Tender specifications

3.4.Specific provisions concerning documentation produced for the contracting authorities

All the documentation produced under this contract shall be considered to have been drawn up specifically for the contracting authorities. These entities will have sole copyright to all this documentation.

The tenderers are asked to indicate in their tender whether they intend to use source documentation other than that provided by the contracting authorities. If so, they should supply a detailed list of their nature and purpose.

3.5.Target audience

The services to be provided under this contract are intended for all the staff of the contracting authorities using the numerous internal information systems covered by the training. This potential audience may be estimated at around 10 000 persons (in recent years the annual number of participants of training courses has been between 3 000 and 4 000). This annual figure is not expected to increase by more than 20% in the future.

The European institutions make up a multicultural and multilingual organisation in which diversity is valued in itself and as a key factor in ensuring organisational effectiveness. It follows that although efforts will be made at all times to ensure that the groups of participants are structured and uniform, it must be borne in mind that some groups may be made up of people with diverse levels of financial knowledge. The courses offered are intended for both experts and beginners, i.e. both for recent arrivals with limited knowledge of the regulations and/or of the financial information systems, and for experienced financial players used to handling complex and exceptional situations, whatever their knowledge of computer systems. Trainers must be prepared to respond to queries calling into question the rules or the design of the user software. They must endeavour as far as possible to give satisfactory explanations while emphasising at all times the need to apply the rules and use the software correctly and, if necessary, providing feedback to the IT developers and/or the departments responsible for drawing up the financial regulations.

Similarly, trainers should bear in mind the rank and/or workload of certain participants so as to be aware of the time constraints imposed on them by attendance at the courses. They should as far as possible display patience and understanding of the circumstances of each participant. Evidently this respect must be mutual and the trainers cannot be expected to have the same knowledge of all areas as the participants. In their explanations, trainers should demonstrate familiarity with the specific use of the financial information systems. Any problem going beyond the scope of their role or competence should be passed on to DG Budget.

In addition, when designing and delivering the training, it is necessary to take account of the fact that most people will follow the activities in languages other than their mother tongue.

Lastly, the institutions have a long-established policy of equal opportunities at work for men and women.

It is therefore essential for general and specific questions of diversity to be clearly taken into consideration when designing and presenting the training activities that are the subject of this tender.

The tenders should indicate clearly how these aspects are to be handled.

4.Duration and timetable

The current contract expires on 31 March 2012. Orders may therefore be made under this contract until the expiry date. To ensure a smooth transition, these orders may be for training to be delivered until the end of 2012 or beyond. However, any order to be performed after 31 March 2012 will come under the new contract.

This contract is expected to be awarded in the first quarter of 2012. In this case, provision of the training and development activities could begin in the second quarter of 2012. This timetable is provisional and does not represent a commitment on the part of the contracting authorities.

The contract will cover an initial period of one year from the date of signature and will be renewable for three further periods of one year each. The Commission must give official notification in the event of renewal of the contract.

The Commission explicitly reserves the right not to renew the contract.

5.Place of performance

Classroom training for staff of the Commission and of the executive agencies will be organised chiefly in the Commission's premises in Brussels and Luxembourg. However, orders may be made for training to be delivered at other Commission sites. In these cases, the cost of travel and subsistence incurred by the Contractor will be reimbursed in line with Commission policy (see Articles I.3.4 and II.18 and Annex VI to the draft contract in Annex 1).

For staff of the Community agencies, depending on specific needs and constraints, classroom training will be organised either in the Commission's premises or in specific premises of the agencies in question, duly equipped. For all classroom training provided in sites other than Brussels or Luxembourg, the cost of travel and subsistence incurred by the Contractor will be reimbursed in line with Commission policy (see Articles I.3.4 and II.18 and Annex VI to the draft contract in Annex 1).

For staff of the other institutions, classroom training will be organised chiefly in the premises of these institutions. However, requests may be made for training at other sites. In these cases, the cost of travel and subsistence incurred by the Contractor will be reimbursed in line with Commission policy (see Articles I.3.4 and II.18 and Annex VI to the draft contract in Annex 1).

Classroom training may also be organised in premises made available by the contractor to the contracting authorities at the contractor's expense.

Orders must indicate the place in which the work must be performed.

Project, follow-up or evaluation meetings will normally be held in the premises of the contracting authorities at the above-mentioned sites.

Preparation, updating and modification of course documentation or material will be carried out chiefly in the offices of the contracting authorities in Brussels. A suitable office will be made available to the contractor for this purpose at the Brussels site. If the need arises and if there are specific requests from entities located at a distance, some preparation meetings may be held at other sites. In these cases too, the cost of travel and subsistence incurred by the Contractor will be reimbursed in line with Commission policy (see Annex VI to the draft contract in Annex 1).