EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR SEXUAL MEDICINE An invitation to tender to provide Permanent Secretariat Services The European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM) is a not-for-profit, multidisciplinary, academic and scientific organization dedicated to male and female sexual function and dysfunction. It is also the premier scientific society for health professionals working in the rapidly developing field of Sexual Medicine. It has over 1700 members from almost every European country, from the Atlantic to the Urals. It has 24 affiliated national Societies and is itself affiliated to the International Society for Sexual Medicine. The Objects of ESSM are to promote and encourage the highest standards of practice, education, training and research in the field of Sexual Medicine. In order to reach its Objects, ESSM requires a professional organization taking care of the Secretariat burden and related activities, in keeping with this Service Level Agreement which describes the core activities required by the European Society for Sexual Medicine (hereafter referred to as "ESSM" or "the Society") from its Secretariat Service Provider. 1. Principles We agree the following principles: 1.1 The Secretariat will be committed to supporting the aims of the Society and furthering its interests as a core ethos. 1.2 The Secretariat and Executive Committee should work in full cooperation in supporting the aims of the Society and furthering its interests. 2 Services/activities to be provided 2.1 Membership services The Secretariat will receive process and resolve enquiries from members and prospective members regarding the Society's activities. Membership Data: The Secretariat will maintain a register of members of the society. This database should be compiled in an accessible format, such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Subscriptions New Members: The Secretariat will receive applications for new membership by post or e-mail, obtain references where required, and receive and bank subscription payments, by cheque or credit card. This process will be specified in more detail in a separate protocol. Existing Members: The Secretariat will issue invoices, receive, process and collect payment for renewal of existing membership applications, and bank payments for the Society. Provision will be made for existing members to continue their subscription by annual automated credit transfer. Otherwise, the Secretariat will send members an invoice
for their annual subscription one month before the due date. This communication may be sent electronically. The Secretariat will send a reminder to those members who have not paid one month after the due date, and notice of termination of their membership three months after the due date. These communications will be sent by post. Journals provided as a benefit for members: The Secretariat will, according to the prevailing instructions of the EC, provide a list of mailing addresses, in the form of an Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, to specified journal publishers. 2.2 Support to the Officers and Executive Committee President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Society: The Secretariat will provide administrative and secretarial support for the Officers of the Society, whilst they are engaged in the Executive Committee: The Secretariat will provide administrative and secretarial support for the members of the EC, whilst they are engaged in the 2.3 Support to ad hoc Committees of ESSM The Secretariat will provide administrative and secretarial support for the members of ad hoc Committees whilst they are engaged in the 2.4 Support to the Scientific Committee The Secretariat will provide administrative and secretarial support for the members of the Scientific Committee, whilst they are engaged in the Scientific Meetings: The Secretariat will work in co-operation with any other organization contracted by the Society to facilitate the organization of its Scientific Meetings. 2.5 Publications Website: The Secretariat will work in co-operation with any other organization contracted by the Society to facilitate the production of its website. Newsletter: The Secretariat will work in co-operation with any other organization contracted by the Society to facilitate the publication of its newsletter, ESSM Today. 2.6 External Relations Affiliated Sexual Medicine Societies in Europe: The Secretariat will receive and process, according to a policy determined by the EC, applications for affiliation to the Society from other Sexual Medicine Societies in Europe. It will work in co-operation with such other Societies as may become affiliated to facilitate and further the aims of ESSM. International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM): The Secretariat will work in co-operation with properly-appointed representatives of ISSM,
according to a policy determined by the EC, in order to facilitate and further the aims of ESSM. Other Professional Bodies: The Secretariat will work in co-operation with properly-appointed representatives of other Professional Bodies, according to a policy determined by the EC, in order to facilitate and further the aims of ESSM. 2.7 Financial Services The Secretariat will assist the Treasurer and his properly-appointed financial advisers in managing the financial affairs of the Society, and in preparing and maintaining its accounts. 2.8 Governance The Secretariat will assist the EC in monitoring all activities of the Society, including their own, and will use all reasonable means to ensure that probity is maintained. To facilitate this process, the Secretariat will maintain records of Society activities and copies of all official correspondence sent and received. It will act to maintain the reputation and good name of the Society, to protect is financial and physical assets, and immediately report any matter that may be prejudicial to the Society's interests to the President, Secretary, Treasurer, or members of the EC, as appropriate. It will provide an annual report on governance issues to the EC. 3 Service Provision 3.1 The Service will be provided by the following staff: Responsible for (Project Leader) all the services and will act directly with the Society for the services specified under item 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 3.5. 3.6. 3.7 Other operational Staff who will be in charge of the activities specified under item 2.1 and support the Project Leader in the execution of the services specified under the items 2.2 2.8 3.3 3.4 and in the fulfillment of their tasks: Administrative and Finance Department ITD Web Services - Maintenance (DHL, Postage, Couriers, delivery ect.) Accommodation and Booking Department Ticketing Department. 3.2 The Secretariat office will have a postal mailing address and be equipped with a telephone and fax, with numbers for exclusive use of ESSM, and also have internet access for e-mail. e-mail hosting and Secretariat e-mail addresses will be provided by ESSM. 3.3 The Secretariat will be staffed from 09.30 17.30, Monday to Friday, excluding Public Holidays in the country where the Secretariat is located. During those hours, a member of the Secretariat staff will be available to answer telephone enquiries, and receive fax and e-mail communications. It is essential that the staff member receiving enquiries shall speak English fluently.
3.4 The Secretariat staff should deal with routine matters, such as enquiry about membership, subscriptions, meetings and other services, within agreed protocols and without reference to the Officers of the Society. Where the enquiry is for the specific attention of an Officer, the Secretariat should, where appropriate, forward the enquiry to the Officer concerned and ensure that they have confirmation of its receipt within a reasonable period. If the matter is beyond the immediate competence of the Secretariat to manage, they should make contact with the appropriate Officer and request further instructions. 3.5 The Secretariat will, on instruction from the President or Secretary, arrange meetings of the Executive Committee. The Secretariat will be responsible for circulating possible and agree the final date for EC meetings, booking the venue, preparing and circulating the agenda, and processing travel, accommodation and subsistence claims for those attending. A member of staff from the Secretariat may be asked to attend EC meetings. The Secretariat will provide a similar service for meetings of other ESSM committees, on the instruction of the committee chairman or secretary. A member of staff from the Secretariat will not normally be asked to attend other committee meetings. 3.6 The Secretariat will provide administrative and secretarial support to the Officers and EC members, whilst they are engaged in the 3.7 The Secretariat will provide administrative and secretarial support to properly-constituted sub-committees ( ad-hoc ) of the Society, whilst they are engaged in the The business of the Society is strictly confidential and the Secretariat will employ all reasonable means to maintain that confidentiality. This will involve the Secretariat taking all reasonable security precautions to protect the Society's physical and electronic documents and other resources, both physical and intellectual. In particular, the Secretariat will maintain back-up copies of all databases, compiled on a daily basis, and store them securely, so that they are available should the primary record be lost through theft or physical damage to equipment. 4 Duration of the Agreement The agreement should be effective from 01/01/2012 until 31/12/2014. It may be reviewed and renewed for a further period by mutual agreement. 5 Cost of Service The cost of the services provided should be presented as follow: Professional Annual Management Fee The following Annual Professional Management Fees apply. These fees are based on a one-year contract and are subjected to the current VAT rate. A. Administrative costs
As described in section 2 and 3 to include all staff time and office space facilities and utilities. Equipment charges do not apply. It also includes 15-days on site-presence of a AIM staff member during ESSM meetings B. Financial Management To include bookkeeping and financial management as described in the document. Total A+B= Euro: The above fee consists of the remuneration for staff covering know-how, labour and general overhead and exclude VAT where applicable. The professional Annual Management Fee excludes all costs to third parties such as communication, travel, postage, printed matters, meeting costs, interests, etc. These costs will be based on pre-agreed budgeted cost items and are charged at cost price either as direct costs to third parties or as out-ofpocket costs. Unit price charges for specific items are: Photocopies per page Personalised stationary Small stationary Postage and couriers Telephone charges (including telephone and fax) Bank expenses Credit card charges AMEX, Mastercard and Visa Notebook to be used during ESSM meetings Availability of 1 meeting room for ESSM Meetings (capability up to 60 people) at CONGRESS offices CONGRESS travel expenses would be charged at cost on the following basis (unless otherwise agreed) On-site presence of 1 CONGRESS staff member (exceeding the 15 days included in the Administrative costs fee) 6 Deadlines etc All bids should be submitted in English language to the ESSM Secretary General in electronic format and at the following email address: sonksen@mail.dk by August 31 st 2011. You may find it helpful to review the ESSM website, www.essm.org, in order to get a deeper insight of the ESSM and its activities. Should you require any further information, please contact Lavinia Ricci or Daniela Pajola at admin@essm.org.