January 9, 2011

Request for Proposals

Annual General Meeting Modernization

Technological Implementation Plan

Deadline – 3 weeks – Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011

From: Chess Federation of Canada ( CFC )

To Potential Bidders:

The CFC is going to modernize its once a year Annual General Meeting in July, 2011. At this meeting a number of governors of the CFC from across the country, who direct the CFC affairs, come together to meet and decide CFC policy, activities, etc. But given the expense involved in attending, only a small percentage of governors usually show up. We are therefore trying to make the AGM more inter-active by computer, etc., so governors across the country can participate in the meeting with the on-site governors, from their home computers in real time..

The CFC AGM Modernization Subcommittee, of which I am Chair , has developed a CFC AGM Model. It has also developed “ Notes on a Technological Implementation Plan “. The Model is set out below. If you are interested in putting in a proposal, please e-mail me ( bobarm@symapatico.ca ) and I will then e-mail you our “ Notes “ document for your further assistance in preparing the proposal.

We require a “ Technological Implementation Plan ( TIP ) “ for our model AGM. This is a very modest project, and have been told that it will not likely take an experienced IT person too much time to accomplish. We expect that the 2 documents we have prepared will be of some help in this. But we will likely be in due course, obtaining a volunteer “ AGM Trial Coordinator “ from among the governor ranks to handle this file, and that person may not be too technologically expertised. So the TIP must be simple and detailed enough that the Coordinator will understand what is required. One of our Subcommittee members, who has IT background, has suggested that likely we will need to hire/find a volunteer who has some specialized skill to actually run the on-site trial AGM operation, so this can also be taken into account in the TIP.

We are tendering this contract publicly on only a limited basis, since it is quite small, and should not be too costly.

Please advise in the TIP what you think is required to do this contract, the time frame for it, and what it will cost? Please send bids to me. The Subcommittee will then decide from among bids received.

Thanks in advance.

Bob Armstrong, CFC Governor, Chair, AGM Modernization Subcommittee
( bobarm@symapatico.ca )

A CFC Model AGM
( Revision # 2, August 12, 2010 )

Purpose of Modernizing the CFC AGM:

There are two main purposes of the modernization of the AGM :

1. to allow governors from across the country, who cannot make the AGM, to participate to a high degree in the AGM on-site proceedings.

2. to try to replace as much as possible, the somewhat anti-democratic " Proxy " system ( whereby an absent governor gives an attending governor his vote, allowing some governors to have 2 or 3 votes themselves ! ). Governors will be able to participate by computer interactivity, and vote from home, and so will not need to consider a proxy.

Components of a Modernized AGM:

1. On-site Component - This will have a face-to-face governor meeting component, as is now done. But it will use technology which will allow governors to participate from their own home computers – video and audio broadcasting; texting, both ways..

2. Website Use - It will employ a broadcasting server. Since it is employing a website, governors not present will not need to download any special program. They can just log in.

3. Webcam Use - It will use visual technology to give non-present governors greater participation. The video will coordinate with audio broadcasting. This way, when someone present at the AGM location is speaking, they will be able to be seen by non-present governors.

4. Audio Broadcast - It will use audio technology to give non-present governors greater participation, although this will be one-way broadcasting from the site, at the same time as the video broadcasting. Non-present governors will only need normal speakers to receive the audio of the meeting.

5. Text Participation - Non-present governors will participate by typing text into the laptop on site. The Secretary will read aloud the texts to the on-site governors.

6. “ Speaking “ Order - Non-present governors will indicate to the secretary on site with the laptop ( could be the CFC Secretary, or the CFC E.D, or someone else who can be on site ), that they wish to speak, and there will be a system for assigning the order of texting in. The secretary will read out the text to the present governors as he recognizes the text writers.

7. Voting – the Chair of the meeting, usually the President, will convey by webcam that he is calling a vote on a motion, after sufficient discussion. Then all non-present governors can type in their vote, which will be recorded by the secretary. This will therefore be a public vote, since everyone will see how governors are voting. This approximates the public voting by show of hands that will be occurring for the present governors. As well, there will a mechanism for private messages that can be used for confidential votes, such as elections which are traditionally by secret ballot.

8. Proxies – Governors will only be allowed their own vote – they will not be able to hold a proxy. But a governor not attending will be able to give his proxy to a substitute, a non-governor. This could either be a full discretionary proxy, or a “ directed “ proxy ( setting out the vote to be cast on the various motions ), or a combination.

9. Vote Registration Form – for those non-attending governors who do not want to get involved in the proxy system, they will be able to send to the secretary a voting certificate, setting out their vote for all motions, and the secretary will cast their votes at the relevant time.

We have been told that we are pretty much leading edge on trying to develop this model of large multi-person, multi-media conferencing, but that the technology to do this is currently out there. It just needs to be coordinated somehow to realize our project, since there is no existent package that does this ( according to a brief search by one of our CFC volunteer IT members – who hasn’t time to bid on the small contract we want to tender ).

We feel what we are proposing is much superior to current teleconferencing, and will attract more non-on-site governors across the country to participate. It is an advanced technology we are trying to implement, but apparently it is doable, and the expense is relatively low.

ACTION

The Subcommittee asks all CFC members to bring this RFP to the attention of any IT Specialist you know, whom you think would be able to do this contract for us. Thanks.

Bob Armstrong, Chair, AGM Modernization Subcommittee