Development of a Jordan’s Principle Communication Hub

INTRODUCTION

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is a national advocacy organization that works to advance the collective aspirations of First Nations. The AFN hosts at least two Assemblies each 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). The AFN is also guided by an Executive Committee consisting of an elected National Chief and Regional Chiefs from each province and territory.

As part of the longstanding history of advocating for Jordan’s Principle, the AFN is seeking a qualified contractor to develop a communication hub to ensure individuals, families, professionals, and policy workers can find valuable and current information about Jordan’s Principle in an accessible space.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this RFP is to select a Contractor to develop a virtual space for individuals, families, professionals, and policy workers to find valuable information about Jordan’s Principle. This includes creation of a web platform to house information, and the development of products such as videos, information sheets, interactive maps, frequently asked questions, and other content as determined by the Contractor and the AFN. The information must be easy to navigate and be accessible by any person, and therefore knowledge translation and plain language is a key goal of this work. In addition to the virtual space and products, the Contractor would be responsible to develop a suite of social media posts on a variety of platforms to create awareness of the virtual space and of any changes and updates. In addition to the virtual hub, the Contractor will develop print-ready materials to mail out to First Nations in a variety of formats and First Nations languages to share information about Jordan’s Principle and the communications hub.

Content for the virtual space could include an overview of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) proceedings and the goals of long-term reform of Jordan’s Principle; the life and legacy of Jordan River Anderson; how to access Jordan’s Principle; what to do if you experience delays; examples of completed individual and group applications; and any additional material at the AFN’s discretion.

Submissions will be reviewed by an internal panel within the Social Development Sector and will be assessed according to the criteria provided in the “Evaluation Criteria” section of this RFP. Proposals are due to the AFN no later than 5:00pm EDT on Friday, July 5, 2024.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Jordan’s Principle is named in honour of Jordan River Anderson, a First Nations child from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba, who was born with complex medical needs and did not receive the services he needed because the governments of Canada and Manitoba could not agree on payment for his care. Jordan passed in hospital at age five, never having the chance to live in his family’s home or community because of this jurisdictional dispute. Jordan’s fight for equity has created a lasting impact for all First Nations children and families. Jordan River Anderson’s legacy lives on through Jordan’s Principle and will continue to improve the lives and wellbeing of First Nations children and families for generations.

Jordan’s Principle is a child-first legal principle that ensures First Nations children have access to the services and supports they need, no matter where they live. Jordan’s Principle also takes into account substantive equality, taking into consideration the circumstances of the child – such as cultural, social, economic and historic factors. This recognizes that, in some cases, First Nations children may require services and supports that are not necessarily available to other children in order to achieve equal outcomes. Jordan’s Principle ensures that First Nations children have access to services and supports in a way that reflects their distinct cultural needs, takes account of historical disadvantage linked to colonization, and ensures that they do not experience service denials, delays or disruptions because they are First Nations.

In February 2007, the AFN and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society filed a complaint under the Canadian Human Rights Act stating the Government of Canada was discriminating against First Nations children and families by underfunding the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program on-reserve and in the Yukon, and by applying a narrow interpretation of Jordan’s Principle. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) agreed with the complainants in the 2016 CHRT 2 landmark decision and ordered the federal government to end its discrimination, immediately reform the FNCFS Program, and fully implement Jordan’s Principle.

SCOPE OF WORK

The successful proponent will work with the AFN to:

Project Requirements

Develop a project workplan for discussion and review with the AFN project team.
Conduct a scan of existing materials on Jordan’s Principle and identify gaps, needs, etc. by engaging with key stakeholders.
Engage with the AFN, regions, key tables such as the Jordan’s Principle Action Table (JPAT) and the Jordan’s Principle Operations Committee, and federal counterparts to identify topics, materials, etc., and to poll for utility and accessibility.
Develop interactive materials and information on Jordan’s Principle, in collaboration with the AFN and the JPAT
Develop a web platform for the communications hub, including graphic design, website hosting and administration, and eventual transfer to AFN.
Pilot the web platform and information materials with key stakeholders.
Launch the web platform, including development of social media messaging to broadcast about the launch and future updates.
Develop print-ready materials to be shared with First Nations in a variety of formats and languages, including translation, print and postage.

Contractor Qualifications

Expertise in website development and administration, graphic design, and the development of communication material development including infographics, posters, and social media posts.
Demonstrated knowledge in research, analyzing and compiling resources, and resource mapping.
Knowledge of Jordan’s Principle and the unique needs of First Nations children.
Knowledge of First Nations, knowledge translation, and communicating with a wide array of audience members.
Ensure all work is compliant with OCAP® principles.

Project Timeline

Deliverables	Expected Date
Initial project meeting and regular virtual meetings with AFN Social Development Sector	July 2024
Development of a detailed workplan and timeline	August 2024
Interim website	October 2024
Communication materials and communication plan	November 2024
Final website and materials	December 2024
Translation	December 2024 – January 2025
Launch and Mail-Out	January 2025

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

All proposals shall be received by the AFN no later than Friday, July 5, 2024 at 5:00pm EDT.

Only electronic submissions will be accepted, submitted via email as a PDF document to the Acting Director of Social Development. All proposals must clearly identify the name of the proponent and the note “RFP for the development of a Jordan’s Principle Communications Hub” in the subject line. Proposals may be sent by e-mail to Lauren Doxtater, Acting Director of Social Development, at [email protected]. Submissions by mail or fax will not be accepted.

Late submissions will not be accepted, without exception.

All proposals should include the following information:

Name
Address
A summary outlining the background of the proponent’s company, the proposal contents, and any specific exceptions to the stated requirements.
A description of the proponent’s qualifications, capabilities and experience specifically related to the Request for Proposals, including demonstrated experience and qualifications related to OCAP®.
A description of the physical and human resources required to complete the activities outlined in the Request for Proposals, including identification of the project team members, if any, and their roles and experience.
A proposed timeline and methodology that identifies the time and resources required to complete the proposed work.
A cost breakdown for the proposed services, in Canadian dollars and inclusive of HST.
The name, title and contact information for three (3) references that have used the services of the proponent.

RIGHTS OF THE AFN

The AFN reserves the right to:

Reject any or all proposals received in response to this Request for Proposals;
Enter into negotiation with one or more bidders on any or all aspects of their respective proposals;
Accept any proposal in whole, or in part;
Cancel and/or re-issue the modified version of a given RFP requirement at any time;
Award one or more contracts;
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
Award contracts without competition for follow-up work, if any, to the selected bidder for a given project requirement.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

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:

Expertise of firm/organization submitting the proposal, including relevance of the proponent’s experience for the project content

20%

Experience working with First Nations and First Nations organizations

20%

Proposed work plan and approach, including allocation of time to tasks and activities identified in the proposal

20%

Total price associated with proposed tasks and activities

20%

Overall impressions of the proposal

Indigenous organization or individual

10%

TIMETABLE

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

RFP released/posted	Monday, June 17, 2024
Deadline for Questions	Friday, June 28, 2024
Deadline for proposal submission	Friday, July 5, 2024
Completion of proposal evaluations	Friday, July 12, 2024
Final selection	Friday, July 19, 2024
Expected contract start date	Monday, July 22, 2024
Expected contract end date	Friday, January 31, 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. The price must include translation of materials and content into French and First Nations languages. This also must include the cost of printing and postage to send materials to First Nations communities.

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.

Clarification/Questions

Requests for clarification and/or questions regarding this RFP must be received by 5:00pm EDT on Friday, June 28, 2024 and should be sent by email to Lauren Doxtater, Acting Director of Social Development, at [email protected].

Responses/Submission

All on-time proposals will be acknowledged. Only those submissions that meet the deadline will be considered. Responses to this RFP must be received by 5:00pm EST on Friday, July 5, 2024.

Responses must be sent by e-mail to Lauren Doxtater, Acting Director of Social Development, at [email protected].