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Work with the AFN

Asset Management Planning (AMP), Training and Awareness Implementation

INTRODUCTION

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is the national representative organization of First Nations people in Canada. The AFN represents and advocates First Nations interests for more than 600 First Nations from across the country.

The AFN invites qualified individuals and firms to submit proposals to design and implement asset management planning Asset Management Planning (AMP) training courses for First Nations, which will be delivered in hub cities across the country.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to select a proponent to provide professional services to oversee and implement AMP training and awareness materials developed for First Nations nationwide. The successful proponent will be expected to use training materials that have previously been developed by the AFN in 2021.

At a minimum, Proponents will be expected to provide the following:

  • Coordinate and deliver 10 in-person training/engagement sessions for First Nations, to be held over three days in at least six (6) regional locations nationwide.
    • The Train-the-Trainer course is made up of five -half days sessions.
    • Coordination is to include securing the training location, providing beverages, snacks, and lunch each day, and filling the attendee slots.
    • Tentative region breakdown: East Coast, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba/Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia (BC).
    • At least one session to be held in Northern BC or Alberta and to include attendees from the territories.
  • Use the previously developed 2021 AFN Asset Management for First Nations Train-the-Trainer training materials, which include PowerPoint presentations, handbooks, and other associated materials (Available in both French and English).
  • Track and maintain a record of the number of attendees on a per day basis.
  • Develop post-session surveys for attendees.
  • Provide feedback on the training sessions and training materials.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The role of the AFN is to advocate on behalf of First Nations as directed by Chiefs-in-Assembly. This includes facilitation and coordination of national and regional discussions and dialogue, advocacy efforts and campaigns, legal and policy analysis, communicating with governments, including facilitating relationship building between First Nations and the Crown as well as public and private sectors and the general public.

Each First Nation in Canada is entitled to be a member of the AFN. First Nations exercise their membership through their Chief (official delegate). There are over 634 First Nation delegates who are eligible to participate in the election of the National Chief.

AFN Resolution no. 26/2021 Support for Closing the Infrastructure Gap by 2030, directs the AFN to support regionally led engagement and regional priorities, working in partnership with Canada to support meaningful First Nations participation in engagement sessions.  Direct the AFN to call on Canada to work in full partnership and engage meaningfully with First Nations on First Nations-defined infrastructure needs, including a dedicated investigation into true housing and infrastructure needs and the co-development of an infrastructure plan to support closing the infrastructure gap.

AFN Resolution no. 22/2020 – Infrastructure Stimulus Funding for First Nations, encourages the continued support of the AFN in closure of the infrastructure gap on First Nations by 2030 and the support of First Nations in advancing their asset management goals through capacity development in asset management planning.

Furthermore, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states in Article 18, that… “Indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decision-making in matters which would affect their rights, through representatives chosen by themselves in accordance with their own procedures, as well as to obtain and develop their own Indigenous decision-making institutions.” Also, Article 23 states that… “Indigenous Peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, Indigenous Peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programmes through their own institutions.”

In 2021, the AFN developed asset management planning training courses, which includes materials such as a handbook and PowerPoint materials, intended for First Nations leadership (Chief & Council) and staff. The development of these “Train-the-Trainer” course modules are First Nations-led and were developed for the purpose of distributing to First Nations leadership and staff involved in infrastructure and community planning. It is important that First Nations learn what asset management planning entails and requires.

The AFN now calls upon a qualified firm to oversee, coordinate and implement the delivery of these training materials for First Nations peoples across the country.

The Train-the-Trainer materials were developed to deliver two Asset Management Planning courses, one for First Nations staff and one for Chiefs & Council. A brief summary of these AFN Training Materials that were completed in 2021 is detailed below. The successful proponent will have these materials available to them and will be expected to utilize the materials in the training delivery roll-out.

2021 AFN Training Materials for First Nations Chief & Council and Staff 

Asset Management for First Nations Staff is designed to help staff members learn about asset management and the steps, tools, and program to either continue their asset management journey or take the first step. Asset Management for Chiefs and Council is specifically tailored for decision-makers. Asset management has a big role to play in helping inform clear and accountable decision-making. 

Both courses are introductions to asset management. These courses are designed to support participants to learn enough to be ready to take first steps in developing an AMP.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

All proposal submissions shall be received by the AFN no later than January 5, 2024.

All proposal submissions will clearly identify in the email subject line with the name of the proponent and the document title “RFP for Asset Management Planning Training and Awareness Implementation”.

Late submissions will not be accepted.

All proposal submissions should be emailed to: [email protected] and cc: [email protected]

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All proposals shall include the following information:

  1. Title Page: referencing the RFP title, the firm’s name and address, the name, telephone number and email address of the contact person, and date of the proposal.
  2. Executive Summary: outlining the background information of the proponent’s company, including contents of the proposal.
  3. Qualifications: Provide a description of the proponent’s capabilities/experience specifically related to AMP training delivery.
  4. Statement and Description: of the physical and human resources required to carry out and complete the training sessions, including the minimum requirements covered in the Objective, and as well to include software and intellectual material.
  5. Project Organization: Identify the composition of the proposed project team, if any, including:
    1. Project team members.
    2. Description of the roles of the team members.
    3. Level of experience of the team members specific to asset management plan training.
  1. Client References: The names of three (3) references which have used the services of the proponent for AMP training and delivery. References to include the client’s name, title, contact information.
  2. Cost Breakdown: The Proponent shall provide a detailed cost breakdown for the proposed services, showing the total cost for the performance of all services, expenses, materials, deliverables, and software/hardware costs (if applicable), to be used for completion of the work. Include in the price breakdown how much an individual training session will cost. Total cost shall be in Canadian dollars and inclusive of HST.
  3. Project Deliverables: The Proponent shall provide AFN with the number of First Nations participating and a roll-up report identifying successes and challenges to AMP Training & Awareness Courses.

RIGHTS OF THE AFN

The AFN reserves the right to:

  1. reject any or all proposals received in response to this RFP;
  2. enter into negotiation with one or more Consultants 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 Consultant’s legal status and signed documentation; and
  7. award contracts without competition for follow-up work, if any, to the selected Consultant for a given project requirement.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The AFN will select the Proponent(s) which, at the AFN’s sole discretion, best serves the overall 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. Expertise of Firm/Organization submitting the proposal – 20%
  2. Experience in working with First Nations – 10%
  3. Experience in asset management planning – 10%
  4. Proposed Work Plan and Approach – 25%
  5. Experience in communications, facilitation, strategy development, project planning, budgeting, and training, as it applies to asset management planning – 25%
  6. Total price  – 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/Advertised/Posted – 2023/12/14

Deadline for questions – 2023/12/21

Deadline for submission of proposals – 2024/01/05

Completion of proposal evaluations – 2024/01/10

Finalist Interviews (if required) – 2024/01/11

Final Selection – 2024/01/12

Contract Start Date – 2024/01/17

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 proponent.

Clarification/ Questions

All proposal submissions will be acknowledged.

Requests for clarification and/or questions regarding this RFP should be directed to:

Liz Fox
Senior Analyst, Infrastructure
Economic Development, Infrastructure, and Fisheries
Assembly of First Nations
Email: [email protected] and cc: [email protected]

Submission

Only those submissions that meet the deadline will be considered.

Submissions to this RFP must be received by the close of business (5:00 pm EST) on January 5, 2024.  

Should a proponent’s proposal exceed 10Mb it is acceptable for the proponent to provide a link to a OneDrive file within the proposal submission email.

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