SOFT SKILLS TRAINING INTERVENTION FOR THE

UNISA CONTACT CENTRE

SPECIFICATIONS
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT ………………………………………….. Page 3

2. OVERVIEW ………………………………………………………………………….. Page 3

3. BACKGROUND …………………………………………………………………..…. Page 3

3.1 UNISA Contact Centre (UCC)

3.2 Skills Audit

4. SCOPE OF TENDER …………………………………………………………..… Page 6

4.1 Service Provider Profile

4.2 Contents

5. TRAINING SPECIFICATIONS ……………………………………………….. Page 6

6. IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES ………………………………………………..…. Page 7

7. PERIOD OF SERVICE ………………………………………………………..… Page 8

8. COSTS ………………………………………………………………………………... Page 8

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1. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
1.1 This document has been prepared to provide information to assist prospective service
providers with the preparation and submission of a tender for the soft skills training of UNISA
Contact Centre Consultants, Co-ordinators and QA/Trainers - which will be based on skills
gaps identified in a recent skills audit.

1.2 DISCLAIMER: These instructions outline the format of the proposal and describe the approach
for presentation of data. The instructions are designed to ensure uniformity for ease of
evaluation and that the required information is included. The instructions are not intended to
limit the contents since they identify minimum requirements and permit the inclusion of
pertinent data or information, at the supplier’s discretion, i.e. suppliers should submit
solutions based on their experience, business knowledge of the industry and what would be
considered ‘best practice’ for UNISA.

1.3 Compulsory Information Session and Closing Date

Registration for a compulsory information session will take place on 12 November 2008,
from 09h00 to 09h30 in Room 205B (Florida Campus), cnr Christiaan de Wet & Pioneer
Avenues, Florida, immediately after which the information session will commence. A non-
refundable deposit of R300 (cash/bank guaranteed cheque) is payable prior to attending
the compulsory information session.

Admittance to the compulsory information session will only be available to vendors

who have paid the registration fee and who submit, at registration, the completed
Vendor Application Form (F25) - including ALL required substantiating documentation
as detailed on the form.

The original and a copy of the sealed tenders must be deposited in the official tender box
located in the OR Tambo Administration Building, Room 6-16, Pretoria Campus, Preller
Street, Muckleneuk Ridge, Pretoria. Please quote the tender reference number on the
sealed envelope.

Closing date: 3 December 2008 at 12:00

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2. OVERVIEW

2.1 The UNISA Contact Centre (UCC), in collaboration with the Director: Human Resource
Development, is seeking accredited and/or suitably qualified and experienced providers to
deliver specific soft skills training for skills gaps identified during a recent skills audit.

2.2 Suppliers must not contact any member of UNISA with respect to queries they may have
with this tender. A compulsory briefing session will be held at Unisa’s Florida Campus during
which it is expected that any questions or queries raised will be answered.

2.3 Suppliers must also note that there is a tender fee of R300.00 for any company wishing to
partake in this tender.

2.4 Unisa’s tender policy can be found on the UNISA web site.

3. BACKGROUND

3.1 UNISA CONTACT CENTRE (UCC)

The UCC functions within a complex distance education environment and is a single point of
contact for UNISA’s students - serving as the front-line channel of communication for the
Institution. A number of touch points other than the telephone are utilised in the interaction
between customers and the university, viz. email, internet, fax, SMS.

The term “students” refers to both current as well as prospective students of UNISA and
these students communicate from not just within South Africa but also from the rest of Africa
as well as internationally.

Falling within the Registrar’s portfolio, the UCC was established for the purpose of receiving
and processing communication on behalf of all operational units, to enable them (the
operational units) to focus on their core business.

The UCC is relatively new and has been the focus of much discussion in terms of productivity
and service issues, fuelling the recommendation that a complete skills audit be carried out.

Presently, the UCC is an Inbound Contact Centre and consultants are divided into skills groups
according to the 5 Colleges, MyUnisa (internet-based queries) and Finance. There is also a
section which deals with e-mail queries (Study-info & Client Liaison).

It is envisaged that there will be approximately 192 consultants in the near future, of which
70% will be full-time and 30% will be temporary staff appointed through agencies for the peak
periods.

The UCC is currently in the process of recruiting new consultants.

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3.2 SKILLS AUDIT
Owing to the fact that two separate Call Centres were integrated following the merger
between UNISA and the former Technikon SA - which also resulted in the “inheritance” of a
number of redeployed administrative staff members from other areas - a skills audit was
requested.

The skills audit was carried out during the course of 2007 and consultants/co-ordinators were
assessed according to the following elements:

ƒ Basic Mathematics (not currently important for the UNISA context)

ƒ Customer Focus
ƒ Data Entry Skills
ƒ Interpersonal Skills
ƒ Learning Potential
ƒ Multi-tasking
ƒ Ownership
ƒ Problem Solving
ƒ Processing Speed
ƒ Quality Focus
ƒ Reading & Comprehension
ƒ Risk & Reliability
ƒ Sales Focus
ƒ Stress Tolerance/Emotional Maturity
ƒ Productive WPM

It became apparent from the results, that the majority of Consultants lacked basic essentials
required for a contact centre environment and, for this reason, training would be needed in a
number of areas, including but not limited to:

A. The Contact Centre Environment

• Expectations
• Principles & Processes

B. Customer Service / Service Excellence / Quality

ƒ General points relating to the concepts of customer service, service excellence &
quality
ƒ Telephone etiquette / Email etiquette
ƒ Improving call management skills / taking ownership of a call in a professional manner
ƒ Probing (questioning) techniques
ƒ Recognising “sales” opportunities
ƒ Effectively dealing with difficult / abusive callers
ƒ The importance of greetings – effectively opening & closing a call
ƒ Understanding the consequences of non-service/non-quality

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 C. Communication/Interpersonal skills
ƒ The communication process
ƒ Barriers
ƒ Effective/proper use of language
ƒ Personal styles of self & others
ƒ Listening skills
ƒ Properly understanding others
ƒ Effectively dealing with conflict
ƒ Written communication

D. Emotional Intelligence

E. Stress Management / Learning to Relax

F. Problem Solving
ƒ Process
ƒ Techniques
ƒ Creative thinking

4. SCOPE OF TENDER

4.1 SERVICE PROVIDER PROFILE

The service provider will need to submit current references (i.e. references from within the
past 5 years), qualifications and previous experience in addition to all relevant information
that is deemed pertinent. Traceable contact details of all references must be included.

4.2 CONTENTS
It is requested that a proposal be submitted outlining, inter alia, the following information:

ƒ Overview of the company;

ƒ 1-page résumé of each prospective facilitator;

ƒ Format of the proposed training programme;

ƒ Expected outcomes;

ƒ Competency-assessment measures;

ƒ Training methodologies;

ƒ Comments on the issue of customisation in the training;

ƒ Cost implications (see paragraph 8 also).

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5. TRAINING SPECIFICATIONS

Soft skills training will be offered to all consultants, co-ordinators & QA/trainers within the UCC
(±150 people). It is envisaged that approximately 10 to 15 staff members will comprise each training
session depending on the operational situation at the time.

5.1. Training must take the form of a 5-day intervention consisting of both theoretical and
practical components and will need to cover the following elements:

ƒ Contact centre environment - expectations, principles, processes, etc.

ƒ General principles of customer service
ƒ Having the right attitude
ƒ Importance of quality/customer relationship management/service standards/
performance, etc.
ƒ Communication/telephone etiquette/email etiquette, etc.
ƒ Stress management/emotional intelligence
ƒ Problem solving

5.2. Training must take place at Unisa’s Florida Campus.

5.3. The training should ideally be subject to competency-based assessment. A pass mark is
suggested for the specific element before the participant receives a Certificate of
Competency.

5.4. Where possible, the training should take into account the behaviours, values, attitudes, etc.
required within the context of the contact centre environment, e.g. include aspects such as
taking ownership of a call, dealing with difficult callers, probing techniques,etc.

5.5. The proposed training schedule (i.e. training dates) is to be ratified by the UCC Supervisor:
QA & Training.

5.6. An evaluation is to be completed by all participants at the end of each course. The selected
service provider will be responsible for providing the UCC Supervisor: QA & Training with a
summary of participant evaluations together with an assessment report based on
participants’ levels of competency and any issues identified by the trainers. Where any
participant does not achieve competency, notification of such should be carried out within 3
working days of completion of the particular course and suggestions should be made as to
possible solutions. Post training support is essential.

5.7. The selected service provider should provide the UCC with a soft (electronic) copy of the
training material.

5.8. If cancellation of a training session is required, this should be done with the mutual consent
of both the UCC and the selected service provider, and with due regard to any costs
incurred by either party.

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 5.9. The selected service provider is required to develop a detailed Information Pack outlining
the content of the course and key knowledge and skills required to be considered
competent. Each trainee is to be provided with their own Information Pack to take with
them following the conclusion of the training.

6. IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES

The following should be borne in mind:

6.1 Training should be aimed at supporting UCC staff to work effectively and enhance their
ability to provide a quality service to UNISA’s customers;

6.2 Training content should, as far as possible, reflect the principles and practices espoused
within the Contact Centre Industry;

6.3 Training is to be aligned with relevant national competency standards, where possible;

6.4 The selected service provider will be responsible for:

ƒ Providing suitably qualified trainers;

ƒ Delivering the training outlined in this document;

ƒ Where possible, undertaking assessments, determining competency and acknowledging

this by providing each participant with a Certificate of Competency;

ƒ Providing evaluation forms to all participants;

ƒ Providing the UCC Supervisor: Quality Assurance & Training as well as the Director: HR
Training & Development with a summary evaluation report and assessment report of
participants’ skill levels;

ƒ Within 3 working days of the completion of the training, notify the UCC Supervisor:
Quality Assurance & Training of any participant who does not achieve competency
together with possible solutions;

ƒ Informing the UCC Supervisor: Quality Assurance & Training promptly, during or upon
completion of each training session, of any issues arising from the training; and

ƒ Developing an Information Pack outlining the training course and reinforcing knowledge
and skills required;

ƒ Shortlisted companies will be expected to make a 30-minute presentation on their

proposal.

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7. PERIOD OF SERVICE

The period of service is envisaged to commence around February 2009 and conclude by
30 June 2009

8. COSTS

8.1 Prices quoted should be competitive and commensurate with the key activities and
outputs/deliverables required.

8.2 Any envisaged additional costs must be stipulated in the tender proposal.

8.3 Any variation to price over the period of the contract must be quantified and justified.

8.4 All quotations must include VAT.

8.5 The service provider selected will be required to forward an invoice to initiate payment.