Request for Proposals: Development of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy For CanWaCH’s Board of Directors.
Background
The Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health ( CanWaCH) is a membership based organization that works through a hub and spoke model of connection, collaboration and partnerships to help improve health outcomes for women and children in over 1000 communities world wide. CanWaCH’s membership base includes over 100 non- governmental organizations, academic institutions, health professional associations as well as individuals associates.
CanWaCH is currently seeking a consultant to support the development of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy for CanWaCH’s Board of Directors. With the Board of Directors mandate to set the overall strategic direction of the organization and provide oversight that CanWaCh is fulfilling its mission, vision, strategic objectives while upholding best practices, this progressive strategy will be implemented to guide the Board of Directore’s conduct, operations and recruitment efforts
2) Project Description and Scope
CanWaCH is seeking a Consultant to:
- Review existing and relevant policies, procedures, practices and reports
- Undertake consultations with relevant CanWaCH staff and board members, including members of the Governance and Human Resources Committee
- As necessary, conduct interviews and focus groups of relevant stakeholders
- Review leading best practice as it pertains to launching a DEI strategy
Guiding Questions for the DEI Strategy
In addition to the above-noted scope of work the successful vendor will also work to incorporate the following questions. Please note that this list is not intended to be exhaustive of the content that the DEI Strategy could, or should, address.
- What principles underpin the DEI Strategy?
- How can we define diversity for the CanWaCH Board of Directors?
- What are the specific commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion that the DEI Strategy will include?
- What concrete actions should/must the CanWaCH Board of Directors take to implement the DEI Strategy? How should these actions be prioritized? Specifically, what does recruitment for new Board members look like in the context of the DEI Strategy?
- What skills or expertise is missing that will be addressed through a more diverse, equitable and inclusive Board? Similarly, how do we layer organizational needs of expertise (e.g. finance, human resources, technical, policy/advocacy etc.) with a DEI Strategy?
Final Report
- Develop a DeI Strategy (including any relevant supporting documentation) for the CanWaCH Board of Directors that presents findings and provides recommendations including tools, guidelines and key regents that will support the execution of these recommendations. The documentation will also seek to answer the above-mentioned questions.
3) Estimated Project Timeline
- April 24th 11:59 pm EST RFP closes
- Week of April 25th: Review submissions, select successful consultants and notify unsuccessful candidates. Finalize contract and conduct initial meeting with CanWaCH for comprehensive review of project scope and deliverables
- Week of April 25th: Commence consulting support, including initial review of key strategic documents, feedback and recommendations
- April 25th – May 17th: Support the ongoing objectives outlined under Section 2. Project Description and Scope.
- Final Strategy Due May 23rd
*Please note:
- Timeline dependent upon meeting availability
- Throughout the project period, CanWaCH and the successful applicant will have regular progress meetings.
4) Submitting a Proposal
To apply, applicants must submit a proposal.
4.1 Proposal to highlight bidder Qualifications
Proposals should be submitted in a digital file (word, PDF, etc.) format and must include the following elements as part of their proposal:
- COVER LETTER
- Briefly describe the proposed team structure, relevant experience, and qualifications.
- CONTACT INFORMATION
- Provide the applicant’s full name; organization (if appropriate); contact information, including business address, phone number, email; and website (if appropriate).
- DEI ASSESSMENT/IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE
- Provide brief narrative examples of the applicant’s experience with other organizations seeking this type of document/strategy. Include samples of previous reports or recommendations developed for similar projects.
- SCOPE OF WORK
- Provide a concise technical proposal that outlines how the applicant intends to provide the services requested in this RFP. Describe the process for conducting the necessary assessment, including conceptual framework, sampling, methodology, ethical considerations, outputs, and a tentative timeline/work plan for implementation.
- COST
- Provide a proposed budget for the scope of work, including an estimated number of hours. As part of the proposed budget, list each individual who may perform services and their title, the proposed hourly rate, and the level of involvement anticipated for each component. Please identify the anticipated required hours to fulfill this RFP.
- REFERENCES and/or TESTIMONIALS
- Provide references and/or testimonials from no more than 3 previous clients, preferably those who have utilized the applicant’s services on matters related DEI implementation at their organization
4.2 Budget
All proposals must include proposed costs to complete the work described in Section 2. Project Description and Scope of Work.
Throughout the project, CanWaCH will provide the following:
- Access to key documents for review including proposal, strategic plan, workplan, terms of reference, communications engagement strategies, etc.
- Technical and logistical support for virtual meetings
- If required, translation between French to English for documents
All costs and fees must be clearly described in each proposal. If the organization submitting a proposal must outsource or contract any work to meet the requirements contained herein, this must be clearly stated in the proposal. Additionally, all costs included in the proposals must be all-inclusive to include any outsourced or contracted work and applicable taxes. Any proposals which call for outsourcing or contracting work must include a name and description of the organizations being contracted.
5. Proposal Evaluation Criteria
CanWaCH will evaluate all proposals based on the following criteria. To ensure consideration for this Request for Proposals, your proposal should be complete and include all the following criteria:
- Overall proposal suitability: proposed solution(s) must meet the scope and needs included herein and be presented in a clear and organized manner;
- Organizational and individual Experience:
- Applicants will be evaluated on their organizational experience as it pertains to the scope of this project;
- Applicants will also be evaluated based on descriptions and documentation of staff expertise and experience;
- Previous work: Applicants will be evaluated on examples of their work pertaining to the delivery of DEI reports and/or plans, as well as client testimonials and references;
- Value and cost: Applicants will be evaluated on the cost of their solution(s) based on the work to be performed in accordance with the scope of this project;
- Priority consideration will be given to applicants familiar with the work of CanWaCH please indicate in your application your knowledge and familiarity of our work.
CanWaCH is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply and voluntarily self-identify in their applications. The strictest confidentiality will be maintained with all applications, to which only the recruitment committee will have access.
6. Application deadline
6.1 All proposals in response to this RFP are due no later than Sunday, April 24th, 2022 at 11:59 PM EDT. Any proposals received after this date and time will not be considered. All proposals must be signed by an official agent or representative of the company submitting the proposal.
6.3 Applicants should submit their proposal to:
Megan Aikens
Director, Strategic Partnerships and Gender Equality
[email protected]
