Department ofPremier and Cabinet

Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship

Request for Quotation

Parameters

Quotation Details
Title / Regional Youth Leadership and Participation Project
Quotation Open Date / 24 August 2012
Close Date and Time / 21 September 2012
Contact Details
All enquiries relating to this Quotation should be directed by email to the Project Officer
Project Officer / Vanessa Peters
Telephone / 03 9651 0677
Email /
Request for Quotation Package
This Request for Quotation comprises the following parts:
  • Parameters
  • Specification
  • Response Schedule

Lodgement Details and Composition of Submitted Quotations
Quotations must be lodged by the closing date and time, by the following method:
All Quotations should be e-mailed to:
Or addressed to:
Vanessa Peters
Policy Officer
Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship
GPO Box 4698, Melbourne 3001
Submitted Quotations should at a minimum include the following:
  • Detailed responses to each of the Selection Criteria (page 2)
  • Completed Budget template (page 9)
  • High-level Project Plan
  • Completed Response Schedule (page 10)

Selection Criteria
Please complete every section of this document and submit as per lodgement details.
Your organisation will be evaluated on the basis of the criteria specified below, the information provided by you in your Quotation response, and any other information requested during the Quotation process (including your Project Plan and Budget).
The Department reserves the right to contact your referees directly.
Incomplete Quotation Responses may be disqualified or evaluated solely on the information contained therein.
The Department may disregard any content in a Quotation Response that is illegible and will be under no obligation whatsoever to seek clarification.
The Selection Criteria are listed below. Bidders that are unable to meet the listed Selection Criteria should not submit a response.
Selection Criteria
Demonstrated strong and pre-existing links across the Barwon South West region - including with culturally and religiously diverse young people and their families, community groups/leaders and service providers - and experience working with these groups.
At a minimum, answer the following in responding to this Selection Criteria:
How have you worked with the key project stakeholders (listed above) in the past?
Based on your experience, how do you intend to engage key stakeholders in the Project?
How will you recruit young people to participate in the Project, ensuring geographic, cultural and religious, and gender diversity?
How will you ensure the active involvement of participants’ families and community leaders?
Demonstrated understanding of the issues facing culturally and religiously diverse young people in the local area specifically.
At a minimum, answer the following in responding to this Selection Criteria:
What are the key issues facing young people from culturally and religiously diverse backgrounds in the Barwon South West region?
How will you address these issues within the parameters of the Project Scope?
How will you manage, and be sensitive to, the complex issues facing young people and their families, community and faith leaders, and the intersection with service providers and decision makers?
Knowledge and experience related to the Project Scope.
At a minimum, answer the following in responding to this Selection Criteria:
What are some examples of work (similar to the Project Scope) you have done with young people, including any community or youth led initiatives ? And what have been the lessons learned from this experience?
How will you increase young people’s involvement and participation in their local community?
What activities will you implement to build the leadership, communication and decision-making skills of participating young people?
How will you facilitate participating young people’s access to, and experience in, workplace settings?
Approach methodology and project plan
At a minimum, answer the following in responding to this Selection Criteria:
What methodology will you use to achieve the Project Outcomes?
How will you evaluate the Project? Please provide an evaluation plan.
Please attach a high-level Project Plan outlining key activities and timelines.
Value for Money
At a minimum, answer the following in responding to this Selection Criteria:
How will you link in with other activities and initiatives across the region?
How will the Project generate long-term sustainable outcomes for participants and their families and communities?

Specifications

  1. Purpose

The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship (OMAC) is seeking a suitable organisation to design and deliver a Youth Leadership and Participation Project (the Project) in the Barwon South West region. The Project will target young people (aged 15 to 25) from a range of diverse cultural and religious backgrounds and from across the region, with the key aims of:

  • increasing their confidence and ability to participate in the local community by building sustainable relationships between young people and their families, and young people and community leaders/decision-makers from a diversity of backgrounds and sectors;
  • developing their leadership, communication, decision making, and problem solving skills, which will culminate in the delivery of a youth-led initiative;
  • facilitating their exposure to, and confidence in, workplace settings (e.g. work placement, volunteering), with a view to creating employment pathways and links with the local employment sector; and
  • building greater understanding and respect for cultural and religious differences among participating young people.
  1. Background

The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship (OMAC) sits within the Victorian Government’s Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC), and provides advice to the Victorian Government to assist with the development of legislative and policy frameworks and the delivery of services to our culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse society.

OMAC’s Promoting Community Harmony program delivers a range of initiatives that serve to bring together diverse faith and community groups to: promote multifaith and multicultural harmony; celebrate shared values; build understanding and respect for differences; and counter racism and discrimination. A key focus of this program is targeted support to young people from diverse backgrounds.

In 2011, OMAC, through the Promoting Community Harmony Program, funded Bendigo Community Health Services to deliver the pilot of the Regional Youth Leadership and Participation Project in the Greater Bendigo area.The pilot, which ran from April 2011 to November 2011, engaged approximately 30 young people from diverse faith and cultural backgrounds in a series of skill-building and leadership development exercises culminating in the organisation and delivery of a youth-driven recreational camp. The pilot assisted participants to develop their leadership, communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills; establish links with local employment and education sectors; and build positive relationships with people across cultural, linguistic and religious differences.

OMAC, in consultation with the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC), has determined that a similar initiative should be delivered in the Barwon South West region. In building on the outcomes and key learnings of the pilot, the Project will have an emphasis on:

  • engaging young people’s families and community leaders in the delivery of the Project;
  • ensuring recruited participants represent the diversity of cultural and faith groups, genders and geographic locations within the region;
  • facilitating links with local employment sectors, and providing experience in a workplace setting;
  • assisting the young people to design and deliver a youth-led initiative; and
  • building sustainable outcomes for all participants.

The successful Project Partner will be able to demonstrate existing links with the key stakeholders and demonstrated experience in the working with these groups.

  1. Scope

Project Outcomes

OMAC anticipates that the Project will directly involve 40 young people (aged 15 to 25) from culturally and religiously diverse backgrounds from across the Barwon South West region. The Project will also involve the participation of young people’s families, community leaders (including faith leaders), decision makers and local employment sectors.

The Project will:

Increase young people’s confidence and ability to participate in the local community by building sustainable relationships between young people and their families, and young people and community leaders/decision-makers from a diversity of backgrounds and sectors.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that some young people, and particularly those from newer, less established communities, may struggle to develop a firm sense of belonging within family and community structures. Though factors such as language, education and a lack of skills, culture, age and gender are involved to varying degrees, a strong sense of belonging is ultimately grounded in meaningful relationships and active participation. The Project will facilitate the development of healthy, mutually respectful and collaborative relationships between participants, their families and community leaders, decision-makers and the wider community.

Develop young people’s leadership, communication, decision making, and problem solving skills, which will culminate in the delivery of a youth-led initiative.

Young people have unlimited potential. However, some young people lack the skills and/or confidence to identify and capitalise on opportunities; take the lead in pursuing a goal; constructively resolve conflict; and/or solve complex problems. A well-equipped skill set and practical experience are vital to supporting young people to recognise and put into action their capabilities. The Project will create opportunities for young people to develop the noted (and additional) skills, gain confidence and drive the planning, organisation and delivery of a youth-led initiative.

Facilitate young people’s exposure to, and confidence in, workplace settings (e.g. work placement, volunteering), with a view to creating employment pathways and links with the local employment sector.

Young people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds can have issues in accessing employment (casual, part time and permanent) for a range of factors, including a lack of knowledge and/or confidence, poor linkages, discrimination within employment sectors, etc. The Project will aim to address some factors by bringing participants into conversation with decision-makers and employment sectors to build awareness of the issues impacting on young people from diverse backgrounds, and the strengths they possess. The Project will also facilitate experience in a workplace setting to provide young people with the confidence, knowledge and skills to access employment pathways, and have practical experience to draw on in the longer term.

Build young people’s understanding and respect for cultural and religious differences.

The Barwon South West region has in recent years experienced significant population growth, particularly among communities from culturally and religiously diverse backgrounds. Rapid population growth and increased diversity in a given area has the potential to result in tension and division. Multicultural Victoria is world renowned for bringing people together; building understanding and acceptance; and celebrating differences. The Project fits within this multicultural tradition, and will engage young people to deconstruct racial, ethnic and religious stereotypes; foster understanding and respect; and build collaborative relationships.

Project Activities

The successful Project Partner will develop the Project in consultation with key stakeholders, including service providers and young people, and with approval from the OMAC Project Manager. However, it is anticipated that a strong draft Project Plan (to be submitted as part of your Quotation) will consider the following activities:

  • targeted skills development (e.g. public speaking, conflict mediation, media skills, project management);
  • targeted knowledge development (e.g. understanding government and education and employment pathways, etc.);
  • mentoring;
  • exposure to a workplace setting through a volunteering or work experience component;
  • an initiative developed and led by participating youth (note: please consider this activity when submitting your budget);
  • strong and direct involvement from a diversity of stakeholders including from the government, corporate, community and faith sectors; and
  • opportunities to share experiences and develop relationships between young people and their families, community leaders, service providers and decision-makers.

OMAC welcomes Quotations that build upon and complement existing and future activities within the region (e.g. the Refugee Action Program). However, funding will not be provided for existing activities.

Project Participants

The successful Project Partner will recruit 40* young people (15 to 25) living across the Barwon South West region to participate in the Project.

Participants will come from a range of diverse backgrounds, including different faiths and cultures, migrant and refugee groups, indigenous backgrounds and those who do not necessarily identify as belonging to any of the aforementioned groups but for whom there is a recognised need for such a Project.

Consideration must also be given to gender, age range and geographic location of participants.

The Project will also engage a broad cross-section of community leaders (including employers, education providers, Victoria Police, faith leaders, local council and local sporting representatives) as group mentors, guest facilitators, presenters, volunteer coordinators, etc.

It is essential that young people’s families are engaged in the Project to ensure sustainability and positive outcomes.

Consideration should be given to accessibility of the Project including travel times and costs, and location of activities when developing the Project Plan and Budget.

*Note: OMAC acknowledges that this is a large number of young people to be engaged through the Project. The strongest Quotations will demonstrate ‘in-house’ linkages that will enable you to effectively involve and produce positive outcomes for this number of young people.

Timeframe

The Project will be delivered within a 12-month timeframe commencing when the contract has been signed.

  1. Budget

OMAC will fund the selected Project Partner with up to $85,000 through the Promoting Community Harmony Program to deliver the Project.

Quotations inclusive of GST are sought on a fixed price basis.

As part of the Quotation, please include a detailed budget, indicating time commitment, hourly rate and resource production costs as well as total project cost.

Please use the attached budget template when completing your Quotation (page 9).

  1. Reporting Requirements

As outlined in the Key Project Milestones section below, the Project Partner will submit two Progress Reports (at approximately the four month and eight month points of the Project) and a Final Report (within 8 weeks of the close of the Project). In addition, the Project Partner will have fortnightly verbal catch-ups with the OMAC representative, and OMAC will sit on the Project Reference Group.

It is also anticipated that the Project Partner will consult the VMC’s Regional Advisory Council (RAC) during the development and implementation phases of the Project, and ensure that relevant regional stakeholders are involved in the Project.

Any matters which arise that may be deemed to materially affect the development and/or delivery of the Project should be communicated to the OMAC Project Manager within twenty-four (24) hours of the matter being known.

Evaluation

The successful Project Partner will undertake an evaluation of the Project upon completion. This will include the collection of baseline data for participants at the outset of the Project. The Evaluation Framework (to be finalised in the first phase of the Project) will be based upon agreed Expected Outcomes and related Key Performance Indicators. At the Project completion, a detailed evaluation (including quantitative and qualitative data analysis) will be undertaken and reported on as a part of the Final Report.

It is also expected that the Project Partner will identify, develop and document in the Final Report best practice strategies for effectively engaging young people of diverse backgrounds in regional Victoria.

  1. Key Project Milestones and Important Dates

Below is an outline of the key dates and deliverable.

Key Project Milestones / Completed by
Opening date for RFQ / 24 August 2012
Closing date for RFQ / 21 September 2012
Execution of contract
Payment 1 ($25,000) / Mid-October 2012
Stage 1Planning and Design
Establish Reference Group
Finalise Workplan (OMAC approval)
Finalise Evaluation Framework (OMAC approval)
Recruit participants (OMAC approval)
Payment 2 ($25,000) / October – January 2013
Stage 2Implementation and Delivery
Implementation of Project
Reference Group meetings
Progress Reports (submitted in February 2013 and June 2013)
Payment 3 ($25,000) / January– September 2013
Stage 3Project completion and evaluation
Final Report and evaluation (submitted within 8 weeks of the Project’s completion)
Final payment ($10,000) / October – November 2013
  1. OMAC’s role

OMAC’s role is to:

  • enter into and manage the funding agreement with the Project Partner;
  • approve the recruitment of participants, Project Workplan and Evaluation Framework; and
  • provide general oversight of the Project.

Project Budget Table

Income / Expenditure
OMAC funding / $ 85,000 / Salaries/Wages / $
In-kind support from your organisation / $ / Salary on-costs / $
In-kind from other sources
Please specify which organisations / $ / Equipment hire/purchasing / $
Other funds (e.g. local council, please specify) / $ / Marketing/Promotion/recruitment / $
TOTAL income / $ / Catering / $
Venue / $
Travel expenses / $
Youth-led initiative / $
Skills development resources / $
Other – activity related costs / $
Administration Overheads / $
Evaluation/Accounting/Auditing/Financial / $
TOTAL expenditure / $

Request for Quotation for Regional Youth Leadership and Participation Project (Barwon South West)