GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTERESTS

DATE OF ISSUE: 9^TH APRIL 2024

CONSULTING SERVICES FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING FOR FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES IN THE HOSPITALITY, TOURISM AND RELATED SECTORS

 FIRM SELECTION SL-MOFED-418697-CS-CQS

Sierra Leone possesses pristine beaches and islands, mountains and rich biodiversity, interesting wildlife, friendliness and rich cultural capital among people and its special place in the world history of anti-slavery movement as ‘the land of the free.’ The Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) has officially prioritized tourism in the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2019 -2023. The National Tourism Policy states the goal of tourism in Sierra Leone as to “generate foreign exchange, encourage even development, promote tourism-based rural enterprises, generate employment, accelerate rural-urban integration and foster socio-cultural unity among the various regions of the country through the promotion of domestic and international tourism.” (GoSL, 2017). Its National Ecotourism Policy states the goal of receiving 20,000 international and 30,000 domestic ecotourism visits to sites by 2025 (GoSL, 2017).

The World Bank is supporting an Economic Diversification Project, one of the components of which will take an integrated destination approach to improving the performance of Sierra Leone’s tourism sector. This will include facilitating the reduction of barriers to business success, assisting existing tourism providers with market access, and improving the quality of selected tourism products in order to place the country’s tourism sector on a sustainable and inclusive growth trajectory.  This will be achieved through a mix of institutional, and policy reforms, market development and national re-branding as well as building B2B linkages and strategically developing tourism products.

Over the period of 2016-2019, significant achievements were made in terms of increasing the number of domestic and international visitors to Sierra Leone. While COVID-19 initially caused a decline in visitation, there is evidence that the tourism sector is rebounding. To prepare and increase the market readiness of the tourism sector to meet the expectations of the increasing number of international and domestic visitors travelling throughout Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Tourism & Cultural Affairs (MoTCA) and National Tourist Board (NTB) have identified the need to develop and implement an Explore Freedom branded service excellence training throughout the tourism and hospitality sector.

A good service experience that builds trust with customers is the best differentiating factor for any business or destination. Travellers want to feel safe yet still have an enjoyable experience – whether they are visiting a destination for business or leisure. Service management offers many useful tools for destinations, business, and tourism professionals to think more strategically about their operations, build processes with their customers’ needs and best interests in mind, and connect with other stakeholders along the tourism value chain. If approached strategically, an Explore Freedom branded service excellence training will help participants create new service propositions and valuable experiences, while still keeping their customers safe.

1. Objectives of the Assignment

There are three primary objectives for the training and mentorship programme:

1. To empower Sierra Leoneans to become brand ambassadors by training 200 front-line employees in service excellence and management in the public and private sectors that are involved in tourism, hospitality, and related sectors, including airport staff, airport transfer employees, taxi drivers, restaurant and lodging staff, guides, artisans, tourism SMEs, customs and immigration officials and other personnel at land, air, and sea borders, etc.
2. To develop a training programme that can be tailored to different audiences and used on an ongoing basis by the MoTCA and NTB and provide hands-on training to new and up-and-coming trainers and established tourism-related businesses so that the trainings can be scaled up and utilised throughout Sierra Leone beyond the time horizon of the project.
3. To improve visitor satisfaction resulting in increased and repeat visitation to Sierra Leone through word-of-mouth, referral-based, and peer-to-peer marketing.

These objectives will be achieved by completing a rapid assessment and developing and implementing an Explore Freedom branded service excellence training.

2. Scope of Work

The project will consist of two primary activities:

1. Rapid Needs Assessment. To inform the new training programme, the consultancy will review and complete a rapid desk assessment of the current customer service training curriculum provided by NTB and any participant evaluations that have been completed and will complete more in-depth research on the Explore Freedom Service Excellence Best Practice Examples that have been identified by MoTCA and NTB. The consultancy will also complete a review of the National Marketing and Branding Strategy and on-line travel rating platforms (e.g., TripAdvisor, Google, Booking.com) to understand Sierra Leone’s source markets and market segments and their view of existing tourism products and services. The consultants will also hold consultations with the private sector to better understand the skills gap in terms of customer service.

The rapid needs assessment will include the identification and incorporation of the Sierra Leonean/Krio values into the training programme, which include but may not be limited to friendliness, hospitality and freedom. In addition, the MoTCA and NTB staff, travel trade managers, and professional trainers that are qualified and equipped to be trained as trainers and the trainees that will participate in the first cohorts will be identified and selected through the rapid needs assessment.

The consultancy will then present the findings of the rapid needs assessment in an inception report and recommend the learning objectives and syllabus inclusive of the soft and hard skills development in the areas of service excellence and management to be implemented through the training programme. The inception report will also detail a fair and competitive process for selecting trainees. This should include application forms with specific criteria for priority training. At a minimum, the course should cover:

• Service management tools and techniques that will help any tourism professional or business improve their customer focus and make their processes more efficient
• Visitor care and service management, customer service standards and service excellence, including international awareness, reliability, personal hygiene, basic knowledge about Sierra Leone, and managing expectations, especially when things do not go according to plan
• Specific industry cases and examples will introduce practical applications of these methods
• The opportunity for participants to discuss their own challenges, network and learn from each other, and apply their new knowledge to group and individual exercises
• Basic business management as it relates to the importance of customer service and its impact on repeat patronage, word-of-mouth marketing, financial solvency, etc.

1. Development and Provision of the Training Program. The consultancy will develop and implement a 5 day Explore Freedom Service Excellence customer service training for frontline employees within the hospitality, tourism and related sectors in the urban and rural parts of the Western Area and in all 14 districts. The course will be designed to be catered to the needs of difference audiences (e.g., taxi drivers, frontline restaurant and lodging staff, customs and immigration officials, etc.). Course materials will include learning objectives, instructor’s manual and guidelines, practical exercises/handouts, PowerPoint presentations, course workbooks and handouts and post course evaluations. The learning objectives considered by the consultants may include but may not be limited to:

• Understanding why customer experience management is important, the import differences between being an exceptional host vs serving visitors, the linkages between service excellence and the destination’s values, and how the COVID crisis affected customer needs and industry process requirements
• Understanding the interconnection of their business within the overall tourism value chain, understanding Sierra Leone’s target markets, market segments, and their expectations, and demonstrating the ability to apply customer journey mapping to their business
• Understanding visitor care and service management and demonstrating how to address any gaps in service management in their businesses (i.e., not knowing what customers expect, not having the right service design, not delivering to the design, and not communicating expectations correctly)
• Learning how to balance the customers’ need for safety and security with a positive customer experience

MoTCA will host the trainings, including identifying and securing training venues and a/v equipment, securing and convening participants, and providing lunch and refreshments. The consultancy will then post complete pre-course participant needs assessments and use them to inform the delivery of 10 to 15 trainings involving up to 20 trainees in each location. The training programmes will be delivered in English and Krio, and the consultancy leading a process will help each participant achieve the learning objectives.

The training programme will also include the training of at least three (3) local trainers. The trainers to be trained will be selected based on their qualifications and experience and will be trained to become master trainers through a multi-stage process involving, for example, shadowing, co-leading trainings and leading trainings under the guidance, mentorship, and management of the consultancy.

Upon completion of the trainings, the consultancy will complete post course evaluations and provide participants who successfully complete the course with certificates of completion.

To maximise participation, the programme will be promoted via a multimedia campaign led by MTCA/NTB with the trainings initially offered at no cost in key locations. The consultancy will provide a programmatic implementation plan including a revenue model with recommendations for MTCA/NTB to charge nominal fees for participation in the course over time so that the programme becomes cost neutral.

3. Deliverables and Timeline

The project timeline is from July 2023 to June 2024 with the trainings beginning as soon as September 2023. The firm will submit the following deliverables while carrying out the tasks listed above:

Reporting

The consultant will report to the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs (MoTCA) as the lead beneficiary, the National Tourist Board, and any other stakeholders recommended by the GoSL.

The consultant will produce two (2) simply and clearly written reports of a maximum 10 pages each excluding annexes. The reports and any executive briefings will summarize the findings and/or results and will include infographics, key metrics and recommendations for the committee and the MoTCA.

4. Criteria for selection

The consulting firm or cooperative of trainers are expected to fulfill, at minimum, the following selection criteria. The team should include at least three (3) members with extensive experience in the following areas amongst them:

1. Documented experience of up to five (5) years in organizing, developing, and implementing service excellence/customer service and other tourism-related trainings among tourism professionals and stakeholders particularly in West Africa and optimally in Sierra Leone
2. Documented knowledge and experience in organizing and implementing the training of trainers and developing thematic training course materials
3. Documented expertise and professional experience in vocational education and education for sustainable tourism development
4. Documented curriculum for delivering tourism training courses that support soft and hard skill development
5. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Krio

If the firm does not have the requisite experience establishing such service training that is required, they will need to hire an international consultant that has the requisite experience.

The minimum team leader competencies required are as follows:

Team Leader

• Bachelor’s degree tourism, hospitality or one or more related field
• Up to five (5) years of experience in tourism (or a related field), MSME development, business planning, management, and marketing
• Previous successful experience in developing and implementing customer service and service excellence training programmes is essential
• Previous successful experience in developing tourism or related field training programnes and developing and delivering learning objectives, presentations, handouts, and trainer and trainee training manuals for tourism (or a related discipline) training courses is highly desired
• Strong experience and abilities for training MSMEs and trainers and mentoring trainees is desired
• Experience in Africa is necessary and experience in West Africa is a plus
• Outstanding organizational and leadership skills
• Proven track record in managing a team of tourism (or a related discipline) trainers and/pr training experts, supervising and coordinating technical aspects of the project, ensuring good client communication
• Immediate availability

The team must also include at least two trainers with excellent Kiro and knowledge of the tourism sites included, with additional competencies in the following areas:

• Professional qualifications and background in tourism vocational education
• Experience in conducting and implementing capacity assessments and development initiatives
• Experience in providing mentorship and facilitating trainings, meetings and/or events on leadership and confidence building
• Excellent knowledge of tourism development, markets, and trends
• Ability to work with a diverse group of people, both independently and as part of a team
• Excellent writing, organizational, and task management skills

Mode of Application

The Project Fiduciary Management Unit of Ministry of Finance now invites eligible firms to express their interest in providing the services. The firm should provide information demonstrating having the required relevant qualification and experience for the assignment.  The Consulting firm will be selected in accordance with Consultant’s Qualification-based Selection method set out in the Consultant Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IDA Grants by World Bank Borrowers, (July 2016, Revised November 2017,2018 and fourth edition 2020). The evaluation shall be based on the relevant qualification and experience of the firm for the assignment.

The expression of interest should be addressed to:

The Procurement Management Specialist

Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project

Ministry of Finance

35 Percival Street Freetown

Tel: +23278235061

or

By E-mail application as attachment

to: sleconomicdiversification@gmail.com

Closing Date:

The Closing Date and time for receipt of applications is 23^rd April 2024 at 16:00pm.

Note: Only the recommended firm will be contacted

Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Thursday, April 11th, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)