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Work with the AFN

Adult Education Program and Capital Needs Assessment

INTRODUCTION

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is a national advocacy organization that works to advance the collective aspirations of First Nations individuals and communities across Canada on matters of national or international nature and concern.  The AFN hosts two Assemblies a year where mandates and directives for the organization are established through resolutions directed and supported by the First Nations in Assembly (elected Chiefs or proxies from member First Nations).

In addition to the direction provided by Chiefs of each member First Nation, the AFN is guided by an Executive Committee consisting of an elected National Chief and Regional Chiefs from each province and territory. Representatives from five national councils (Knowledge Keepers, Youth, Veterans, 2SLGBTQQIA+ and Women) support and guide the decisions of the Executive Committee.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to select a bidder to provide a high quality of professionalism, integrity and confidentiality for the Adult Education Program and Capital Needs Assessment.

The Adult Education Program and Capital Needs Assessment will seek to provide costing and identify unique needs for First Nations adult education. This project will include three components:

  1. An assessment of the required capital needs and current infrastructure gaps on reserve in administering adult education. The contractor will work with the AFN Languages and Learning Sector to review current education infrastructure data and develop a methodology to estimate adult education infrastructure needs. The contractor will identify additional infrastructure gaps that may exist such as transportation, digital needs, and other unique O&M needs.
  2. An analysis on how adult education is being administered in Canada. This analysis will identify gaps that exist for First Nations and the unique needs that are required for equitable adult education. This component will include recommendations on the existing First Nations adult education program structure. This component will include but is not limited to research and analysis on provincial/territorial program implementation and review of existing funding formulas.
  3. Calculate the total costs of First Nations adult education program needs, including considerations of educational fees, opportunity costs (e.g. lost wages from taking time off), childcare costs, relocation/transportation costs, and equipment/supplies costs. This component will also examine the benefits of investing in First Nations adult education and economies of scale as it relates to adult education implementation.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In 2019, AFN Resolution 34/2019, First Nations Education Infrastructure Review, was supported by Chiefs-in-Assembly, which mandated the Chiefs Committee on Education (CCOE), National Indian Education Council (NIEC), and AFN to review education infrastructure and make policy/program changes that respected First Nations control of First Nations education, resulting in the First Nations Education Infrastructure Capital Needs Assessment, the AFN First Nations Education Infrastructure O&M Needs Assessment, 2022, and the AFN First Nations Education Transportation Assessment, 2022.  Further analysis to address First Nations adult education capital needs is required.

AFN Resolution 21/2021: 2021 Post-Secondary Education Policy Proposal on First Nations Models provided the mandate for government to unlock Budget 2021 funding of $350 million over five years allocated regionally, to support First Nations in implementing programs that may include, but are not limited to, transitional programs to support PSE acceptance, high school graduation programs, language courses, culture and outdoor programs, literacy and basic skills courses, special education programs, professional development, and training for persons with disabilities. In 2022, this funding was split into two streams: a partial base-plus-per-capita methodology for implementation and expansion and an enrolment-based stream, creating the First Nations adult education (FNAE) and First Nations Adult Secondary Education (FNASE) Programs. Further analysis is required to identify all required costs in First Nations adult education and the effectiveness of the current program implementation.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

All proposals will clearly identify the name of the proponent and the adult education Program and Capital Needs Assessment.

All proposals will be sent to Director, Renee St. Germain ([email protected]) and received no later than February 5, 2024.  Late submissions will not be accepted and will be returned unopened without exception. Other proposal enquiries may be sent to Bram Lerat ([email protected]).

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

 All proposals shall include the following information:

  1. Project Overview: This section will include credentials, relevant past and current experience, the approach to the scope of work, a timeline for activities, management approach, work statement and schedule.
  2. Capabilities and Experience: This section will highlight relevant experience, skills and capacity, resources and or facilities to support work, foreseeable challenges and how to work with them, examples of recent relevant work.
  3. Project Budget: A detailed cost breakdown inclusive of salaries, resources, travel, materials and payment schedule. The budget should include a virtual meeting for project initiation and another for a final presentation on research.

RIGHTS OF THE AFN

The AFN reserves the right to:

  1. reject any or all proposals received in response to this Request for Proposals;
  2. enter into negotiation with one or more bidders on any or all aspects of their respective proposals;
  3. accept any proposal in whole, or in part;
  4. cancel and/or re-issue the modified version of a given RFP requirement at any time;
  5. award one or more contracts;
  6. verify all information provided with respect to a given RFP requirement, including the right to request a confirmation of the bidder’s legal status and signed documentation; and
  7. award contracts without competition for follow-up work, if any, to the selected bidder for a given project

EVALUATION CRITERIA

PROPONENT QUALIFICATIONS

Proponents should possess:

  1. Expert-level knowledge of First Nation-related social policy cost estimation and analysis with consideration of holistic well-being
  2. Demonstrated expertise in generating primary data sets (quantitative and qualitative) with First Nations and First Nations-led organizations
  3. Experience developing and issuing questionnaires to First Nations and First Nations-led organizations
  4. Demonstrated expert-level knowledge of the Government of Canada’s cabinet and budgetary systems, including central agencies and parliament
  5. Substantial experience collaborating with First Nations and First Nations-led organizations
  6. Trained in, and have, rigorous data custodial practices governed by OCAP® Principles

The AFN will select the Proponent(s) which, in the AFN’s sole discretion, best serves the needs of the AFN. The following is a summary of the general considerations that will be used to determine the Proponent(s) that will be selected:

1. Indigenous involvement and/or capacity

10%

2. Capacity to do the work

25%

3. Management of the work

15%

4. Methodology

15%

5. Quality of proposal

15%

6. Price

10%

7. Quality of the price quote

10%

TIMETABLE

The following dates are set forth for informational and planning purposes and may be changed at the AFN’s sole discretion.

Description of Deliverables Due Date

Introduction Meeting with AFN

March 2024

Research and Methodology Development

March 2024 – December 2024

Engagements and Research with First Nations

March 2024 – December 2024

Draft Analysis

January 2025

Final Analysis

February 2025

Hybrid Meeting and presentation to AFN and National Indian Education Council.

March 2025

 

The timetable is tentative only and may be changed by the AFN, in its sole discretion, at any time prior to the Proposal Submission Deadline.

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Price

Contractors must provide a firm fixed price, including administrative fees, travel, material costs, translation, printing of draft concepts and HST. 

Confidentiality
Responses to this RFP will be considered as confidential information by the AFN and will be used solely for the purposes of selecting the successful bidder.

 

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