NOAA ISO Magician

Just a few weeks after Congress got all hot and bothered by an expensive government conference that featured clowns, a mind reader and magician, another federal agency is now advertising for a magician to be a motivational speaker at a June gathering just outside Washington, D.C.

The group requesting the magician is NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, is the umbrella organization in the Commerce Department that includes the National Weather Service.

Their 'help wanted' ad on a special federal government web site asks for someone to use "magic tricks, brain teasers, word games, humor, and teambuilding exercises, designed to demonstrate how to stimulate creativity, encourage active participation and practice needed skills and competencies."

The magician would have to be available for "one or more days" of this leadership conference, which is schedule for June 12-14 in Silver Spring, Maryland, where the offices of NOAA are located, just outside of Washington, D.C.

The ad is officially titled, "Conference Speaker on Magic of Change."

Earlier this year, another NOAA ad showed the agency looking for someone to do a similar motivational speech to a group of about 45 people - but instead of a magician, it was someone with mountain climbing experience.

The ad asked for someone who could create and "present a unique model of translating mountaineering tools, techniques and experiences into a method of teaching leadership."

This story crops up at an interesting time, because next week, the House is set to consider the spending bill that governs NOAA.

Here is the ad for the magician:

National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA)

Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)

LEAP Training/Management Conference

Magic of Change

      I.         Introduction

The Contractor shall provide the identified services in support of a training conference for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA), Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), Leadership Effectiveness & Advancement Program (LEAP).

The LEAP Training Conference is a quarterly meeting of NOAA personnel enrolled in the Leadership Effectiveness and Advancement Program (LEAP) designed to examine, in a collegial setting, the theory, techniques, and tools of effective management and leadership, especially as they pertain to the organization’s functional processes (budgets, finance, and human resources), to review and analyze common cross-cutting problems/issues effecting, and to improve methods of applying leadership that can make the work environment more productive.  This conference will address the following topics: executorship (getting results), entrepreneurialism (risk-taking), ethical behavior (applying rules and regulations), and emotional intelligence (building productive relationships).  These conferences, when conducted by other agencies, have demonstrated that they enable the organization to improve its delivery of high quality products and services.

    II.         Statement of Work

It is desired to procure services as specified. Services to be procured include: Contractor shall provide a motivational speaker for an estimate of 45 attendees from the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR).  The conference is scheduled for one full day as agreed during the conference schedule dates of June 12, 2012 through June 14, 2012. The Leadership Conference should be engaging, interactive, include well-respected and inspirational speaker(s), and include streams by which attendees can select particular break-out sessions.

A.   Task Specific

The Contractor shall:

Created a unique model of translating magic and principals of the psychology of magic, magic tools, techniques, and experiences into a method of teaching leadership.

Include a self designed set of experiential exercises as part of student participation.

Provide a draft agenda, including identification of speakers (if applicable), workshops and other conference components, to the Program Office for review and comment prior to finalization no later than May 31, 2012 and a final agenda within 5 days before the conference.

The contractor will be responsible for the successful execution and delivery of the LEAP conference speech on a date to be determined.

Provide the agency with Post-Conference Debrief and Written Evaluation

Summary within three-(3) weeks after conference.

B.    Facilities

The government shall furnish building facilities to the Contractor to include a main conference room. The use of outside space including decks, patios, and open fields will be included. All equipment (audio-visual) provided by the government can be utilized by the contractor to include but not limited to:

For Meeting Room: 1 podium with microphone, 1 overhead projector with remote, 1 projection screen, 1 VCR, one computer with a USB port, power cords, extension cords, surge protectors, 5 flipcharts with markers, 4 easels, white board, 1 speaker phone, pencils and pads.

C.    Location

The conference site will be outside Silver Spring Complex and Metro area, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. It will be in a location convenient to the Washington, DC, and airports.

D.   Qualification of Personnel

The Contract shall:

Be for a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP)

Understand and be experienced at presenting the work of Dr Howard Gardiner on multiple intelligences and how this relates to creativity and obtaining team solutions.

Have presentations with a multidisciplinary approach using experiential exercises, physical energizers, magic tricks, puzzles, brain teasers, word games, humor, and teambuilding exercises, designed to demonstrate how to stimulate creativity, encourage active participation, and practice needed skills and competencies.

Available for one or more days from during the conference scheduled dates (June 12, 2012 through June 14, 2012).