Chapter Guidebook for Conducting a National Education Seminar (NES)

Transcription

1 Chapter Guidebook for Conducting a National Education Seminar (NES) Program Year

2 2 Hosting an NES 13 Easy Steps to Conducting a National Education Seminar Step 1. Select a topic Step 2. Identify volunteers to staff the program Step 3. Select a date and location Step 4. Set the price Step 5. Select speaker(s) Step 6. Notify the NCMA National Office of your program Step 8. Market the programaterials Step 9. Accept registrations Step 10. Monitor attendance and order NES materials Step 11. Conduct the seminar Step 12. Recognize the volunteers and speaker(s) Step 13. Return unused NES sets and pay the NCMA National Office Step 1. Select a topic There are a variety of topics available, covering abroad range of subject areas. You will need to evaluate the available topics and determine which seminar(s) best fit the needs of the chapter. A list of available NES topics is available on the NCMA website. Step 2. Identify volunteers to staff the program Task 2.1: Select a chairperson. The first step to planning a successful NES is to staff the operation. It is critical for the chapter leaders (usually the president or vice president-) to select the seminar chairperson as early in the planning process as possible. This person assumes responsibility for the complete operation of the seminar from site and speaker selection through filing of the final report. Task 2.2: Form a team. The chairperson will want to secure as many volunteers as are needed to make the program work. How many is enough? It depends upon how much time the chairperson can invest in the program. It is not impossible for a single individual to do all of the work, however, at the very least, registrar and finance roles should be kept separate to maintain checks and balances. Suggested team members: a. Chairperson: overall responsibility for the program; reports to the chapter president; builds and maintains the team; submits the Chapter Commitment Form (CCF) to the National Office; develops the budget; approves expenditures; evaluates the program and communicates lessons learned to the chapter leadership; recognizes and rewards the volunteers. b. Registrar: receives registrations and payments; prepares a list of who is registered for the seminar; notifies National Office of new members; orders appropriate numbers of manuals from

3 National Office prior to the seminar; coordinates check-in of attendees at the seminar; distributes seminar materials; and records who is present. c. Finance Chair: keeps track of the money; receives payments from the registrar and deposits money into the chapter s treasury; pays bills; prepares and issues invoices; collects payments for purchase orders and training forms; prepares and submits the final report. d. Arrangements Chair: works with the hotel or host facility to coordinate the seminar room, audiovisual equipment, food, and beverage; reviews and approves hotel and catering bills. e. Publicity Chair: gets the word out to your chapter and the local community; writes ad for chapter newsletter and website; prepares and distributes brochures; issues press releases; coordinates with news media; puts NCMA promotional materials on display at the seminar. f. Program Chair: selects and coordinates the speaker(s); prepares an agenda; acts as master of ceremonies; introduces speaker(s); presents speaker gift. Your team may not fit this model. Emphasize to potential volunteers that any help is welcome, even for the smallest tasks. One hour of their time on the morning of the seminar to help check in attendees is terrific! The secret to success is having a plan for the work, and then working to the plan. Apply sound program management, develop a milestone schedule and budget and delegate tasks to as many reliable volunteers as you can identify, As mentioned earlier, it is important to separate the registrar and finance chair tasks. Separating the tasks will maintain checks and balances when handling chapter funds and mitigate the risk or risk of the appearance of impropriety, mismanagement or fraud. Step 3. Select a date and location Task 3.1: Select a date. Questions to ask include: a. What month do we want to hold the seminar? You need to start with a large target and narrow dates down as you ask the subsequent questions. Choose a month that on the surface appears to work with your chapter s program schedule. Summer months (from late June through August) is prime time for family vacations. Think about the weather January in Maine may not be a good choice. Recognize that if many of your customers come from government agencies (or suppliers that serve them), the end of their fiscal year will generally be an inopportune time to hold your seminar. 3 b. Is there a holiday nearby? Allow several days or at least a week before and after major holidays. c. What day of the week is best? Industry research says that the best days for seminars are Wednesday, Thursday, Tuesday, Friday, and Monday, in that order. d. When is our preferred facility available? Get a list of available dates from one or more venues before you call your speaker. Once you agree on the date with a property, get it in writing. e. When is your preferred speaker available? Many chapters use the same speakers year after year. Do not assume the speaker will hold their calendar open for the chapter. Once you have an array of available dates your preferred facility is available, contact the instructor with your

4 4 options. The more flexibility you have, the greater the chance that you will get your speaker of choice. Our most popular speakers tend to get a number of invitations, but they can only accommodate so many engagements. f. Are there any events competing for our members time or money? Ideally, the chairperson will be included in your chapter s strategic planning meetings, so they can coordinate plans with chapter leaders. Make sure you provide separation from other major chapter programs or you will be competing with yourself for the same customers! Brainstorm with your team to identify other events in the area that may conflict with your preferred dates this may include nonbusiness events (construction, road closures, concerts, and sporting events have been known to wreak havoc upon seminar plans). Note: Chapters are not permitted to host National Education Seminars during an NCMA World Congress, NCMA Government Contract Management Symposium or other Nationally Hosted Trainings. Chapters are also not permitted to host a National Education Seminar within 4-weeks of a National HQ held NES if the topics are the same or the locations are in close proximity to each other. Please go to the Events section of the website for dates of conferences and seminars. g. Can we pull this event together that quickly? The bottom line is to develop a plan that your team can comfortably accomplish. Accelerating the schedule to meet arbitrary deadlines will increase the risk of program failures. Task 3.2: Select a location. There are many factors to consider when selecting the location for your seminar. Here are some important ones: How much are we able to spend for room, audio/visual aids, food, and beverages? Do we have meal plans? Where are our key customers located? Do they have a desirable and easily accessible facility? How many people do we expect? Will the room space and setup allow for successful completion of NES activities, ie. table rounds with ample space for group exercises, where applicable. What are the parking arrangements? Will there be other events to consider, like a chapter membership meeting? All attendees will be charged the full material fee by NCMA. The chapter will be responsible for distributing materials and textbooks to attendees. Task 3.3: Establish a written agreement. Surprisingly, we commonly hear about chapter problems with seminar arrangements because of poor contracting practices. Once you have selected your location and settled on everything, remember to execute a contract most hotels, caterers and meeting facilities use standard forms. Make sure that whomever signs the contract is authorized to sign on behalf of the chapter refer to your chapter by-laws. The Arrangements Chair and Finance Chair will need copies. Step 4. Set the price Chapters set the price for their National Education Seminar. Important considerations include the chapter s fundraising objectives; the costs of course materials from the NCMA National Office, the meeting room, food, and/or refreshments, and other expenses; local market conditions; and overall fit with other chapter programs. Additionally, it is important to determine a registration deadline that

5 falls in line with the materials order placed through the National Office. The deadline to order materials from the National Office is two weeks prior to the seminar date. Any order placed inside of the two weeks will be shipped at the chapter s expense. An important consideration when setting your price is to know what your local market will bear. Highquality training in the contract management field is EXPENSIVE. It is not unheard of for other contract management seminar providers to charge up to $900 for a one-day seminar. It is highly recommended that you conduct some market research to find out what other associations, colleges, and professional training organizations charge for similar, one-day seminars in your local market. The bottom line is not to leave money on the table when setting your price. The NCMA National Office provides course materials at $65 or $95 per set before October 31, 2018; after October 31, 2018, the course materials are $75 or $105 per set. To receive the discounted price, the chapter must submit the Chapter Commitment Form to learningcenter@ncmahq.org by October 31, Pricing & Negotiating Commercial Item Contracts, FAR Essentials, and Key Contract Terms & Conditions NES Topics Includes workbook. All other NES Topics Includes corresponding textbook and workbook. Early Rate (before 10/31) $65/attendee $95/attendee Regular Rate (after 11/1) $75/attendee $105/attendee The National Office provides instructor materials directly to the instructors (limit 2) at no charge through a dedicated online site termed the NES Resources Page. The National Office also provides evaluation forms, certificates of completion, and an NES roster with the NES materials (New! These items will now be ed to the chapter contact, hard copies will no longer be shipped). The NES roster is a way for the National Office to keep track of participants who attend chapter NESs. We also offer various publicity materials at no charge (based on availability). NES material sets vary by NES and may include a current, full-length textbook on the subject by a nationally known author and/or a workbook that includes comprehensive resources, seminar slides, exercises, and handouts. The fee of either $65/$75 or $95/$105 per materials set covers the cost of not only the NES materials but also royalty fees to the seminar author; production costs for the Train-The-Trainer video, and teleconferences; the Facilitation Guide, as applicable, materials shipment to the chapter; national advertising for the NES; maintenance of the National Speaker Roster; National Office staff to administer the NES program. If the leadership of the local NCMA chapter does not believe it can effectively sell its NES at a price that allows it to absorb the fee of up to $105 per material set, then it should consider conducting some other alternative event in lieu of an NES. See notes that follow. IMPORTANT NOTES: 1) The National Office will not discount the $65/$75 or $95/$105 fee per material set under any circumstances. The National Office will not sell the NES slide deck, textbook, or student workbooks, as separate items for the purpose of reducing chapter NES costs. 5

6 6 NCMA National NES materials are copyrighted to NCMA National and/or the authors and publishers of the materials. Unauthorized reproduction or other use of the NCMA National NES materials is prohibited. Unauthorized reproduction or other use of NCMA National NES materials is subject to legal and administrative sanctions from both NCMA National and the material authors and publishers. 2) The term NCMA National Education Seminar (NES) may only be used in conjunction with seminars sanctioned by the NCMA National Office. Local NCMA chapters may conduct other educational seminars and conferences at their discretion but are prohibited from promoting and advertising these as National Education Seminars or as an NES. New members may join at the price of $150 when in conjunction with an NES. The $25 initiation fee is waived. Members may also pay for their renewal at the same time as their seminar registration as a convenience to them (their membership renewal price is $150). To avoid price competition pressures when other chapters located near you are offering the seminar, it is advisable to coordinate planned NES dates with other chapters in your geographic area. The NCMA Chapter List is located in the Membership section of the NCMA website. Step 5. Select speaker(s) The National Office solicits speakers from our membership and other experts. They are invited to participate in a Train-the-Trainer program where we walk them through the course materials with the development team. We also make sure these speakers understand NCMA s expectations and standards. Prior to the NES it is important that the chapter discuss with the volunteer speaker(s) if assistance is needed with travel or lodging expenses. Remember that volunteer speakers donate their time to present these training seminars for the chapters. The NCMA Speaker Roster, located in the Members Only section of the NCMA website provides a list of individuals who have self-identified as experts, interested in speaking on specific topics. (You must be signed in to the NCMA website to view the Speaker Roster). Another option is to search the NCMA Board of Advisors for a potential speaker. Additionally, you may have someone in your chapter that is qualified to present the seminar. The NCMA staff can provide suggestions based on past evaluations as well. To maintain consistent quality: Speakers must agree to NCMA terms and present NCMA-provided materials, and; Chapters must distribute, announce and return completed evaluation forms to the NCMA National Office. Step 6. Notify the NCMA National Office of your program Marketing efforts and material planning both require early notification of your event. Task 6.1: Submit the seminar information to the National Office. Complete the Chapter Commitment Form at least 30 days in advance of the seminar date and it to learningcenter@ncmahq.org. It is available on the NCMA website at Include the following details, if known: a. Chairperson contact information b. Registrar contact information. All registrations and inquiries are directed to this person. This information also appears in advertisements.

7 c. Seminar date, check-in, start and end times d. Location, including the name of the facility, address, and website (if available). e. The registration fees for those attending your seminar. This price should be based on the market research you have gathered for your local area. As always, remember that you must establish separate pricing for NCMA members and nonmembers. f. Speaker(s), including contact information and biography. The instructor name(s) and biography(ies) may be used in advertising, depending upon available space and timing. g. The address for which the NES materials are to be mailed. The order deadline is two weeks prior to the seminar date. h. Chapter registration flyer and online registration link (if available); If applicable, the link you provide will be used on NCMA s website to direct registrants to your registration page. Task 6.2: Notify the National Office of seminar changes. It is important to communicate with the National Office any changes you may have, specifically with regard to venue or registration deadlines. The National Office will then be able to update the National website and any marketing pieces promoting the seminar. All changes should be submitted in writing to learningcenter@ncmahq.org. One last tip on submitting the Chapter Commitment Form to the National Office: Submit information as you make decisions. Do not wait until you have all of the information (which may not be until only a month before the seminar!) It is best for us to have some details earlier on (which at least allows us and potential attendees to begin planning) than waiting until later for complete information. Note that while 30 days is the minimum to receive materials, marketing efforts required more time, for example, Contract Management magazine editorial calendar requires ads be submitted 60 days prior to the publishing date. Step 7. Prepare any additional training materials The National Office has established the NES Education Program Page to house the instructor presentation slides and materials including course description and learning objectives. Topics may also include a facilitator s guide book which instructors must use in their instruction of the topic. This assists chapters in planning their event. Access to the resources page will be available to all chapter presidents. NES chairpersons and NES instructors will receive access once the National Office receives the chapter commitment form. Standard materials such as books and workbooks will be included in the NES shipment. Discuss with the instructor(s) if there are additional materials to be included as handouts or printed resources, as appropriate for your audience. You will need to print any additional materials for your seminar attendees. Step 8. Market the program Time permitting, the NCMA National Office will market the program using one or more of the following methods of communication: The NCMA national website; Contract Management magazine); and Stand-alone to NCMA members within the surrounding area (limit of one per chapter, sent one month in advance of NES). 7

8 8 The chapter is encouraged to market the program using any of the following or other means: newsletters, chapter website, social networks, brochures, broadcast , Chamber of Commerce, or direct correspondence. If you need assistance accessing your chapter roster, contact NCMA Chapter Relations at Step 9. Accept registrations Chapters are responsible for tracking who attends the seminar and who has paid for their attendance. Chapters are responsible for collecting payment from attendees prior to the seminar date. The National Office will not process registrations for a chapter-hosted NES. See Task 9.5 for establishing merchant account. It is also recommended that the registration deadline coincide with the material order deadline, which is two weeks prior to the seminar date. Task 9.1: Create a registration form. Create a registration form that clearly outlines your NES program details. Post your registration form on the chapter s website, and if possible, include links to the registration form in the chapter e-blasts promoting the seminar. If submitted to the National Office, NCMA will post the registration form with the NES listing on the National Office website. Include these details in your registration form: Topic name Date, time, and check-in Location Registration fees, deadlines, and cancellation/refund policy Attendee contact information, e.g., name, title, organization, , phone, etc. Special accommodation needs Emergency contact information Payment options Task 9.2: Establish a cancellation and substitution policy. Clearly outline the cancellation or substitution policy on the registration form. Consider also applying a cancellation fee, which makes an attendee s commitment stronger and eliminates those who would sign up knowing that they can cancel without financial penalty. A cancellation policy protects your budget and reduces the number of last-minute cancellations. You should also consider the material order deadline date (two weeks prior to the seminar date) when determining your cancellation date. Example: Cancellations, Substitutions, and Requests for Refunds Cancellations and requests for refunds must be received in writing before June 15, 2017, the NCMA Chapter will refund your meeting registration, less a $75 administrative fee. Refunds will not be made after June 15 or for no-shows. Cancellation request or substitution requests should be sent to registrar@ncmachapter.org. Task 9.3: Maintain a registration list. Keep the list up to date; keep an eye on the projected attendance, the caterer, and facility. The anticipated attendance number is important when planning to have the appropriate size room, amount of refreshments, and number of seminar materials. Extra space, food, and seminar materials all affect your bottom line! Task 9.4: Prepare and issue invoices for purchase orders and government training forms. Chapters are responsible for ensuring seminar attendees pay before they attend

9 the NES. Be careful to note if registration forms indicate payment will be made by credit card or check. The National Office will not process registrations or payments for a chapter-hosted NES. Task 9.5 Deposit registration payments. Take cash and checks then deposit them into the chapter s bank account. A separate account is usually not necessary you need the money for operating capital (deposit on room, supplemental material printing, caterer). If your chapter has the ability to process credit card payments, charge the cards upon receipt of the registration. If you wish to inquire about obtaining this ability for your chapter, contact the chapter relations manager at the National Office, The chapter will have to work to establish a merchant account for credit card payments prior to the NES. Task 9.6: Provide new and renewal membership applications to the National Office. NCMA encourages attendees to join or renew membership with their seminar registrations. It is important that members receive credit as soon after payment as possible, to enable new members to start receiving benefits and to ensure continued benefits for renewing members. New members may join at the price of $150 (or current rate) when they register for an NES at the same time. The $25 (or current) initiation fee is waived. Membership applications and separate membership payment should be submitted directly to the NES program administrator along with the NES roster for appropriate discount and processing. Step 10. Monitor attendance and order NES materials Once the registrations start rolling in, your chapter needs to monitor how many registrations it has and how many you reasonably expect to receive. This will become very important when the chapter places its order. Two weeks prior to the seminar, your chapter registrar will be ed to place its FINAL order. Please plan accordingly. This order should be based on the number of registrations that you have, two weeks prior to the seminar. It is recommended that the registration deadline coincide with the material order deadline. Chapters are permitted to order no more than 10 additional sets to cover any walk-ins and last-minute registrations they may receive. The National Office will arrange for your order to be shipped directly to the address provided on the chapter commitment form. Chapters will be invoiced for any additional (second-day, next-day, etc.) shipments requested. It is important to estimate as accurately as possible the number of sets you will need. Once the materials arrive at your indicated location, be sure to keep the packing slip just in case you need to return unused sets. The chapter has the financial responsibility of returning unused sets, up to 10, at its own cost, within 15 days of the NES. Step 11. Conduct the seminar Once you have followed the above steps, you should expect a successful event. Careful preparation has its rewards! Approximately one to two weeks before the scheduled date, use the following checklist to ensure all goes smoothly on the day of the seminar. 9

10 10 Review room setup and equipment. Have you arranged for the hotel/conference center or your own facility to set up the meeting room according to your specifications (e.g., lecture hall style, classroom, tables of eight, etc.)? Have you reserved or obtained the necessary audio-visual equipment for the presentation (e.g., laptop, LCD projector, screen, microphones, easels)? Greet your speaker(s). Be sure to make your guest speaker(s) feel right at home. Decide who will meet them, and make sure that they are comfortable with the room set-up and audiovisual arrangements. Registration. Check in participants and distribute book/workbook sets and any handouts. It is convenient to set up a table by the entrance to the meeting room where the NES Registrar and one or two-chapter volunteers can welcome the attendees and check-in the registrants, as well as distribute seminar materials. This station also serves as a central point to answer questions and provide information for your attendees. Network. Each NES is not solely an educational session. It is also a wonderful opportunity for your members and guests to meet each other, catch up on the latest news, and welcome new members into your chapter. As chapter leaders, encourage more involvement and interaction among your guests. Breaks throughout the day provide the perfect occasion for networking. Announcements. Determine the best time to make general chapter announcements, perhaps after lunch, between speakers, or before a break. Restrict the announcement to essential information and keep it brief. Introduce speaker(s). Among your chapter volunteers, decide who will introduce the instructor(s) to the audience. Breaks. Have clear break times, equally spaced throughout the session. Tell attendees when the breaks will be and stick to it. This will minimize people leaving during the instruction. Food and beverage. Providing food for attendees is a nice touch but is not required. You must be clear about exactly what will be included in your Chapter Commitment form. Always provide water for attendees. If you do provide food, It may be best to provide a continental breakfast (e.g. bagels, scones, muffins, coffee, tea, etc.) for attendees starting approximately one hour before the scheduled start time. During breaks, your guests would appreciate fresh coffee, cookies or other sweets, and perhaps soft drinks. If you provide lunch, the same caterer would probably have creative and cost-effective ideas that would best meet your requirements. Distribute evaluation forms and certificates of attendance. During the afternoon break, hand out certificates of attendance and advise the attendees to complete the evaluations. These are to be collected and sent to the National Office within 15 days of the seminar. Certificates of attendance can be provided at the last break or laid out on a table for attendees to pick up on their way out. Step 12. Recognize the volunteers and speaker(s) Task 12.1: Recognize and thank the instructor. Volunteer instructors take time off from their primary responsibilities, spending vacation time or foregoing billing hours (and sometimes even spend money traveling) to share their expertise with your chapter. It is customary to provide a small, but meaningful, gift as a token of your appreciation. Cost is not the most important consideration when

11 selecting a gift something that brings your chapter or area to mind works well, like a framed picture. Gift cards are also appropriate and convenient for speakers traveling by air. If you want to make a donation to an organization on the instructor s behalf, it is best to ask the instructor for their approval before announcing the donation. Remember to publicly thank the instructor for their presentation, and follow up within a couple of weeks following the seminar with a written thank-you letter. NCMA will also provide a certificate of instruction to the speaker. Task 12.2: Recognize and thank the volunteers. Chapter volunteers also donate their time and energy to make your program successful. It is customary to recognize them individually small gifts, like pen sets or gift certificates, if you have the budget, work well. However, many volunteers are quite satisfied with less tangible recognition, such as publicly introducing and thanking them at the seminar and putting their picture and a write-up in your chapter newsletter, ChaptersConnect, or Contract Management magazine. In cases where your volunteers above and beyond the call of duty, consider nominating them for one of NCMA s national awards. Follow up within a couple of weeks with a written thank-you. (Volunteers may also need the written letter for recertification credit or continuing education credits). Step 13. Return unused NES sets and pay the NCMA National Office After the seminar, there are a few required tasks to close the books on your program. Task 13.1: Submit membership applications. In the process of receiving seminar registrations, you will receive new membership applications and membership renewal applications. It is essential that you track these membership applications and forward them to the NCMA National Office in a timely manner. New members may join at the price of $150 when applying concurrent with their seminar registration. The $25 initiation fee is waived. These applications and separate payment should be submitted directly to the NES program administrator along with the NES roster for appropriate discount and processing. It is suggested that the chapter gather all applications and submit them in one group to the National Office within 15 days of the seminar. Task 13.2: Submit seminar evaluation forms and NES Roster. Seminar evaluation forms are oneway NCMA manages product quality. Speaker performance, quality of materials, and other feedback is obtained through these forms. It is essential to the success of the NES program that chapters return the seminar evaluation forms within 15 days of the seminar. NES Rosters are the only means by which NCMA can confirm participant attendance at chapter-sponsored NESs. It is essential that the rosters and evaluation forms are returned within 15 days of the seminar. Task 13.3: Return excess NES sets. If you have NES materials remaining after the seminar, you can choose to sell the excess manuals, use them for another purpose (such as a gift or award), or, if in new condition, return them to NCMA National for a credit, up to 10 sets, within 15 days. The NCMA National Office will invoice the chapter for the number of NES sets it ordered less the number of sets returned directly by the chapter to the National Office. No returned items will be credited after 15 days. 11

12 12 Task 13.4: Pay the NCMA National Office a. The chapter will be invoiced on the day materials are shipped/ordered through the NCMA National Office. This invoice will not reflect any sets that you have returned for credit, due to the length of time involved with the return process. Please remember to contact the NCMA National Office with the number of sets returned to receive a revised invoice. Enclose a check or credit card number for the balance of the final invoice. b. For your convenience, the packing slip provides an area for you to document returned books, if applicable. c. A chapter official should complete this section of the invoice and sign and return with payment within 30 days of the NES. Here is an example to illustrate the process: NCMA ABC chapter contacted the National Office on June 1 two weeks before its scheduled seminar on June 15. The chapter coordinator placed an order for 50 books. On June 15, the date of the seminar, the chapter coordinator noted that only 46 total books were actually distributed or kept by the chapter. The chapter decided to return the four unused sets to the NCMA National Office. The unused sets would be returned to the National Office by June 30. On the invoice received from the National Office, the appointed chapter official completed parts 2 and 3 as follows: 1. Initial books ordered $105 each) $5, # of books returned to NCMA National: (If applicable) 4 3. # of books used/kept by chapter: (Item 1 Item 2) 46 3a) TOTAL AMOUNT DUE: ($105 x number entered in Item 3 above) $4, The appointed chapter official should remit payment (within 30 days of the NES) directly to NCMA for materials used and return unused NES sets and completed evaluation forms (within 15 days of the NES).