Facilitator for the advanced expert UPU (Universal Postal Union) workshop in DRM area (Basic DRM part)

Profile of the UPU 

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) was founded in 1874 in Berne, Switzerland, with the main goals of establishing a single postal territory for the reciprocal exchange of letter-post items and adopting common principles for the international postal service in a non-discriminatory manner. Currently comprising 192 member countries, the UPU became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1948.

The main mission of the UPU is to stimulate the lasting development of efficient and accessible universal postal services of quality, in order to facilitate communication between the inhabitants of the world. It does this by guaranteeing the free circulation of items over a single postal territory composed of interconnected networks, encouraging the adoption of fair common standards and the use of technology, ensuring cooperation and interaction among stakeholders, promoting effective technical cooperation, and ensuring the satisfaction of customers’ changing needs. The UPU is thus expected to play a major role in the continued revitalization of postal services. 

Furthermore, the UPU facilitates the development of worldwide postal services by providing an information and communication technology framework that allows the designated operators of UPU member countries to concentrate on the delivery of postal services to their customers. In this context, the UPU provides a global network with value-added services, as well as computerized applications for the management of international mail and international postal money orders.

Background

In recent years, the world has experienced many disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, landslides and pandemics. The postal sector is not immune to the impact of such events and has been severely affected by a number of natural disasters, which have destroyed infrastructure and caused interruptions to postal services. Strengthening the resilience of infrastructures is a key concern and objective not only for the postal sector, but also for the international community, and is an integral component of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

The 26th Congress of the UPU decided to pursue the UPU’s efforts to raise awareness of disaster risk reduc­tion and disaster risk management with a view to assisting UPU member countries in implementing and enhancing measures to face the increasing challenges of disasters that threaten the postal sector.

In order to reinforce the DRM capabilities of designated operators, the UPU implemented regional onsite training workshops in two regions in 2019. Following to two onsite workshops, the UPU implemented 4 online regional workshops.

In 2023, the UPU will create the certification mechanism to provide a standardized framework for disaster risk readiness. The UPU will implement one global workshop and 6 regional workshops to share knowledge regarding DRM including the certification mechanism in postal sector and foster experts to implement the certification mechanism in the future.

The UPU IB will introduce to implement the certification in DRM after a series of workshops and the certification should be criteria for selection of DRF, Disaster Risk Fund, project.

Concept for the advanced expert workshop

The UPU will foster advanced expert in the disaster risk management area in the postal sector through the advance expert workshop. Participants of the advanced expert workshop will be certified as advanced expert after the advanced expert workshop. The advanced expert will facilitate regional workshops when the UPU hold regional workshops in Asia Pacific, Caribbean region, Africa English speaking area, Africa French speaking area, Arab and Latin America in 2024 and 2025.

Description of the services

Preparation for the workshop

The Contractor shall prepare for the advanced expert workshop to create materials based on the UPU DRM Guide. (Please refer to yellow highlighted on annex 1.) The Contractor can refer to the previous materials. (Please ask the UPU, drm@upu.int, to send.)

https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/postalSolutions/capacityBuilding/disasterRiskManagement/DRM-Guide-English2020.pdf

the Contractor shall draft materials for regional workshops which will follow to the advanced expert workshop. Regional workshops will be held for Africa English speaking region, Asia Pacific and Caribbean region by onsite and Africa French speaking region, Arab and Latin America by onsite. Onsite regional workshops will be maximum 4 days and online regional workshops will be minimum each 3 hours for 3 days.

Workshops on-site/onlin implementation phase

 The Contractor shall facilitate the Basic DRM part of the workshop and coordinate with the UPU, other facilitators and participants to contribute the workshop.

The Contractor shall share materials for regional workshops to brush up materials for regional workshops.

The Contractor shall survey participants comment, questions and opinions.

Follow up the workshop

The Contractor shall brush up materials for regional workshops.

The Contractor shall submit final report to the UPU including the survey from participants.

Requirements for the Contractor

The Contractor shall demonstrate as follows:

• Proven experience in the successful delivery of DRM projects in English;
• An understanding of national, regional and international DRM strategies and policies;
• Experience of developing business continuity plans, DRM plans and other relevant documents;
• Experience of developing disaster-related training and curricula;
• Experience of evaluating or measuring the effectiveness of training;
• Experience in working with United Nations entities, including the UPU and/or other intergovernmental organizations in the DRM sector;
• Experience of working in the postal sector; and 
• Computer literacy, including MS Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Work schedule and expected deliverables

The Services shall be provided by the Contractor on an output-based work plan basis. The Contractor shall perform the following activities and complete the following deliverables in accordance with the schedule below:

Deliverables (see Table in  Annex_0)

Estimated project start date: 18 December 2023

1 Preparation

• Materials for the advanced expert workshop
• Draft materials for regional workshops
• Survey form
• Confirm all materials which are translated in French and Spanish 

Deliverable by 2 February 2024

2 The advanced expert workshop

• Facilitate the workshop
• Tentative result of the survey
• Tentative feedback report

Deliverable by 15 March 2024

3 Follow up and final report

• Submit the final report
• Submit materials for regional workshops 

Deliverable by  31 March 2024

Application requirements and budget

The Contractor shall submit: 

•  Copy of your CV 
• 5 PPT slides for demonstration for facilitating workshop regarding UPU -DRM Guide
• a detailed phase-by-phase budget, based on daily rates and time allocations for the relevant consultant(s). It excludes travel fee (flight tickect, daily subsistence, etc.) for on-site missions.  Quotation shall be submitted using Annex 2 form.

Maximum allocated budget would not exceed 10,000 CHF.