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. The governance framework of the organization is through the provisions of the AFN Charter and the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. This hybrid combination results in a unique environment for conducting business and fulfilling mandates as directed by the First Nations-in-Assembly.
The AFN invites qualified individuals, firms, or organizations to submit proposals to provide professional and advisory services, including options and recommendations to support AFN’s review of the organization’s governance structures.
The means and conditions for achieving this should be guided by, though not necessarily limited to, attaining the minimum human rights standards articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration), and pursuant to the United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA).
Objective
The objective of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to select a bidder to provide a high quality of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality in conducting an organizational review of the Assembly of First Nations Secretariat, advising the Chief Executive Officer, providing options and making recommendations for improvements.
The review should include an examination of the Executive Committee’s role in decision making and advocacy work within the organization, as well as a review of the AFN communications processes and procedures, with a view to effectively meet the needs of First Nations leadership in every region.
The review should also include an examination of operational and reporting processes, Secretariat organizational structure, purpose and effectiveness of Chiefs’ Committees, Technical Committees and the Councils, including recommendations on how better to utilize these groups in the work at AFN.
The project is anticipated to start February 21, 2025 and last until June 13, 2025.
Background
AFN continues to be a key advocacy body working with First Nations leadership to advance the collective aspirations of First Nations. At the same time, the organization needs to be dynamic and adaptable to ensure it is meeting the needs of First Nations.
The AFN Executive Committee passed a motion on December 1, 2024, to instruct the CEO to move forward with an organizational review of the AFN Secretariat. It was articulated that an outside entity would be best placed to conduct the review and provide helpful recommendations to the CEO in support of ensuring the AFN is fulfilling its mandate. With a federal election scheduled for 2025, the timing is critical.
Scope of Work
The successful proponent shall conduct research, interview various stakeholders, and ultimately provide recommendations to the CEO.
Deliverables:
- Initial meeting(s) with the AFN CEO.
- Initial work plan with timeline and approved methodology.
- Literature review.
- Interviews with Executive Committee members.
- Interviews with staff.
- Interviews with committee and council members.
- Development of a final report with recommendations.
Potential areas to focus on, but not limited to, include the roles of Chiefs’ Committees and Councils, conflict of interest guidelines, resolutions process, communications processes (with regional offices, National Chief’s Office), staffing priorities, reporting processes to First Nations leadership and respect in the workplace, including recommendations made in the Panel 13 Report dated June 30, 2023.
Proposal Submission Instructions
All proposals shall be received by the AFN no later than February 14, 2025.
Only electronic submissions will be accepted, submitted via email as a PDF document to the Chief Executive Officer.
All proposals will clearly identify the name of the proponent and note “RFP for Organizational Review of the Assembly of First Nations Secretariat” in the subject line. Proposals may be sent by e-mail to Andrew Bisson, Chief Executive Officer, at [email protected]. Submissions by mail or fax will not be accepted.
Individuals shall indicate whether they identify as Indigenous and what Indigenous community acknowledges their membership. Corporate entities shall do the same for the ownership of the entity, and those who will undertake the work for said entity.
Late submissions will not be accepted, without exception.
Proposal Submission Requirements
All proposals shall 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
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:
| Overall Experience and Demonstrated Results | 20% |
| Budget Approach and Cost Effectiveness | 20% |
| Terms and Conditions | 10% |
| Indigenous Organization / Individual | 10% |
| Strategic Thinking and Planning Approach | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
Timetable
| Description of Deliverables | Due Date |
|---|---|
| 1. The project is anticipated to start February 21, 2025 and last until June 13, 2025. | June 13, 2025 |
| 2. 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. | June 13, 2025 |
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.
Clarification/Questions
All on-time proposals will be acknowledged. Requests for clarification and/or questions regarding this RFP should be directed to Andrew Bisson, Chief Executive Officer, at [email protected].
Responses/Submission
Only those submissions that meet the deadline will be considered. Responses to this RFP must be received by the close of business (5:00pm EST) on February 14, 2025. Responses may be sent by e-mail to Andrew Bisson, Chief Executive Officer, at [email protected]. Submissions by mail or fax will not be accepted.