Request for Proposal: RFP/2020/024

Nansen Award Ceremony Production for the period 2021-2025

Annex A: Terms of Reference

December 2020

Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony Production Terms of Reference

Table of Contents

Introduction Background 3 Statement of Purpose & Objectives 3 Requirements Core requirements 4 Other services required for the performance of the core requirements 4 Obligations toward the customer (UNHCR) 5 Additional relevant information 5 Content of the Technical Offer Company Qualifications 6 Proposed Services 7 Personnel Qualifications 7 Vendor Registration Form 8 Applicable General Conditions 8 Evaluation Technical Evaluation 8 Key Performance Indicators Performance Evaluation 9

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Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony Production Terms of Reference

Introduction

Background

Established in 1954, the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award celebrates the legacy of , a Norwegian scientist, polar explorer, diplomat, and the first High Commissioner for for the (1920-1930).

Few humanitarian honours possess the rich legacy of UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award. Since 1954, more than 60 individuals, groups and organizations have received this award which recognizes outstanding and dedicated work carried out by remarkable individuals, organizations and groups, whose courageous efforts directly benefit the forcibly displaced and stateless persons.

UNHCR works with four partners: the Swiss and Norwegian Governments, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the Ikea Foundation. The monetary prize of USD 150,000 is funded by the Swiss and Norwegian governments.

The Nansen Refugee Award is traditionally presented to the laureate during a high-level and prestigious ceremony, which takes place in , Switzerland, at the beginning of October. The hour-long ceremony is a large and complex production, featuring artists, musical performances, guest speakers, senior UN figures, as well as the projection of films to create an inspiring, moving and celebratory evening. The audience includes high-level ministers and senior diplomats, as well as representatives from UNHCR’s corporate partners and the NGO community, select UNHCR staff, and invited members of the media. It is an event which helps shape dialogue amongst the audience and creates a platform for engagement with the refugee cause.

Statement of Purpose and Objectives

In 2009, UNHCR, together with the Swiss and Norwegian Governments and the Norwegian Refugee Council, relaunched the Nansen Refugee Award project, turning it into an annual event with a strong advocacy platform for the cause of the victims of forced displacement and statelessness. It has now become UNHCR’s flagship external advocacy event, garnering worldwide media attention.

The main objective of the award is to raise awareness of the plight of refugees and displaced persons, by recounting the inspiring story of an unsung hero or heroes who has/have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help those forced to flee their homes due to conflict or human rights abuses. Raising awareness helps to ensure that the issue and pain of forced displacement remains high on global media, social and political agendas, as well as engendering increased advocacy and support (financial and otherwise) for UNHCR.

The Nansen Refugee Award ceremony is hosted at the iconic “Bâtiment des Forces Motrices” building in Geneva. This historic building offers a large reception area and a small theatre which can accommodate an audience of up to 900 persons.

In order to continue delivering a professional awards ceremony, with the possibility of improving and enhancing key aspects, UNHCR is seeking a professional production company or a senior

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Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony Production Terms of Reference

production and events manager, with at least five years of demonstrated experience delivering televised and streamed (virtual) events, specializing in the arts and musical performance, to a very high standard.

The successful service provider must be able to deliver a complete production package, including full stage design, full technical provision (operators and crew), pre- and on site artist and speaker liaison, as well as providing support for all logistical aspects, such as accommodation for, and transportation of, performing artists and the award winners whilst in Geneva.

Furthermore, the successful company or individual must be able to demonstrate their solid and longstanding contacts with production and technical crews in Geneva, excellent client management skills, and show a flexible and creative approach to working with the various UNHCR teams also involved in the award ceremony.

Requirements

Core requirements

In order to ensure year-on-year consistency of this annual flagship event, a frame agreement of five years (3+1+1) is suggested. The project cycle runs from and of April/early May (initial planning meeting) until October. The ceremony itself usually takes place on the Monday of the first week of October, coinciding with the first day of UNHCR’s annual Executive Committee meeting. In the weeks immediately following the ceremony, an evaluation of the whole cycle takes place, to ensure that everyone involved on both sides is aware of what worked and what did not, in order to improve the following year’s event.

The production work requires several pre-production meetings with the UNHCR team (which normally take place at UNHCR’s headquarters in Geneva), as well as several pre-event meetings at the venue. UNHCR and its partners have an expectation of at least 3.5 days of face-to-face planning sessions, as well as regular weekly teleconferences in the last two months’ run up to the event, to ensure attention to detail and confirm that everyone on both sides is working in partnership. Other services required for the performance of the core requirements

In order to deliver a strong and inspiring event, the successful service provider must ensure the provision of a wide range of services, by engaging with reputable and dependable sub- contractors to secure the services listed below. Please note that the successful provider must be able to demonstrate the ability to adapt to a virtual event should external circumstances require it.

 Fully dressed stage  Full stage decorations and artistic and creative suggestion  Sound, lights and rigging  Power and Distro  Large scale, top quality LED screens (the client will provide the films, the service provider will ensure sufficient screens and excellent clarity of sound to show the films)  Stings, titles and graphics  Backstage catering for technical team and artists  Teleprompter and operator, as and where necessary  Backstage relay screens for artists to view the performances

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Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony Production Terms of Reference

 Full top-quality production (including all staff)  Support to deliver a broadcast quality event – with cameras having live stream capacity  Technical and production transportation  Artist and production logistical support  Artist and guest accommodation  Artist and guest local transportation  Artist and guest makeup and hairdressers  All dressing rooms “dressed” and serviced to the level of the artist riders  Artist, guest and UNHCR team liaison  Provision of security (on the day of the event for the artists’ entrance) and first aid coverage during onsite preparations preceding the event as well as on the actual day of the event (in particular provision of a cardio kit)  Full insurance coverage relating to all production staff during onsite preparations preceding the event as well as on the actual day of the event  All the required valid health and safety/risk assessment documents  Event ticketing (upon request)

Obligations toward the customer (UNHCR)

The service provider reports directly to the Nansen Refugee Award co-managers working in the Events, Campaigns and Goodwill Ambassadors Section in UNHCR’s Division of External Relations (DER). The co-managers are supervised and guided by the Chief of the above section.

The service provider will also collaborate closely with other UNHCR teams, including the Goodwill Ambassadors team, the Video Unit and the Social Media Unit within DER.

Additional relevant information

Project co-ordination

The service provider will be expected to manage the complete production needs of the award ceremony, in close co-operation with the UNHCR teams. S/he/they will be expected to brief the UNHCR teams on a regular basis (to be determined with UNHCR) regarding creative ideas, progress and budget/expenditure.

The service provider will be expected to liaise directly with the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award co-managers on a pre-determined timeline to ensure accurate and opportune delivery of the collaborative outputs.

Professionalism

The service provider will be expected to present a detailed budget proposal during the first planning meeting in May. S/he/they will be expected to keep close track of all costs and, in the event of identified discrepancies in costs, will ensure swift consultation (within 24 hours) with the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award co-managers.

Technical assistance

The service provider will be expected to work closely with sub-contractors to ensure that the best possible outputs are delivered as agreed.

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Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony Production Terms of Reference

The service provider will sign separate contracts with each sub-contractor for the contracted work, and will inform all sub-contractors of the ’ VAT exemption status in Switzerland, which is also applicable to UNHCR.

Catering

Upon request, the service provider will be expected to liaise with a UNHCR approved local, Geneva-based catering company with a green and ecological profile.

Ticketing support

Upon request, the service provider will be expected to secure a professional ticketing company.

Timeline/schedule

The planned yearly schedule of the contractual process is as follows:

 Tendering process completed by the end of February 2021  Contracts signed by beginning of March 2021  Project handover and set up completed by March  Project launch by late April  First creative brief and planning meeting May  Outputs gradually delivered from the end of May  Creative meeting June  Pre-ceremony meeting early September  Ceremony early October  Review session mid-October-end November

Bidders are expected to provide a clear timeline of delivery related to each of the deliverables.

Content of the Technical Offer

Company Qualifications

Each bidding entity must provide the following information/documents:

 The company’s registration certificate and last audit reports  A full company profile:

 The year in which the company was founded  If a multi-location company, the location of the company’s headquarters, and the branches that will be involved in the project work with respective founding dates  Number of similar successfully completed projects, as well as number of similar projects currently underway  Full financial record report for the last five years  A list of total number of clients

 Three references from the current client list who may be contact, including at least one from working relationships with UN agencies or NGOs, if available

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Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony Production Terms of Reference

 Proof that the company promotes a green environmental profile, with reduced printed materials and environmental awareness throughout the company’s range of deliverables. This should also be reflected in the sub-contractor companies with whom the company works  Any relevant current or past experience working with UN agencies and NGOs  Proof of registration as a Swiss entity with a branch office in Geneva

Each bidding entity must answer the following questions:

What experience do you/does your company have in delivering a bespoke ceremony production?

Please reference the following in your response:

 Event details  High profile audience  Audience scale  Length of production

How will you/your company ensure delivery of the necessary range of logistical services to support the production?

Please reference the following in your response: hotel arrangements, transportation and overall hospitality support for the high-level artists/performers during their time in Geneva, proof of solid established network of appropriate contacts, and examples of similar successful projects in the past

Proposed Services

Describe how you/your company plan to successfully deliver a full production of the ceremony, including full stage decoration and design, sound, lights and video, screens, production staff and any and all sub-contractors involved – please provide supporting documents/examples

Describe how you/your company plan to engage with high profile artists/performers, whilst ensuring professional, sensitive and discreet client management - please provide supporting documents/examples

Describe how you/your company plan to ensure robust security coverage to, from and at the venue and, upon request, a selected local caterer and ticketing company - please provide supporting documents/examples

Personnel Qualifications

Please indicate the exact composition of your proposed team (project managers, sub- contractors) for this project. Please confirm that:

 you/your company can provide adequately skilled persons able to assume the responsibilities and perform the full range of tasks included in these TORs, and  all the sub-contractors can communicate clearly in both English and French

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Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony Production Terms of Reference UNHCR Vendor Registration Form If you/your company are/is not already registered with UNHCR, please complete, sign, and submit UNHCR’s Vendor Registration Form (Annex C) with your Technical Proposal. Applicable General Conditions Please indicate your acknowledgement of UNHCR’s General Conditions of Contract for the Provision of Services (Annex D) by including it with your Technical Proposal.

Evaluation

Technical Evaluation Your Technical Offer will be evaluated using, inter alia, the following criteria and percentage distribution, and will count for 70% of the total score.

Evaluation Criteria

Part A (maximum score 16.5) Company Qualifications Capacity to undertake contract and ability to deliver on time Capacity and experience to organize similar events References from current and former clients, including UN agencies and NGOs Total score for Part A Part B (maximum score 25.5) Quality of Services Comprehensiveness and clarity of the submitted proposal Quality of the technical part Quality of recommendations and proposal Total score for Part B Minimum required total score A+B = 25 Part C (maximum score 18) C1. Project staff Seniority and experience of the staff assigned to the project and applicable references Sub-total for Part C1 C2. Quality of Part C1 Examples of event management Quality of the presentation delivered by short-listed suppliers Sub-total for Part C2 Total score for Part C TOTAL SCORE: Maximum 60; minimum 36

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Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony Production Terms of Reference

UNHCR will draw up a shortlist of offers from the submissions received, based on the minimum score required (Part A and Part B) as per the above table. Shortlisted bidders will be expected to conduct a demo presentation. This will normally last approximately one hour, be conducted via Webex, and will be followed by a Q&A session. Only those bidders with technically compliant proposals may advance to the Financial Evaluation phase.

Key Performance Indicators

Performance Evaluation

The ceremony is the most visible and memorable element of the Nansen Refugee Award project. Its goal is to translate the winner’s story - and the global refugee or statelessness story - into a compelling one- hour ceremony.

Definition of success: Delivery of a technically-sound, high quality and exceptional ceremony which honours an unsung hero or heroes, and meaningfully engages the audience, inspiring them to become advocates for the winner and/or the refugee cause.

In order to achieve the objectives mentioned above, it is crucial to deliver a professional and polished award ceremony to both garner and expand stakeholder support.

This will be measured in terms of:

 An inspiring and high-quality professional stage production or a top line virtual event  Seamless transitions on stage  Excellent technical support via teleprompter, sufficient microphones, screens, sound  Production of high-quality video footage of the ceremony  Professional, courteous and discreet management of artists, working closely with UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassador Team

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