KANCO Conference Organizer Request for Proposals

KANCO

Request For Proposals – Conference Organizer
 

KANCO

is  regional membership network of organizations including:

Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs), Community Based Organization

(CBOs), Faith Based Organization (FBOs), Private Sector, Research and

Learning Institutions responding to HIV & AIDS and TB in Kenya.

It is also accredited as a Linking Organization with the International HIV & AIDS Alliance.

Its

mission is to provide leadership, promote collaboration and enhance

capacity among Civil Society organizations (CSOs) and other stakeholders

to respond to HIV & AIDS, TB other public Health concerns at

community level.
 

Guided

by the vision of healthy people, empowered communities, over time KANCO

has evolved to become a premier agency for sensitizing, mobilizing and

promoting collaboration among civil society organizations (CSOs) working

in the region.
 

KANCO in partnership with stakeholders is in the process of organizing the 1st Eastern Africa Harm Reduction Conference. 

The

theme for this year’s conference is ‘Leadership and Innovation in Harm

Reduction in Africa’ and is scheduled to take place from November 15th

to 17th, 2017. There will be a preceding preconference on the 14th

November 2017 focusing on drug use prevention.

Terms of Reference (Conference Organizer)

Introduction: (Conference)

The

first Regional Eastern Africa Harm Reduction Conference (1REAHRC) will

be 2017’s largest Regional Harm Reduction (HR) event. It will bring

together those at the heart of the HR response-from practitioners and

peers to advocate and researchers. 

For

three packed days, presentations, workshop, panel discussion, community

village, networking events and more will be taking place.
 

Being

the first of its kind in Nairobi-Kenya, the event will be hosted at the

Kenya School of Monetary studies (KSMS), along the Thika super highway,

hosted by KANCO and partners from 15th – 17th November 2017.

East

Africa is beginning to adopt a forward looking approach to harm

reduction and drug policies; however, the progress is still slow. 

In

response, the 1REAHRC will help build a world where people benefit from

good policies rooted in dignity, health and human rights.

Participants: The

conference is expected to draw participation from – People who inject

drugs (PWID), implementers, supporters, advocates, researchers in harm

reduction, international participants including drug authorities in

Eastern Africa and high-level ministry and county officials,

representatives of UN agencies and international organizations, eminent

researchers, institutions of higher learning and national drug

authorities, ministries of health.

Conference Objectives:

• To share knowledge and experience in Harm Reduction.


• Inter-sectorial debate to define the value of harm reduction policies in the region and Africa.


• To share different strategies in Harm Reduction programing.


• Creation of action plans to follow-up on outcomes of the conference and reinforce partnerships.


• To mainstream harm reduction discussion among policy makers and institutions.

Expected Outputs:

• A high-level statement from the ministries represented.


• Following-up action plans on harm reduction programming in the Countries represented.


• Partnership for following-up initiatives.


• Regional partnership and networking for harm reduction advocacy.

Background: The

lack of information and related programming, coupled by stigma and

discrimination, criminalization punitive laws, policies, gender violence

especially amongst women who inject drugs (WWID), limitations within

existing health and community systems cumulatively have resulted to a

“hidden” population that is rarely seen, heard and listened to by key

stakeholders. 

The

“hidden” population has over time been unable to access prevention,

treatment and support services, which conventionally were and still are

more responsive towards the general population than to PWID.

In

the context of a lack of accurate data, there is compelling evidence

that the Eastern Africa region is experiencing growing and complex forms

of drug use.  

Community

based organizations and local journalists report increasing trends in

drug use in the region. UNODC reports have suggested that the East

Africa region is a focus for heroin transit, and increasing local

consumption.

 In

particular, such areas as East Coast of Africa (Mombasa, Zanzibar, Dar

es Salaam, Seychelles, Mauritius) increasingly play the role as entry

points of heroin which further gets transported to Europe through

Nairobi and Addis Ababa). 

Whilst

the sea trade is potentially the most significant, air and land routes

are also influential. In combination this creates a volatile and ever

shifting supply of drugs. 

Heroin

is also now in use, reportedly alongside the use of cocaine (as

confirmed by recent pharmacological analysis in Western Kenya,

unpublished data), and potentially in combination. 

High

rates of alcohol, cannabis and Miraa (Khat) use alongside heroin also

accentuate the patterns of risk and vulnerabilities PWID face.

Female

using and injecting drugs in most cases are even more vulnerable as

they are more frequently involved in receptive sharing (using

paraphernalia for injection after male partner), more likely to have a

high risk partner (older and with longer history of drug use), they may

also have multiple partners and frequently are involved in sex work and

transactional sex to receive money or drugs.

Very little data

exists on the gender differences in HIV prevalence, risk practices and

vulnerabilities amongst PWID in Eastern Africa. 

The

absence of this data undermines the potential to create harm reduction

services tailored to the specific needs of women who inject drugs.

People

who inject drugs (PWID) are not widely recognized as a vulnerable group

in need of accessing HIV and TB services within national health

responses. 

Eastern

African governments have been slow to adopt responses to problematic

drug use from a public health issue/human rights perspective which has

resulted in drug policies that violate the human rights of people that

use drugs. 

There

is overwhelming evidence that the criminalization of drug use has been

unable to reduce the supply and demand of illicit drugs. 

Instead,

the criminalization of drug use has made it difficult for people who

use drugs to access services and additionally reduce the risk of HIV and

Hepatitis C transmission.

As a way of taking forward this agenda

and to promote dialogue about drug policy reform and harm reduction,

KANCO will convene a regional conference on harm reduction.

Justification for a Conference Organizer: The planning process for a regional conference has begun in earnest and entails both technical and logistical processes. 

KANCO has set up several committees to oversee various technical aspects of this planning process. 

KANCO has also set up a functional secretariat to facilitate day-to-day coordination of logistics. 

However, there is need to enhance the capacity to handle some aspects of planning and delivery of the conference. 

There is therefore, need to outsource these services through engagement of an experienced conference organizer.
 

The

conference organizer will be expected to provide technical and

logistical support to the regional harm reduction conference 2017 under

the supervision of the Planning Committee Chair.

Key Tasks and Deliverables:

The key tasks and deliverables will be at 3 time points: prior to the conference, during and after the conference.

Before the Conference:

• Train
  
  and coordinate the activities of volunteers to assist with confirming
  
  participant registration, ushering, and distribute conference materials.
  


• Orient volunteers on exhibition requirements and their roles. (Volunteers will be provided by KANCO)


• Prepare
  
  all the materials to be provided to participants during registration
  
  for the conference (All the materials will be provided by KANCO).


• Provide and set up poster boards to be used for poster presentations.


• Communication:
  
  Review the conference’s communication plan, make recommendations for
  
  revision of the plan and work with KANCOs communication department to
  
  execute the revised plan so as to optimize resources for wider reach.


• Organize
  
  and execute the pre-conference media briefing workshop in liaison with
  
  KANCOs Communication Department and the Conference Planning Committee


• Venue
  
  management: In collaboration with the conference planning committee,
  
  brand the conference venue, stage design (screens, PA system/sound,
  
  lighting, décor) in accordance with KANCO branding guidelines. Conduct a
  
  dry-run to ensure that everything is working as planned.


• Presentation
  
  Management: Set up a centralized presentation management system that
  
  will ensure pre-loading of PowerPoint slides a day prior to each session
  

During the conference:

Registration

• Conduct
  
  the registration process and provide registered participants with
  
  conference materials. Supervise the activities of all conference
  
  volunteers including assigning them daily duties accordingly e.g.
  
  manning the registration desks; ushering key guests/panelists/speakers;
  
  manning each session room(including  exhibition space and community
  
  village)


• Providing
  
  logistical support, manage daily sign-in and tracking of conference
  
  participants preferably electronically and provide daily attendance
  
  reports.


• In
  
  collaboration with KANCO finance department facilitate onsite
  
  registration and payment, facilitate completion of soft-copy
  
  certificates and distributing the same to registered participants
  
  electronically (e.g. via USB flash drives)


• In
  
  close consultation with KANCO and the Planning Committee handle all
  
  protocol matters. Organize and execute any media briefing workshops in
  
  liaison with KANCO’s Communication Department and the conference
  
  Planning Committee.


• Supervise
  
  the activities of the videographer/photographer to ensure adequate
  
  capture of all conference proceedings including live and online
  
  streaming to a wider audience in liaison with KANCO Communication
  
  Departments.


• Provide
  
  continuous social media updates as outlined in the revised
  
  communication plan and in liaison with KANCO communication department.


• In
  
  close consultation with KANCO’s Communication Department and the
  
  Conference Planning Committee, organize regular media briefing in line
  
  with the Communication Plan.


• Provide
  
  centralized information service to all participants, speakers and
  
  facilitators on all sessions and venues and any other relevant
  
  information.

Venue Management:

• Prepare
  
  the venue for all scheduled sessions including determining the
  
  appropriate sitting arrangements; ensuring appropriate functioning of
  
  audio-visual (AV) equipment provided at the venue as well as providing
  
  back-up AV/electricity equipment in case of power failure.


• Provide
  
  appropriate signage to ensure free flow of participants in the
  
  different session rooms including coordinating the activities of
  
  ushers/volunteers.


• Making
  
  appropriate preparations for the various ceremonies (opening, awards
  
  and closing), in consultation with the planning committee.

Presentation Management:

• Manage
  
  presentations including liaising with presenters to receive and
  
  pre-loading PowerPoint slides to a centralized system prior to each
  
  session (all presentations to be captured at least a day prior to the
  
  day of presentation); advancing slides during presentations (provide the
  
  necessary equipment e.g. laser pointers) and ensuring appropriate
  
  time-keeping; overseeing sign-language interpretation as appropriate.


• Also ensure flow management during Q&A sessions (live and online).


• Supporting
  
  the work of all rapporteurs in consultation with the chief rapporteur,
  
  including providing them with necessary materials/stationary and
  
  collating summary session reports to ensure a summary of the proceedings
  
  is shared widely.

After the Conference:

• Submit
  
  a final report on the conduct of the conference with regards to
  
  logistics, communication and planning including a final list of
  
  conference participants by day and session as well as coffee-table photo
  
  publication and edited video of the conference proceedings.


• Provide
  
  raw data files/data bases and reports; presentations and posters; and
  
  all un utilized conference materials supported by a reconciliation
  
  report to KANCO conference planning committee and clean up and return
  
  the conference venue to its initial state

Key competencies required

• The
  
  Conference Manager is expected to be a registered firm/company that is
  
  legally allowed to conduct business with Government of Kenya entities.
  
  Required competencies and qualifications:


• The
  
  firm should demonstrate experience organizing and managing large
  
  conferences for at least ten (10) years; with at least two (2)
  
  national/international conferences of at least five hundred (500)
  
  participants having been conducted in the last three (3) years
  
  preferably in the area of scientific research.


• The
  
  individual should provide references and testimonials demonstrating
  
  reliability, dedication and ability to work unsupervised. In addition,
  
  the individual should have competencies in relevant areas including
  
  being a team leader; with at least graduate degree level of training in a
  
  relevant area including information technology and data management with
  
  at least 5 years of experience in managing national/international
  
  conferences, especially those of a scientific nature.


• The
  
  candidate should demonstrate evidence of capacity to manage an
  
  electronic conference management system capable of facilitating the
  
  entire process of registration and tracking of participants, and
  
  feedback processes; that is directly compatible to the existing KANCO
  
  online Registration Database/System.


• The Conference Manager will be engaged between October and November 30th 2017.


• An appropriate representative of the Conference Manager will sit in all the conference Planning Committee meetings.

Event Organizing Road Map

Applications
 

Interested

parties must submit technical and financial proposals, including a

reference (or letter of recommendation)  by 7th October, 2017 via email

to: [email protected]