UNION INTE RP ARLE M E NTAIRE
INTE R -P ARLIAM E NTARY UNION
5, CHEMIN DU POMMIER
CASE POSTALE 330
1218 LE GRAND-SACONNEX / GENÈVE (SUISSE)
TELEPHONE (41.22) 919 41 50
FAX
E-MAIL
(41.22) 919 41 60
postbox@mail.ipu.org
21 July 2009
Dear Sir/Madam:
Re: Request for Proposals (RFP) for Travel Agency Services for the InterParliamentary Union
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) intends to hire Travel Agent Services for its travel
business. IPU hereby solicits your proposal for the above services, in accordance with the
document and annexes attached.
Proposals are required to be submitted to the IPU by close of business on 18 September
2009.
An electronic version of the bidding documents may also be found on IPU's website
www.ipu.org.
We thank you in advance for confirming your participation in this exercise by returning to
us the attached Acknowledgement letter (Annex A) duly dated and signed.
Sincerely,
Victoria Browning
Director, Support Services
06/03/2016
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Context
The IPU is the international organization of Parliaments of sovereign States, established in
1889. It serves as the focal point for world-wide parliamentary dialogue and works for
peace and co-operation with regional inter-parliamentary organizations, as well as with
international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations which are motivated
by the same ideals.
Over a hundred-fifty national parliaments are currently members of the IPU and they
provide eighty per cent of its fund. The site of the Union's Headquarters is Geneva,
Switzerland and it has a subsidiary office in New York.
Within the context of its work, the IPU seeks to hire a travel agent to service travel
requirements for its main Assembly, which takes place once a year in different locations in
the world (for example past Assemblies have taken place in Cape Town, Santiago de Chile,
Addis Ababa, Manila), as well as for the official and statutory travel needs of its staff
members. IPU traffic covers most of the regions of the world and represented CHF 1.1
million in 2008.
Instructions to submit a proposal
1. This Request for Proposal (RFP) consists of this document and the following annexes:
Annex A: Acknowledgement Letter
Annex B: Terms of Reference
Annex C: Financial / Technical Proposals and Evaluation Criteria
Annex D: General Conditions
Annex E: IPU travel rules - staff members and interpreters
2. The terms of reference set forth in Annex B, the completed Financial and Technical
Proposals and the General Conditions in Annex D shall constitute part of a contract should
IPU accept the Company's proposal.
3. Proposals must be submitted in English or French by close of business on 31 August
2009.
4. Proposals must be submitted in a sealed envelope / package addressed to:
Director, Support Services
Inter-Parliamentary Union
5 Chemin du Pommier
1218 Geneva
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5. Proposers must confirm participation in the RFP and return Annex A duly signed.
6. The price quotes shall be specified in CHF, free of any tax and duty. Prices shall be final
and not subject to revision from the time of entering into force of the contract until the end
of contractual obligations.
7. The price quotes referred to above shall include all necessary services to be provided by
the selected proposer (even if such services are not expressly enumerated) in order to
ensure a satisfactory fulfillment of the contract, as well as any other expenses incurred by
the selected proposer.
8. All written inquiries concerning this RFP should be addressed to the following email
address:
vb@mail.ipu.org.
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ANNEX A
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT LETTER
Subject: IPU Request for Proposals for Travel Agent Services
We, the undersigned, acknowledge receipt of your Request for Proposals (RFP) for Travel
Agent Services, dated 21 July 2009 and hereby confirm that we:
Intend
Do not intend
to participate in the call for tender and submit an offer for services according to the terms
of the RFP.
We acknowledge that this RFP is confidential and propriety of the IPU, and contains
privileged information.
Name & Title of Authorized Representative:
Signature:
Company Name and Address:
Telephone No:
Fax No.:
Date:
4/22
Kindly return this acknowledgment via fax at 022 919 41 60.
ANNEX B
TERMS OF REFERENCE
I. General
1. The IPU does not guarantee any minimum (or maximum) quantity of work for the
Company. The contract will be non-exclusive and the IPU may perform or have performed
by others any of the services set forth in the contract whenever the IPU deems it necessary
or to be in its best interest. Nothing in or relating to the contract shall be deemed a waiver,
express or implied, of the right of the IPU to negotiate special conditions, bonuses or
special fares, directly with carriers or suppliers of travel services. The IPU reserves the
right to designate the carrier or carriers and routings to be used and the hotels and other
services to be obtained, provided that the Company shall not thereby become responsible
for a failure to comply with the Warranties set out in the General Conditions (Annex D)
II. Duration
2. The contract shall be for four (4) years, with a possibility of extension of two (2) years.
III. Duties
3. The Travel Agent shall:
a. Be available during normal business hours between 09:00hrs and 18:00hrs
(Geneva time), Monday to Friday to attend IPU's travel requirements.
b. Have a Travel Manager responsible for the IPU account and qualified and
competent staff in order to accommodate IPU's requirements.
c. Have an adequate number of staff to meet IPU's requirements.
d. Cater to the the IPU traffic, which may originate in Switzerland, or from
elsewhere, upon instruction from an authorized contact person at headquarters.
All transactions (reservations, e-ticketing) shall be handled by Travel Agent
Staff in Geneva.
e. Have all necessary equipment to enable efficient communication between the
IPU and the Travel Agent, such as Internet facility, facsimile and the like, as
well as any other office equipment necessary for the provision of services to
IPU.
f. Use one global Computer Reservation System (CRS) widely used in the Swiss
and world travel market.
IV. Travel arrangements
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4. The Travel Agent shall be required to:
a. Render advice on best fares and best itineraries, provide multiple options
(looking at a minimum at three different airlines), obtain pre-reservations,
obtain confirmed transportation reservations and issue and deliver transportation
tickets for air, rail, bus or ship carriers for IPU, in accordance with instructions
from authorized IPU contact and IPU travel Rules and Regulations. Fares shall
at all times be based on the most direct and economical route that is feasible
under IPU Rules and Regulations, including travel time and rests requirements.
b. Provide Company negotiated net fares.
c. Arrange for changes or cancellations required by IPU travellers and re-issue
tickets in conformity with such requests and obtain any reimbursement which
may be due on account of cancelled or re-issued reservations to the IPU.
d. Provide computer-printouts of itineraries to the IPU travellers, in either English
or French, showing in one single document complete information on the status
of reservations on all carriers and hotels, as required, for each trip as well as
contact addresses/ tel. no./ departures and arrival times /transfers/seat
assignments, highlighted ticket costs and relevant conditions such as ticketing
deadline, fare guarantee or other pertinent information. The Travel Agent
telephone numbers, toll-free numbers or emergency numbers as agreed must
also be provided.
e. Provide prompt telephone answering and reception services in English and
French; all calls shall be answered within five rings; telephone calls for matters
not dealt with immediately shall be returned within two hours; fax and
electronic mail messages must be responded to within a working day; quotes for
large conferences (+100 persons - once a year) must be returned within two
weeks.
f. Obtain, upon request, hotel and car rental reservations, including confirmations,
both internationally and at Geneva, at preferential rates and conditions, as
negotiated by the Company for its priority customers.
g. Promptly investigate and resolve any complaint from the IPU travellers.
h. Notify the IPU and the individual travellers affected by any change in the
prevailing general conditions or anticipated causes of delays or the occurrence
of any events which interfere or threaten to interfere with the travel
requirements (airport closings, cancelled or delayed flights as advised by
airlines, trains, buses or others).
i. Request seat assignments on flights and issuance of boarding passes or E-ticket
where applicable.
j. Update traveller’s profile including traveller’s preferences: seat, special meals,
frequent flyer programme numbers, address, telephone, portable telephone
number, and e-mail, and provide to travellers a disclosure relating to their
consent or opposition on the usage of their personal data made by the Company
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or sub-contractors to third parties. This disclosure is requested in order to
protect the privacy of the IPU travellers.
k. Render assistance, as required to the IPU and its travellers, in case of accident,
sickness, injury or death, loss or damage to baggage, while on official travel
status.
l. Provide emergency assistance to all IPU travellers, when necessary via an
international 24-hour help line outside agreed office hours. Travellers will have
access to these services at no charge from the Company. The IPU will provide a
list of authorized contacts who may order tickets outside office hours.
m. Arrange the replacement or refund of lost, stolen or unused travel tickets,
monitor the follow up of pending ticket refund transactions and inform the IPU
on a regular basis.
n. Inform IPU about any unused e-ticketed flight coupons on a regular basis.
o. Absorb all cancellation charges or penalties for which the IPU or its concerned
travellers are not responsible.
p. Deliver e-ticket itinerary (email) or paper tickets directly to the travellers’ office
location upon confirmation.
q. Deliver paper or e-tickets at airline desk at the airport of departure.
r. Provide solutions for the purchase and issuance of low-cost carriers tickets
when required, propose option of low-cost when in the best interest of the IPU
and IPU travellers.
s. Provide assistance to the IPU for the identification of airline security rating and
inform about any significant change in airline safety rating.
t. Provide special advance quotations services at no charge for the IPU for its
major conferences (including for budgeting purposes, it being understood that
actual costs depend on flight availability).
V. Cost of Travel
5. The cost of travel shall at all times be based on the most economical air fare structure, as
per authorized class of travel, applied by a recognized and safe public carrier on a direct
route, including special fares, taking into account the provisions of the IPU's Travel Rules
(Annex E) and the specific instructions given by the authorized IPU contact.
VI. Modalities
6. IPU will forward to the Company the list of IPU contacts authorized to instruct the
Travel Agent to issue a ticket during normal business hour, book hotels or rent cars
(normally most of IPU travellers). IPU will forward to the Company the IPU officials
authorized to request the issuance of tickets via the emergency line.
7. The Company shall be required to submit a statement of account to the IPU monthly in
electronic format to be agreed upon jointly, for tickets that have been issued in accordance
with the instructions and itinerary indicated by IPU authorized contacts. The statement
shall indicate:
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a. The name of the IPU traveller (and the name of the IPU authorized contact, if
different)
b. The date of travel
c. The official travel itinerary
d. The currency and the amount of the ticket cost
e. The agency fee
f. Any explanation as appropriate in case of discrepancies
8. The cost of the travellers' personal travel or private deviations during official travel are
to be settled separately between the Company and the traveller, and this shall be reflected
in the official invoice to the IPU as portion paid for by the traveller
9. The IPU standard payment terms are 30 days upon receipt of invoices subsequent to
satisfactory delivery of goods and acceptance thereof by the IPU.
VII. Reporting
10. The Company shall also provide monthly and consolidated yearly statistics on IPU
traffic (by IPU traveller, itineraries - by categories i.e. regional domestic intercontinental),
volume of billing, outstanding refunds for overall air, rail, hotel, car rental data. Reporting
shall include average ticket price, average trip duration and number of tickets issued;
11. The Company shall also provide monthly and consolidated yearly statistics on Carbon
emission CO2 corresponding to IPU traffic.
VIII. Satisfaction Survey
12. The Company shall organize an electronic satisfaction survey for IPU travellers once
every two years
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ANNEX C
TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL PROPOSALS
Please complete as appropriate, sign and date the following Technical and Financial
proposals, as follows:
TRAVEL AGENCY :
Authorized Representative :
Telephone :
TECHNICAL PROPOSAL
YES NO
1. Is the Company's main business to provide travel agency services
2. Please describe and submit an organizational chart with the management structure,
with particular emphasis on the section of the structure which will be directly involved
in performing the contract. The Company should also provide details as to the office
location and number of personnel that will provide services to the IPU.
3. Please describe your recent experience in performing travel contracts with
international travel conditions comparable to that of the IPU. The Company should
describe any special rates or fares it has negotiated, which it is willing to extend to the
IPU. The Company should also describe any experience it has had in servicing air travel
arrangements for international conferences attended by large numbers of travellers
(100+) from different countries.
4. The Company should give examples of how it uses its network members to obtain
better prices for its clients travelling from abroad.
5. The company should describe its computerized reservation systems including the type,
number of units to be made available for IPU traffic and location
6. The company should attach the following:
a. The Company's audited financial statements for its last two fiscal years, certified by
an independent Certified Public Accountant, and a list of principal shareholders.
The following data should be highlighted: total sales, total commissions/fees earned for
airlines and rail tickets, hotel bookings and car rentals
b. Brief resumes of the Account Manager and staff that the Company intends to assign
to IPUs operations.
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7. Please provide at least 3 clients, apart from IPU, that can serve as reference for the
Company.
8. The Company should accurately decribe present or planned high volume commercial
travel contracts whose performance might interfere with the performance of the
contract that will be the culmination of this RFP. If relevant, the Company should
describe how it would deal with conflicting priorities.
9. If possible, the Company should submit proposal(s) of system(s) allowing for the
corporate use of mileage accrued by IPU's travelling staff.
Date :
Signature :
FINANCIAL PROPOSAL
The Company is required to quote its services based on a handling fee paid by IPU for
each ticket issued. The handling fee shall cover the cost for services, human and
technical resources and other necessary services to ensure a satisfactory fulfillment of
the contract. The handling fee should be expressed as a single fee taking into account the
totality of the requested travel processing indicated in the terms of reference, including
but not limited to travel information, travel quotations, booking, ticket issuance, change
of reservations, re-routing, ticket refund, and travel management reporting.
1. Fees (economy or business):
Domestic Flights:
European Flights:
Intercontinental Flights:
Low-cost carrier (domestic and continental):
Paper air-ticket:
Domestic Rail:
International Rail:
Car rental:
Hotel booking:
The Company shall stipulate the minimum official traffic volume in CHF, if any,
required to maintain the quoted handling fee.
2. Please provide below an example of travel solution(s) for the airfare portion and
applicable handling fee for a hypothetical IPU event.
The event will take place in Bangkok, between 27 March and 1 April 2010 (6 days). Type
of traveller and itinerary are as follows:
60 staff members (Geneva - Bangkok - Geneva)
35 interpreters (Geneva - Bangkok - Geneva)
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5 interpreters (Paris - Bangkok - Geneva)
5 interpreters (London - Bangkok - Geneva)
5 interpreters (Brussels - Bangkok - Geneva)
The Company may offer several options to the IPU, based on different routings and
schedules. Please refer to IPU travel entitlements for staff members and interpreters
(Annex E), and in particular to the following provisions:
a) IPU staff members travel economy for group travels
b) IPU staff members are entitled to rest periods according to the duration of the flight.
IPU pays salary costs for these periods.
c) IPU staff are not entitled to rest days when travelling business class
d) IPU pays rest days for its interpreters
e) Host countries (Thailand) must bear the cost of hotel and per diem for each night/day
spent by IPU staff members and interpreters on site.
Date :
Signature :
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The evaluation criteria used to evaluate proposals will be the following:
Financial: Price / Cost (50%)
Technical: Completeness of Proposal (10%)
Company's experience (10%)
Adequacy of the Company's technical proposal (staff, equipment etc as per
terms of reference) (30%)
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ANNEX D
GENERAL CONDITIONS
Status of Company
1.
The present contract is made on the understanding that the Contractor is an
independent contractor, is not considered to be an official or employee of the IPU
and is not subject to the IPU Staff Rules. The Contractor is not entitled to recover
from the IPU any income tax payable in respect of the fee provided under this
contract and shall be solely liable for the payment of any national income tax due in
respect of the emoluments payable under this contract.
2.
The Company and its employees shall conform to all applicable laws, regulations
and ordinances promulgated by legally constituted authorities.
3.
While carrying out its obligations under this contract the Contractor shall act at all
times in a manner befitting his relationship with the IPU and shall not engage in any
activity that is incompatible therewith. It shall not, while performing the work
contracted for, or at any time thereafter, utilize in any manner prejudicial to or
incompatible with the interests of the Union any information of a restricted or
confidential nature which may come to its knowledge in connection with the
performance of its contractual obligations.
4.
All rights, including title, copyright and patent rights, in any work produced by the
Contractor by virtue of this contract shall be vested in the IPU, which alone shall
hold all rights of use.
5.
If an employee of the Contractor is required in the performance of the obligations
under this contract to travel away from his or her normal place of residence, he or
she may, upon request, be provided with a letter certifying that he or she is an
"expert on mission" travelling on the business of the IPU.
Insurances
6.
The IPU accepts no liability in the event of death, injury, or illness of any of the
employees of the Contractor. The Contractor attests that he or she is adequately
covered by insurance for these risks. In no circumstances shall the Contractor be
covered by any IPU insurance and it is the Contractor's responsibility to take out, at
his or her own expense, any insurance policies it may consider necessary, including
a civil liability insurance policy.
7.
In the event of the IPU suffering any damage from any third party due to operations
arising from the contract, the Company, if requested to do so by the IPU, shall take
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action as circumstances may require to facilitate the prosecution of any claims by
the IPU which it may wish to bring against any such third party as the result of
suffering any such damage.
Guarantees
8.
The Company guarantees that it will obtain the lowest available fare consistent with
the IPU travel rules which reflects the most direct and economical route. In the
event that the IPU finds that the Company has not obtained the least costly airfare
structure available (except internet fares), the Company shall refund to the IPU the
difference between the fare indicated or which should have been obtained by the
Company.
9.
In the event that the IPU notifies the Company that it considers that the number of
times that the lowest fare has not been obtained is excessive, the Company shall
immediately consult with the IPU, in good faith, with a view to implementing
control procedures in order to perform the contract in accordance with the
warranties set out above.
10.
The Company shall ensure that the personal data provided by the IPU travellers are
protected and are not exchanged or transferred to third parties without the full
written consent of the traveller.
11.
It is understood that, under the contract, the IPU pays for rendered services and the
Company shall refrain from seeking any additional earnings from carriers. The
Company shall therefore ensure that its employees shall not benefit, on an
individual basis, of incentives or rewards, be they in the form of money or any other
gratuities offered directly or indirectly by the airlines.
12.
In the event that the work provided for in this contract is unsatisfactory or fails to
conform to the conditions set out above, the IPU reserves the right, as appropriate,
to interrupt it, to request that it be corrected or modified, or to refuse to accept it. In
such cases payment may be made in consideration of the work performed to the
satisfaction of the IPU.
13.
The Company shall immediately inform the IPU of any change or anticipated
change in its status or its ownership as soon as such information is known to the
Company. Failure to inform the IPU in a timely manner of any proposed or
impending change in the status or ownership of the Company may constitute
grounds for the termination of the contract by the IPU.
Termination of Contract
14.
Either party may terminate the contract for cause, in whole or in part, upon one
hundred (180) days notice, in writing, to the other party. In the event of
termination of the contract, no payment shall be due from the Inter-Parliamentary
Union to the Contractor except for work performed in conformity with the express
terms of the Contract.
Disputes
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15.
Any dispute arising out of the application or interpretation of this contract shall be
referred to the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organization
with the provisions of paragraph 4 of Article II of the Statute of the Tribunal.
ANNEX E
IPU TRAVEL RULES (a. Staff members and b.interpreters)
a. Staff members (relevant provisions thereof)
CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL
Note:
Staff Regulations and Rules are presented in grey text boxes. They form part of the employment
contract.
Administrative instructions, which may change from time to time, provide clarification and detail
respecting the implementation of the Staff Rules.
Guidelines, which appear in italic, provide guidance for staff and administration. Guidelines are
flexible.
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1. Authorization to Travel
1.1.
All official travel has to be authorized in writing by the Secretary General before it is
undertaken. In exceptional cases, staff members may receive oral permission to travel,
but in such cases written confirmation shall be required. Requests for travel
authorization shall be submitted on the standard Travel Form. (Annex 1)
1.2.
Prior to approval, the source of funding must be clearly identified and approved and
sufficient funds must be available to meet the cost of the travel.
Prior to approval, the amount of carbon emissions related to the travel shall be
estimated and approved and the availability of a carbon budget shall be confirmed.
1.3.
1.4.
A Travel Form must be completed and submitted to the Director, Support Services.
1.5.
Travellers shall ensure that they have any required travel documents.
Guideline: Unauthorized travel is considered personal travel and expenses will not be
reimbursed.
2. Purchase of Tickets
Staff Rule 107.11 - Purchase of tickets
(a)
Unless the staff member concerned is specifically authorized to make other arrangements,
all tickets for transportation involving official travel of staff members and eligible family members
shall be purchased by the Union in advance of the actual travel or, where circumstances so require,
shall be secured by the staff member.
(b)
When a staff member requests a standard of accommodation in excess of his or her
entitlement under rule 107.9 or is authorized to travel, for reasons of personal preference or
convenience, by other than the approved route or mode of transportation as provided for under
rule 107.8, the staff member shall be required to reimburse the Union for any additional costs thus
incurred before the Union provides him or her with the necessary tickets.
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3. Route, mode and standard of transportation (Economy vs. Business)
Staff Rule 107.7 - Route, mode and standard of transportation
(a)
Official travel shall, in all instances, be by a route, mode and standard of transportation
approved in advance by the Secretary General.
(b)
Travel expenses or other entitlements, including travel time, shall be limited to the amount
allowable for a journey by the approved route, mode and standard. Staff members who wish to
make other arrangements for personal convenience must obtain permission to do so in advance and
pay all additional costs.
Staff Rule 107.8 - Route and mode of travel
(a)
The normal route for all official travel shall be the most economical route. An alternative
route may be approved when, in the opinion of the Secretary General, it is in the best interest of the
Union.
(b)
If a staff member or family member travels by a more economical mode of transportation
than the approved mode, the Inter-Parliamentary Union shall pay only for the mode of
transportation actually used.
Staff Rule 107.9 - Standard of accommodation
(a)
For all official travel by air, staff members and their eligible family members shall be
provided with economy class transportation in accordance with the least costly airfare structure
regularly available or its equivalent. However, under conditions established by the Secretary
General, accommodation immediately below first class may be granted.
(b)
For all official travel by train, staff members and their family members shall be provided with
regular first class or equivalent accommodation, including sleeper and other facilities, as
appropriate.
(c)
A higher standard of accommodation may be approved when, in the opinion of the
Secretary General, special circumstances warrant it.
(d) 3.1. If aFor
staffofficial
membertravel
or family
member
travels byofmore
economical accommodations
than
the
by air,
the standard
accommodation
shall be economy
class,
approved standard,
Union shall
for accommodations actually used at the rate paid by
except asthe
provided
in (a)only
and pay
(b) below:
the traveller.
(a) For the Secretary General and, where applicable, his or her eligible family
members, the class immediately below first class shall be provided for travel on
official business, on appointment or separation and on home leave, irrespective of
the duration of the particular flight.
(b) For staff members and, where applicable, their eligible family members, the class
immediately below first class shall be provided for travel on official business and
on appointment, assignment or separation:
(i)When the duration of a journey is nine hours or longer;
(ii)For round-trip travel, when the duration of either journey is nine hours or
longer.
For the purposes of (b) above, the duration of a particular journey shall be determined
on the basis of the combined flying time of all legs of the journey to a given
destination by the most direct and economical route available, provided the journey is
not interrupted for official stops of more than one day. The flying time shall include
scheduled stops for change of planes or other purposes, but shall exclude travel time
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to and from airports. Up to four hours for connections between flights may be
included in the flying time for the particular journey.
3.2.
Air travel accommodation under the applicable standards defined by section 8.1 shall
be provided at the most economical rate appropriate, including discounted airfares.
The Union shall assume responsibility for the surcharge that may be imposed after
tickets have been issued if changes in the original travel plans were necessitated by
the Union or for other compelling reasons.
Guideline: The least costly airfare structure shall take into account:
1) the travel time and hour of departure, in as much as these are reflected in salary costs,
2) the conditions of the ticket, e.g. a refundable Q class fare may be preferable to a nonrefundable V class fare, if the itinerary is not fixed and the date or route may change.
3) carbon emissions related to the travel.
Guideline: If the cost of a non-refundable ticket exceeds CHF 1,000 and there is a reasonable
probability that the trip may be cancelled, then cancellation insurance should be purchased.
3.3.
For official travel to missions or conferences, special arrangements may be made for
group travel, in which case the provisions of section 9.1 (a) and (b) may not apply.
Guideline: Travel to IPU assemblies shall be by economy class fare except as allowed by
Paragraph 9.4 and 9.1(a).
3.4.
A standard of accommodation for air travel higher than that authorized under normally
applicable rules may be approved on an exceptional basis when, in the opinion of the
Secretary-General, special circumstances warrant it, such as for duly certified medical
reasons or when an economy fare is not available.
Guideline: In general, a staff member who is not fit to travel will not travel, except for
repatriation.
4. Compensation for Travel Time
For travel other than on home leave:
4.1.
A staff member shall not be entitled to additional payment or compensatory time off
for travel or stopovers on days considered as normal working days at the staff
member’s duty station.
4.2.
A staff member shall be entitled to additional days of annual leave to compensate for
official travel and unavoidable stopovers on days considered as non-working days at
the staff member’s duty station.
5. Rest periods and authorized stopovers
5.1.
For travel by air or mostly by air, staff members travelling in economy class shall be
entitled to rest periods before commencing duties or a stopover for rest purposes as
follows:
(a) If the scheduled time for the journey is more than 6 hours but not more than 10
hours, the staff member shall not normally be required to commence duty within
12 hours of arriving at the destination;
(b) If the scheduled time for the journey is more than 10 hours but not more than 16
hours, the staff member shall not normally be required to commence duty before
one night of rest at the destination;
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(c) If the scheduled time for the journey is more than 16 hours, the staff member shall
not normally be required to commence duty before two nights of rest at the
destination. As an alternative, the staff member may have one stopover for rest
purposes, which shall not exceed 24 hours, at an intermediate point in the journey,
with travel subsistence allowance. If the final stage of the journey is more than 6
hours, the staff member shall not normally be required to commence duty within
12 hours of arriving at the destination.
5.2.
Staff members who travel in business class are not entitled to rest periods before
commencing work on arrival at the destination.
6. Terminal allowance
Staff Rule 107.12 – Terminal expenses
107.12 - Terminal expenses
(a)
For all official travel to or from the duty station, a staff member may claim reimbursement
of terminal expenses incurred for each required trip by means of public conveyance between the
airport or other point of arrival or departure and the hotel or other place of dwelling in respect of
himself or herself and in respect of each family member authorized to travel at Inter-Parliamentary
Union expense, at rates and under conditions established by the Secretary General. No expenses
shall be reimbursable in respect of an intermediate stop that:
(i)
Is not authorized;
(ii)
Does not involve leaving the terminal; or
(iii)
Is exclusively for the purpose of making an onward connection.
(b)
Terminal expenses shall be deemed to include all expenditures for transportation between
the airport or other point of arrival or departure and the hotel or other place of dwelling, including
transfer of accompanied baggage and other incidental charges, except the costs provided for
under rule 107.16 (iii).
6.1.
Staff members shall be reimbursed for terminal expenses at a flat rate of CHF 40 per
terminal or on the basis of receipts for actual costs.
Guideline: The amount of the terminal allowance is the same regardless of the source of
funding. No terminal allowance is payable when transportation is provided by the Union or
the host Parliament.
Guideline: When receipts are presented they shall indicate the date, time, routed and the
name of the conveyor or driver.
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7. Daily subsistence allowance (DSA)
Staff Rule 107.13 - Travel subsistence allowance
(a)
Except as provided in paragraph (g) below, a staff member authorized to travel at Union
expense shall receive an appropriate daily subsistence allowance in accordance with a schedule of
rates established from time to time. Such established rates shall be subject to rule 107.14 and to
reductions in cases where lodging or meals are provided free of charge by another organization.
(b)
The Secretary General may, when satisfied that the normal travel subsistence allowance is
insufficient, authorize a reasonable increase in the travel subsistence allowance to be paid to a staff
member.
(c)
Travel subsistence allowance shall be deemed to comprise the total contribution of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union towards such charges as meals, lodging, gratuities and other payments
made for personal services rendered. Except as provided in rule 107.16, any expenditures incurred
in excess of the allowance shall be borne by the staff member.
(d)
Except as provided in paragraph (g) below, when the spouse or dependent children of a
staff member are authorized to travel at Union expense, the staff member shall be paid an
additional travel subsistence allowance in respect of each of them at half the rate applicable to the
staff member.
(e)
The travel subsistence allowance shall continue to be paid during periods of sick leave
while in travel status, except that, if the traveller is hospitalized, only one third of the appropriate
daily rate shall be paid.
(f)
The appropriate travel subsistence allowance shall be paid for any days on which a staff
member is required to perform official duties in connection with travel on home leave.
(g)
No travel subsistence allowance shall be payable in respect of travel on home leave or
education grant. Where travel at Union expense is authorized for medical, safety, security or other
reasons under rule 107.1 (a) (vii) or 107.2 (a) (vii), an appropriate amount of subsistence allowance
7.1.
Daily subsistence allowance shall be paid in accordance with the standard rates
may be paid at the discretion of the Secretary General.
established by the International Civil Service Commission.
7.2.
When a staff member claims an amount in excess of the DSA, it shall be conditional
upon:
(a) prior approval
(b) supporting documentation and receipts.
Guideline: The established DSA rates are based upon average prices, designed to cover only
necessary and reasonable expenses. It is not customary to make adjustments when DSA does
not cover the expenses incurred.
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8. Special rates of travel subsistence allowance
107.14 - Special rates of travel subsistence allowance
In the event of staff members being assigned to conferences or for other extended
periods of duty away from their official duty station, the Secretary General may establish a
special rate of subsistence allowance.
Guideline : At IPU assemblies and meetings, accommodation may be provided by the host
Parliament. At such events, the Secretary General will establish a special daily subsistence
allowance based upon the published DSA rates, presently set at 50 per cent of the published
rate.
9. Computation of the travel subsistence allowance
Staff Rule 107.15 - Computation of the travel subsistence allowance
(a)
Subsistence allowance shall be paid to a staff member, at the rates and under the
conditions prescribed in rule 107.13 for each calendar day or fraction thereof involving an overnight
stay away from his or her residence, during which the staff member or his or her family members
are in official travel status, provided that for a journey of twenty-four hours or longer a full day’s
allowance at the appropriate rate shall be paid for the day on which travel is begun and that no
allowance shall be paid for the day on which travel is ended. Where travel does not involve an
overnight stay away from the residence, no allowance shall be paid for a journey of less than ten
hours, and 40 per cent of the allowance shall be paid for a journey of ten hours or more.
(b)
If more than one rate should apply during the course of any one day or if the traveller
completes his or her travel on the same day as he or she commenced it, the rate applicable for the
area of destination shall be paid for that day, except that for the last leg of a return travel on official
business the allowance shall be paid at the rate applicable to the last authorized place where the
staff member spent the night.
(c)
When it is necessary, for the purpose of computing the amount of travel subsistence
allowance payable, to specify the "hour of departure" and the "hour of arrival", these shall be
considered as the time when the train, vessel or airplane used by the traveller actually leaves or
arrives
regular
terminal. allowance has two components a) accommodation and b) meals and
9.1. at its
Daily
subsistence
incidentals. The proportion of total DSA allocated for meals and incidentals varies by
destination (e.g. Geneva 46%, New York 39%.) For the purpose of calculating travel
allowance, the component of the DSA for meals and incidentals is split between
morning 20%, noon 40%, and evening 40%.
9.2.
When meals or accommodation are provided by a third party such as a government or
an organization, or are being paid for separately by the IPU (e.g. during a seminar),
then the DSA shall be reduced proportionately.
9.3.
The Secretary General and the President of the IPU shall receive a supplement of 40
per cent to the standard DSA rate, as computed above.
9.4.
DSA rates are established in USD and are payable in Swiss Francs at the operational
monthly exchange rate of the United Nations.
Guideline: The DSA is intended to account for lodging, meals, gratuities and other expenses
of travellers. The rates are intended to relate to good commercial hotels and restaurants. An
amount of 15 per cent (of the average hotel and meal cost) is included in the DSA rate to
account for incidental expenses (tips, laundry, toiletries, etc.)
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Guideline: Notwithstanding the above instruction, the IPU may at the request of the traveller
disburse DSA in other currencies than CHF, when funds are available.
------------------------
b. Interpreters
1. Status:
Employee
2. Rate of Pay (work days):
CHF 1100 per day
3. Responsibility for taxes:
Responsibility rests with employee (exempt in Switzerland)
4. Hours of Work:
A normal daily workload comprises 2 three-hour sessions. The maximum daily workload shall not
exceed eight hours (2 four-hour sessions).
No rest periods are planned during the appointment except as provided below.
5. Staffing levels:
One way-booths (interpretation into one language only): two interpreters per booth*
Two-way booths :
- when interpreters work from two languages into two: three interpreters;**
- when interpreters work from several languages into one and offer a "retour" from that
language into another language for relay purposes: three interpreters per booth.***
* and *** More interpreters shall be assigned when:
 sessions last longer than three hours and numerous written presentations are to be
read;
 when the language combinations are such that fewer interpreters would not be
sufficient to cover them;
** Two interpreters can be hired instead of three for short meetings or meetings of a non-technical
nature.
Chief interpreters shall endeavour to provide reduced teams whenever
- the IPU confirms that meetings to be covered will not exceed 3 hours in the morning and 3
hours in the afternoon,
- the nature of the meeting, the mode of interpretation, the number of languages and the
language distribution (taking into account the language(s) spoken by the chairperson,
keynote speakers, delegations, secretary of the meeting, etc.) make it possible to reduce the
number of interpreters,
- interpreters with the appropriate language combination are available to make up a reduced
team.
6. Travel arrangements:
Economy or, if higher, class applicable to regular conference staff travelling to meetings.
To accommodate other commitments preceding or following an IPU meeting, interpreters may ask
the IPU to be allowed to purchase their own tickets, for which they will be reimbursed up to the
amount calculated by the IPU for the interpreter's official itinerary.
7. Rest periods on out-bound and homeward-bound travel
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6 to 10 hour flight - 12 hours after arriving at destination;
10 to 16 hour flight - 24 hours after arriving at destination;
more than 16 hour flight - 48 hours after arriving at destination.
Minor variations from these minima arising from scheduled flight timetables (for example,
infrequency of flights) shall be acceptable within reason subject to prior agreement before offers
are made by the chief interpreters.
8. Rate of pay (rest days):
CHF 680
9. Rate of pay (travel days):
CHF 680
10. Terminal expenses:
CHF 40 per terminal.
11. Compensation for travel outside normal working hours:
Travel with a departure time between 6 and 8 am on the first day of the conference and return
travel from a conference between 8 and 11 pm on the last day of the conference, entails a
compensation of CHF 250.
12. Computation of rest days after overnight travel:
When overnight return travel involves the interpreter arriving at his/her professional domicile
before 8 am, the day of arrival shall be counted as the first rest day. If arrival is after 8 am, the day
of arrival shall be considered as a travel day.
13. Cancellation fees:
When the IPU has to cancel a work offer made on its behalf by the chief interpreters and which has
been accepted by interpreters, the interpreters shall be paid an indemnity equal to
-
50% of the fee for the period offered and accepted, if cancellation takes place more than 30
days before the beginning of the appointment;
75% of the fee for the period offered and accepted, if the cancellation takes place between 16
and 30 days;
100% of the fee for the period offered and accepted, if cancellation takes place 15 days or less
before the beginning of the appointment.
The interpreter shall make every effort to find reasonably equivalent employment for the period in
respect of which such indemnities are payable, and if an organization or third party offers him such
employment the interpreter hereby agrees to inform IPU in order for the indemnity payable to be
reduced by one day for each day thereof.
14. Validity:
Rates for pay (work days, rest periods and travel days) are valid as of 1 October 2010. All other
conditions are valid as of the date of signature of this document. Terms and conditions are valid
until superseded by a new agreement.
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