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.
A National First Nations Homelessness Hybrid Dialogue Session is tentatively scheduled for the week of July 31 to August 4, 2023. The focus of this dialogue session will be to allow participants to review and provide input into a draft National First Nations Homelessness Action Plan. The AFN is seeking proposals for an Event Planner/Coordinator and Facilitator to provide planning, coordination, notetaking, and reporting services, as well as on-site facilitation of the event.
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 carrying out coordination and facilitation services for a hybrid national dialogue session focused on seeking input and feedback on a draft National First Nations Homelessness Action Plan.
The work will be completed between June 5 and September 15, 2023 and all coordination services well be rendered leading up to the Dialogue Session, which has been tentatively planned for early August, 2023 with an exact date to be confirmed.
The Dialogue session will be held in a hybrid format, with available space for 75 participants in-person with capacity to meaningfully engage online participants as well.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The AFN’s mandate for its work on homelessness comes from resolution 79/2019: Action Plan for First Nations homelessness on and off reserve. The resolution calls on the AFN to develop an Action Plan that identifies comprehensive, multi -partner, short, medium, and long-term solutions to First Nations homelessness, and that aligns with the National First Nations Housing and Related Infrastructure Strategy. The scope of the Action Plan will look at homelessness within First Nations communities, including forms of hidden homelessness that are often undercounted, as well as partnerships and resources required to support First Nations in providing necessary services and supports to their members no matter where they live.
To-date, the AFN housing and homelessness sector has conducted a number of research and engagement activities aimed at the supporting the development of the Action Plan.
- A systematic review of academic and grey literature related to First Nations homelessness;
- An environmental scan which focused on compiling and cross-referencing available data, such as Census and point-in-time count data to determine how many First Nations people are experiencing homelessness across Canada, along with other pertinent data;
- A systems map, which looked at how First Nations access services aimed at supporting people experiencing homelessness, as well as gaps in access to services and supports
- The AFN’s first National First Nations Homelessness Symposium, held in June 2021
- 16 virtual regional engagement sessions with First Nations leadership, staff, service providers and others across the country held in 2022
- A national survey aimed at First Nations leadership and staff, service providers, and community members.
- Discussions with homelessness service providers and advocates
Results, input and recommendations from all of the research and engagement conducted to-date has been reviewed, synthesized and compiled to develop the draft Action Plan. This draft will ultimately be brought forward to First Nations-in-Assembly for approval at the December 2023 AFN Special Chiefs Assembly which will help to establish the AFN’s continued mandate to proceed with activities related to its implementation.
The National First Nations Homelessness Hybrid Dialogue Session is intended to provide an opportunity for First Nations leadership, staff, homelessness service providers, and community members an opportunity to review and provide input into an initial draft of the Action Plan before it is brought forward to First Nations-in-Assembly for approval and implementation.
SCOPE OF WORK
Project Requirements
The successful proponent must provide:
Preparatory:
- An initial meeting with the AFN Housing & Homelessness Sector, as well as participation in regular planning meetings to review logistics, communications, etc.
- Provide ongoing logistical support in preparation of the event, including agenda logistics and planning, developing a critical path with milestones leading up to the event, etc.
- Assist with securing a venue with capacity for 75 people in both plenary and breakout sessions as required for the proposed engagement facilitation approach.
- Oversee coordination and onboarding of presenters, including invitations to any identified speakers, RSVPs, biographies, presentation materials, etc.
- Support the coordination and development of invitations for participants.
- Support the development of materials and a process to communicate with potential delegates (Save the Date, invitations, microsite content, etc.).
- Coordinate with external contractors (e.g., translation and interpretation, hotel if required, catering, A/V, etc.), including seeking quotes.
- Set up the registration process, in conjunction with the AFN.
During the event:
- Facilitate each day of the event, in-person.
- Provide notetaking support during plenary and breakout sessions in-person and through online participation.
- Coordinate with contractors, speakers, and AFN staff, on-site, to address and mitigate issues as they arise.
Following the event:
- Provide a debrief with the AFN staff to review the event, identify issues and possible solutions for future events.
- Provide a written report (in English and French) from the event that reflects input and discussion from the dialogue session including a clear, concise, and actionable summary of themes and recommendations.
Project Timeframe:
The work shall be completed between June 5 and September 15, 2023.
Project Deliverables
The following dates are set forth for informational and planning purposes and may be changed at the AFN’s sole discretion. The successful proponent will provide:
Expected Contract Start Date
June 5, 2023
Initial meeting with AFN Housing & Homelessness Sector
June 9, 2023
Venue, hotel and A/V contracts finalized as required
June 23, 2023
Service Agreements in place for Translators, equipment, accessibility requirements and considerations (ASL, etc.)
June 31, 2023
Hybrid Dialogue Session Takes Place
August 4, 2023
Post-Event reporting, key takeaways, and final report
September 1, 2023
Qualifications/Experience
Proponents should possess the following qualifications:
- Experience in planning and facilitating engagement sessions with First Nations
- Knowledge of First Nations governance and politics, including First Nations’ efforts to assert jurisdiction and control over housing and social services
- Knowledge of how homelessness supports and services are funded and administered
- Experience in reviewing, analyzing and synthesizing input from engagement sessions
- Be trained in, and have rigorous data custodial practices governed by, OCAP® Principles*
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
All proposals shall be received by the AFN no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time on May 19, 2023. Proposals must be submitted in PDF format.
All proposals will clearly identify the name of the proponent and the note “RFP for Coordination and Facilitation Services for National First Nations Homelessness Hybrid Dialogue Session” in the subject line.
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 for those who will conduct the work under the project.
Late submissions will not be accepted and will be returned unopened without exception. The use of the mail or courier services for delivery of a bid will be at the risk of the bidder.
Since bids must be submitted by electronic mail, submissions by physical mail or facsimile will not be accepted.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All proposals shall include the following information:
1. Name
2. Address
3. A summary outlining the background of the proponent’s company, the proposal contents, and any specific exceptions to the stated requirements.
4. A description of the proponent’s qualifications, capabilities and experience specifically related to the Request for Proposals.
5. 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.
6. A proposed timeline and methodology that identifies the time and resources required to complete the proposed work.
7. A cost breakdown for the proposed services, in Canadian dollars and inclusive of HST.
8. 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:
| 1. Expertise of Firm/Organization submitting the proposal | 20% |
| 2. Experience in working with First Nations in planning, engagement and social policy development, particularly in matters related to homelessness and/or housing. | 20% |
| 3. Proposed Work Plan and Approach, including allocation of time to tasks and activities identified in the proposal | 15% |
| 4. Experience in relationship building, problem solving, consensus building, facilitation, strategy development, project planning, budgeting, and engagement session planning and reporting.. | 15% |
| 5. Knowledge, training and application surrounding the principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP®)* | 10% |
| 6. Total price | 20% |
TIMETABLE
The following dates are set forth for informational and planning purposes and may be changed at the AFN’s sole discretion.
| Deadline for questions | May 12, 2023 |
| Deadline for proposal submission | May 19, 2023 |
| Completion of proposal evaluations | May 25, 2023 |
| Final Selection | May 26, 2023 |
| Expected contract start date | June 5, 2023 |
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.
Clarification/Questions
All on-time proposals will be acknowledged.
Requests for clarification and/or questions regarding this RFP should be directed to:
Jordan Fischer
Senior Policy Analyst
Assembly of First Nations
55 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1600 Ottawa, ON K1P 6L5
Telephone: (613) 371-0151
Electronic Mail: [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 May 19, 2023
Responses may be sent by electronic mail to:
Jordan Fischer
Senior Policy Analyst
Assembly of First Nations
[email protected]
* OCAP® is a registered trademark of the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC). Please refer to https://fnigc.ca/ocap-training/ for more information.