach Specialist for the second segment.

VII.    Post of Assignment

The assignment will be conducted in Indonesia. The main language is English.

VIII. Consultancy Arrangement and Time Frame

1. The Consultant Team will be hired to provide services as agreed
2. The Consultant Team will receive briefing prior their arrival.
3. The Consultant Team shall equip themselves with relevant applications, equipment and/or tools related with this consultancy work.
4. The timeframe for this consultancy is from 01 September 2020 to 10 December 2020 for a maximum of 30 days

IX. APPLICATION PROCESS

All interested and qualified Indonesian-based event organizer firms should submit the applications together with a recent company profile with portfolio indicating their relevant qualifications, resumé of the Event Manager and the Team as well as the rapporteur(s), simultaneous translator, and virtual meeting platform technician and proposed budget (in IDR) that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs for each segment separately and their justifications.

Please send your application to:  benny.jaya@sea-indonesia.org and emilia.damayanti@sea-indonesia.org  before 15 August 2020.

Please note the subject of your email [Company Name – Virtual Convener – Oct-Nov, 2020].

Successful applicant will be notified for further process.