Expressions of Interest are sought by the EHRC from suitably qualified organisations in being considered to submit tenders for consultancy services to assist in setting up an airline accessibility complaints procedure.
The Commission is a non-governmental public body charged with promoting equality in the six core strands of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief and age. We also have a duty to promote public understanding of equality and justice and are responsible for the promotion and understanding of the Human Rights Act and human rights values. There is also a more general duty to promote good relations across Britain.
The proposed services will operate generally in accordance with the following:
1.Background
The EHRC has agreed with the Department for Transport to undertake the role of national complaints handling body for dealing with complaints against airlines by people with reduced mobility.
EU Regulation 1107/2006 requires that there should be a national body to deal with these complaints. The regulations are partly in operation but will be fully in operation by 1st July 2008.
EHRC has a Helpline (operated by Sitel in Manchester) that deals with all initial queries concerning human rights and discrimination covering all the statutory grounds. There is also a Conciliation Management Unit (CMU) that currently deals with disability cases covering goods, facilities and services to identify appropriate cases for resolution by the conciliation service provider, Mediationworks.
2. What is being proposed
It is proposed that enquirers/complainants will be directed to contact the Helpline who will determine whether the complaints are potentially in scope of the regulations. If the complaints appear to be in scope they will then be referred to the CMU to carry out further diagnostics. Where the complaints are matters that appear to be appropriate for conciliation the agreement of the parties will be sought to passing the matter to the independent provider of conciliation services.
Where the case discloses potential criminal activity on the part of any airline the matter will be referred to the Civil Aviation Authority to determine.
3. Duration
The contract duration will not exceed 1 June 2008.
4. Manner of Submission of Expressions of Interest
Indication should be given as to an outline project plan and deliverables not exceeding 4 sides of A4 page.
Brief initial proposals are sought as to:
- How such a scheme could operate;
- A project plan as to how the project could be implemented;
- Implementation of the project plan (including liaising and negotiating with the partner organisations);
- What prescribed targets should be proposed to be applied as a measure of operational performance.
Indications of interest to bid should be in writing, accompanied by company background information supporting the propriety of the bid, a statement of the company’s overall turnover , turnover in respect of the specific items in which interest is expressed for the last three financial years and a statement of the company’s technical facilities and quality standards.
Companies wishing to express interest in this contract should note the following information: -
- A contract may be awarded to more than one company;
- No contract shall be awarded if, in the opinion of the Commission, no suitable tender is received.
The award criteria (other than price and not necessarily in the order stated), will be best overall value for money, expertise, knowledge and experience of similar work, and the quality of proposals for information & data gathering and collation, campaign and national audience preparation, implementation, operation of collaborative working between relevant bodies and overall operational management.
Tenders must be fixed and quoted in sterling.
The deadline for receipt of expressions of interest will be 3rd March 2008.
Expressions of interest should be submitted by email and by post to: anthony.robinson@equalityhumanrights.com
Anthony Robinson
Director of Casework and Litigation
EHRC,
3 More London,
Riverside,
Tooley Street,
London SE1 2RG