Tender Summary: Protocol and Diplomatic Practice Training

Objectives

The primary objective is to enhance the professional representation and operational capabilities of eighteen SANSA employees through targeted training in international protocol and diplomatic practices. The programme aims to standardise institutional etiquette, improve cross-cultural engagement, and equip staff with the competencies required to manage high-level official interactions effectively.

Scope

The project comprises a structured two-day training programme hosted at SANSA’s Hartebeesthoek operations facility. The curriculum encompasses:

• Introduction to protocol and foundational diplomatic principles
• Diplomatic etiquette and intercultural communication strategies
• Planning and execution of official visits and high-level engagements
• Ceremonial and event protocol management
• Protocol documentation, correspondence, and record-keeping
• Protocol application within multilateral organisations, government, and corporate environments
• Analysis of contemporary challenges in modern diplomatic practice

The training must blend theoretical instruction with practical simulations. All participating employees will receive formal certificates of completion upon successful attendance. The service provider must be capable of delivering the programme within one week of purchase order issuance.

Technical Requirements

• Provider Qualification: The bidding entity must exclusively be a South African public university.
• Facilitator Credentials: The lead facilitator must hold recognised training certification, possess substantial practical experience in South African protocol and diplomatic relations, and be a South African citizen by naturalisation.
• Submission Documentation: Bids must include the facilitator’s identity document, curriculum vitae, academic/professional qualifications, a detailed course overview, and a sample training manual.
• Regulatory Compliance: The bidder must be registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) with a verified compliant tax status.
• Evaluation Methodology: Contracts valued up to R1 million (VAT inclusive) will be assessed using an 80/20 preference points system, where eighty percent of scoring is based on price and twenty percent on designated socio-economic transformation targets.

Skills Requirements

The appointed facilitator must demonstrate expert-level mastery of diplomatic protocol, ceremonial management, and intercultural diplomacy. Essential competencies include the ability to design and deliver interactive theoretical and practical modules, contextualise diplomatic standards for governmental and corporate settings, conduct participant assessments, and authorise formal completion certificates. Strong instructional delivery, subject-matter authority, and administrative precision are mandatory.

Explanation of Unusual or Complicated Terms

• 80/20 Preference Points System: A standard South African public procurement evaluation framework where 80 points are awarded based on competitive pricing and 20 points are granted for meeting specific transformation criteria, such as majority black ownership, black women ownership, or black youth ownership.
• Central Supplier Database (CSD): The mandatory national registry maintained by the South African government for all entities seeking to contract with state organs. Compliance requires verified company registration and active tax clearance status.
• Fronting: A criminal offence under the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act involving the misrepresentation of ownership or control to unlawfully secure preferential procurement benefits. It carries severe legal penalties including fines and imprisonment.
• Supplier Development Programme (SDP): A government initiative designed to improve financial sustainability for historically disadvantaged small enterprises (EMEs and QSEs) by mandating accelerated payment cycles for contracted services.