Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to procure the provision of augmentary Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) services for employees of the City of Cape Town. The services aim to support employees and their dependents in managing psychosocial, personal, and domestic issues through a comprehensive, accessible, and professional support system.

Scope

The scope includes the delivery of a wide range of EAP services over a contract period of 36 months, covering:

• A 24/7/365 call centre for initial assessments and referrals.
• Short-term counselling services (up to 6 sessions per client/year) in various formats including face-to-face, telephonic, and digital platforms.
• Trauma support services, including containment, debriefing, and management planning, available during and outside working hours.
• Life management services such as legal, financial, health, and family support.
• Management support, reporting, and data analytics to monitor service delivery and quality.
• Marketing, promotional activities, and logistical support for related events.
• Provision of services to a diverse, geographically dispersed employee base of approximately 34,000 permanent employees, with an extended capacity of 45,000 including non-permanent staff and dependents.

Technical Requirements

The technical scope mandates:

• A fully operational call centre with skilled, registered professionals, capable of handling multiple communication channels (telephone, WhatsApp, email, videoconferencing, SMS) in all 12 South African official languages.
• Availability of the call centre 24/7/365 with a minimum uptime of 99%, and response times for requests and complaints as specified.
• Provision of face-to-face counselling within a 20 km radius of client locations, with qualified clinicians available for short-term interventions (max 6 sessions).
• Trauma services including immediate containment, debriefing within 48 hours, and ongoing management support, available during and outside working hours.
• Digital and social media platforms for service delivery, marketing, and client engagement.
• Robust data collection, reporting, and analytics systems that are flexible to accommodate future data requirements, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with POPIA.
• Adherence to health and safety, confidentiality, and professional standards, with qualified clinicians registered with relevant statutory bodies.

Skills Requirements

The tenderer must demonstrate:

• Extensive experience (minimum 10 years preferred) in providing comprehensive EAP services to large organizations.
• Proven capability to operate a multi-channel call centre with a high volume of client interactions in multiple languages.
• Qualified and registered clinicians (psychologists, social workers, nurses) with expertise in trauma, short-term counselling, and psychosocial support.
• Technical expertise in digital communication platforms, data analytics, and reporting tools.
• Capacity to manage a geographically dispersed workforce, including sufficient staffing levels (minimum 150 clinical staff), verified through independent audit reports.
• Strong project management and marketing skills to promote services and ensure ongoing engagement.
• Compliance with all legal, health, safety, and confidentiality standards, including POPIA.