Evaluation of the VAW Conjoint Counselling Pilot Program

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario as represented by the Minister of
Community and Social Services

Request for Bids (RFB)

For

Evaluation of the VAW Conjoint Counselling Pilot Program

RFB No.: [MCSS-CSPB_01-2015]

Issued: July 21, 2015

RFB Closing Date: 4:00 p.m. on August 12, 2015

 Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1PART 1 - PROCUREMENT DETAILS

1.1Definitions

1.2Initial Procurement Details

1.3Proposed RFB Schedule

1.4Proposed Agreement Dates

2PART 2 - CONTENTS OF A COMPLETE BID

2.1Structure of Bid

2.2Format of Bid

3PART 3 - THE DELIVERABLES

3.1Objectives

3.2Background

3.3Deliverables

1.Planning the Evaluation

2.Conducting the Evaluation

3.Reporting the Findings of the Evaluation

4PART 4 - scoring of proposals (i.e. evaluations)

4.1Overview of the Evaluation Process

4.2Selection of the Preferred Bidder

4.3Allocation of Points

4.4Process to Sign the Agreement

5PART 5 - TERMS AND CONDITIONS

5.1Bidder Representations and Warranties

5.2General Instructions and Requirements

5.3Communication after Issuance of RFB

5.4Bid Process Requirements

5.5Execution of Agreement, Notification and Debriefing

5.6Reserved Rights and Governing Law

APPENDIX A - DEFINITIONS

APPENDIX B - FORM OF AGREEMENT

APPENDIX C - FORMS

APPENDIX C.1 - FORM OF OFFER

APPENDIX C.2 - REFERENCE FORM

APPENDIX C.3 - PRICING FORM

APPENDIX C.4 - BID SUBMISSION LABEL

APPENDIX C.5 - PRICING LABEL

1PART 1 - PROCUREMENT DETAILS

1.1Definitions

Definitions for capitalized words can be located in Appendix A - Definitions.

1.2Initial Procurement Details

Subject of procurement: / The evaluation of the two-year conjoint counselling program project for couples experiencing low-risk situational couple violence
RFB #: / MCSS-CSPB_01-2015
If you need this RFB in an alternative format, please inform the Contact named in this section 1.2.
Procuring entity: / Ministry of Community and Social Services
Contact: / Name: Dinesha Naidoo
Email:
Desired number of Vendors: / One
Bidder eligibility requirements included: / No

1.3Proposed RFB Schedule

Issue date of RFB: / July 21, 2015
Bidder's deadline for questions: / 4:00 p.m. on August 5, 2015
Deadline for issuing addenda: / August 7, 2015
RFB Closing Date: / 4:00 p.m.on August 12, 2015
Period for which Bids are irrevocable after RFB Closing Date: / 120 days
Bids must be received at the closing location included in the Bid Submission Label by the RFB Closing Date. Bids submitted after the RFB Closing Date will be deemed late, disqualified and returned to the Bidder.
The proposed RFBschedule is tentative and may be changed by the Ministry in its sole discretion at any time prior to the RFB Closing Date.

1.4Proposed Agreement Dates

Execution of Agreement: / Within 20 days of notification of selection.
Anticipated start date for contract: / September 14, 2015
Term of Agreement: / March 31, 2017
Option to extend: / Option to extend the deadline for final report submission for three (3) months.

[End of Part 1]

2PART 2 - CONTENTS OF A COMPLETE BID

2.1Structure of Bid

A complete Bid should be structured into the following three (3) sections. Bidders are to includeall of the forms listed below, unless specified otherwise.Where a form is indicated asmandatory, failure to include that formor to meet the mandatory requirements within that form may result in disqualification.
This checklist may be used by Bidders to assist in Bid preparation. It will not be evaluated.

2.1.1The Qualification Response

Appendix C.1 - Form of Offer(mandatory)
Appendix C.2- Reference Form

2.1.2The Commercial Response

Appendix C.3- Pricing Form (mandatory)
To use whensubmitting a Bid:
Appendix C.4- Bid Submission Label
Appendix C.5- Pricing Label

2.2Format of Bid

Bidders should format their Bids in accordance with the sequence of sections set out in Section 2.1 and follow instructions included in this RFB. When responding to a specific criterion, your Bid should reference applicable sections set out in this RFB.
Bids must be in English. Bids should be prepared using text in a common font that is 12 points in size. Bidders should adhere to page limits where identified. Any pages in excess of the page limits will not be evaluated.
Bids should be specific to the Deliverables of the RFB and information requested. Bidders should provide clear, complete, and concise responses to RFB requirements. Brochures or marketing material should not be included and will not be evaluated if received.
Bids are to be submitted electronically to the address set out on the Bid Submission Label. Please provide:
(a)One (1) electronic copy of the Bid containing only the Qualification Response and Technical Response. Provide the electronic copy in Microsoft Word or PDF format.
(b)One (1) electronic copy of the Commercial Responsein Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word format.

[End of Part 2]

3PART 3 - THE DELIVERABLES

This section of the RFB describes what is being procured.

The contents of this part will be in the final Contract if you are successful and you will be expected to deliver and/or perform all requirements set out in this part for the price you propose in Appendix C.3 - Pricing Form.

3.1Objectives

To develop an evaluation framework that will be used to conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of counselling provided to couples (i.e. conjoint counselling) upon completion of a two-year pilot. The evaluation framework will be developed in conjunction with a steering committee comprised of ministry staff and stakeholders from the Violence Against Women(VAW) sector.

To conduct the evaluation of the effectiveness of the conjoint counselling provided during and upon completion of the two-year pilot project.

Note: the counselling will be provided in both English and French, therefore bidders must have the capacity to evaluate the effectiveness of the conjoint counselling provided in both languages.

3.2Background

3.2.1Background

The Ministry, in partnership with Family Services Ontario (FSO), will be conducting a two-year pilot study to measure the outcomes (including, but not limited to, the prevention of escalating conflict and abuse), of providingconjoint counselling for lower-risk Situational Couple Violence.

The ministry recognizes that in some situations, women may choose to stay in a relationship and wish to support their partners in a change process in order to maintain their relationship.

Some research suggeststhat there are different forms of violence including those of relatively minor and lower risk. According to Michael Johnson, who developed typologies of violence, “Situational Couple Violence . . . is by far the mostcommon form of intimate partner violence, and also the mostvariable. Somewhere around 40% of the cases identified in generalsurveys involve only one relatively minor incident…”[1]

Emotionally Focused Therapy (ETF) is established to be an effective approach for reducing relationship distress in couples experiencing life challenges suchas chronic illness andserious illness/loss of a child. The Ministry is interested in assessing the effectiveness of ETFfor couples at risk for Situational Couple Violence.

3.2.2Overview of Pilot

The pilot project will focus on couples who have low social or relationship skills. They struggle with developing healthy attachments in relationships due to many factors in their personal histories such asinvolvement with Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) or intergenerational trauma.

These are couples whose arguing may be chronic and/or whose interaction patterns tend to escalate rather than reduce conflict in the relationship. Providing timely support to couples who want, but lack the skills, to maketheir relationships work may reduce the risk that negative interaction patterns will escalate to domestic violence.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) will be used exclusively for this pilot. The goal of treatment is to help couples break negative interaction cycles by targeting negative emotional responses and strengthening the couple’s emotional bond.

The goal of this pilot study project is to assess the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing the risk of domestic violence.

ThreeFSO agencies will be chosen to pilot the conjoint counselling. The pilot sites have not yet been chosen, but will represent the northern, rural and urban(central) geographic limits and meet the following criteria:

• Employ qualified therapists who have training in Emotional Focused Therapy for couples.
• Expertise in domestic violence, serving victims and offenders.
• Demonstrated collaborative relationship with relevant stakeholders (e.g. police, women’s shelter, child welfare).
• Demand for couple counselling that exceeds current resources.
• Ability to meet the needs of diverse populations, including providing services in French.

One of the pilot sites will be designated a Lead Agency. The Lead Agency will serve as the Vendor’s primary conduit for data and information about the intervention.

For the purposes of calculating travel expenses, the Bidder may assume the northern site will be located from Sudbury and north, the rural site will be located approximately 250 - 350 km from Toronto and the urban site will likely be located within the greater Toronto area.

Women who have requested conjoint counselling from the pilot sites for issues related to abuse, who do not have the means to pay,and who are appropriate for conjoint counselling will be invited to participate in the pilot study. (Note: An assessment session will be required to ensure it is safe to proceed with conjoint counselling.) Women can self-refer, however third party referrals are also anticipated from police (when no charges have been laid), Child Welfare agencies and other community counselling services.

The following provides additional information of how the pilot study will be conducted:

• The sample size will consist of 100 couples over a course of approximately 9 months.
• The specific goal of counselling will be to reduce thinking, behaviours and conflict that may lead to domestic violence.
• The two partners in each couple will first be seen alone, each for a 1 hour assessment, where they will be screened for safety using a standardized screening tool (e.g. Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream tool [H.I.T.S], Conflict Tactics Scale etc.).
• When couples are excluded from the pilot study due to risk, women will be offered VAW counselling services and men will be offered alternative services, such as individual counselling and/or other community based services.
• Participants will be limited to those who are comfortable receiving the counselling in English and/or French.
• All participants will sign a consent to service, which will include terms of service, privacy and confidentiality, limit of confidentiality (e.g. in cases of risk) and terms of research.
• To ensure consistency, therapists will be employing 10 hours of psychotherapy using the Emotionally Focused Therapeutic model.

The maximum budget for this Evaluation is $40,000 plus HST.

3.3Deliverables

The Preferred Bidder will carry out research and submit Deliverables identified in relation to the scope of work, as described in section 3.3.5. The Preferred Bidder will deliver the following documents in a format (e.g., using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint) and layout that is agreed upon with the Ministry.

“The Evaluation” refers to the systematic collection, analysis and summary of information/ data to assess whether the VAW Conjoint Counseling Pilot Program achieved its objective of reducing the risk of domestic violence.

This project has three phases:

1.Planning the Evaluation

2.Conducting the Evaluation

3.Reporting the Findings of the Evaluation

The following Deliverables will be required to the Ministry’s satisfaction, with documents provided in electronic formats:

Phase 1 - Planning the Evaluation

Phase 1 has three Deliverables:

1. Attendance at an orientation meeting

Prior to initiating any research activities, the Preferred Bidder will meet with the Project Steering Committee for an orientation meeting in Toronto to confirm understanding of the project objectives, Deliverables and the scope of the project.

The Project Steering Committee will be comprised of Ministry and FSO (including pilot sites) representation.

1. Work plan

The work plan will provide activities required to carrying out the Evaluation, with timelines, as agreed upon by the Ministry.

1. Evaluation Framework

The Evaluation Framework will be developed by the Successful Bidder in consultation with the Steering Committee. The Evaluation Framework will specify:

◦Proposed indicators that would be used to measure the effectiveness of the intervention.

◦Details of the methodology including:

-Evaluation design (e.g., pre/post, control/comparison group, data collection schedule, ethical considerations, etc.);

-Data collection instruments/questionnaires required for the Evaluation and the rationale for their use;

-Data to be collected on each client before, during and following their participation in the pilot project and what the data collection process will entail;

-How privacy and confidentiality will be protected;

-Quality control measures; and,

-Data analysis plan.

Phase 2 - Conducting the Evaluation

Phase 2 involves conducting the Evaluation according to the work plan. There is no Deliverable for phase 2 but progress reports are expected (see 3.3.2 Reporting Requirements). It is expected that evaluations will be ongoing throughout Phase 2 as couples complete their counselling sessions.

Phase 3 - Reporting the Findings of the Evaluation

Phase 3 includes three Deliverables:

1. Draft and Final Evaluation Reports
2. Presentation of the Evaluation Results to the Steering Committee
3. Raw data gathered for the Evaluation, cleaned, de-identified and in a flat file

3.3.1Required Schedule with Milestones

The below timeframes are guidelines for the Deliverables associated with the project:

DELIVERABLE / DUE DATE
Detailed Work Plan for carrying out the Evaluation as agreed upon by the Project Steering Committee / October 2015
Evaluation Framework / November 2015
Draft Evaluation Report / February 2017
Final Evaluation Report / March 2017
De-identified data file / March 2017
Presentation of the Evaluation results to the Steering Committee / April 2017

3.3.2Reporting Requirements

The Preferred Bidder will report on the progress of the project to the Ministry Contact on a bi-weekly basis and/or at the request of the Ministry Contact and may be required to attend Project Steering Committee meetings, to review and discuss progress on the project and the Deliverables.

Progress reports may take the form of e-mails or telephone discussions and will include updates on the status of the project, the completion of relevant activities/Deliverables and activities planned, and highlight issues that require action/resolution. The Preferred Bidder will also liaise with the Project Steering Committee.

3.3.3Other Relevant Information Pertaining to the Deliverables

The Preferred Bidder will provide a third-party objective evaluation of the VAW Conjoint Counseling Pilot Project.

3.3.4Governance

The Evaluationwill be guided by a Project Steering Committee, co-chaired by the Ministry’s Community Services Policy Branch and Family Service Ontario, and consisting of Ministry staff and stakeholders from the violence against women sector. The Project Steering Committee’s role will be to review and approve all Deliverables as well as provide guidanceduring the ongoing evaluation. The Steering Committee will alsoprovide input and guidance in finalizing the Evaluation Framework.The Successful Bidderwill be required to meet periodically with the Project Steering Committee and to make presentations to the Committee on each Deliverable.

The Lead Agency will serve as the Vendor’s primary conduit for data and information about the intervention. The Lead Agency will be responsible for implementing the intervention, tracking recruitment of participants and overseeing the collection and recording of information to support the Evaluation.

3.3.5Scope of the Evaluation

The Evaluation will include the “In-Scope” elements identified below:

• Impact of the VAW Conjoint Counseling Pilot Project on interaction patterns and self-reported risk for domestic violence in couples with distressed relationships who are at risk for Situational Couple Violence.

The following are considered “Out-of-Scope” for the Evaluation:

• Implementation evaluation of the VAW Conjoint Counseling Pilot Project.
• Providing recommendations to government about which counseling models should be funded by the Ministry.
• A review of counseling programs for domestic violence.

3.3.6Contractor Security Clearance

• Upon notification from the Ministry, which may be either during the procurement process or during the term of any subsequent contract, the Proponent/Supplier shall obtain one or more of the following Security Screening Checks for any person, including directors, officers, employees, agents or sub-contractor, as applicable, engaged in the performance of the services:

(i)General Check (Criminal Record Check – CPIC);

(ii)Company Level Check;

(iii)Driver’s Record Check;

(iv)Out-of-Country Police Certificate (US and/or International);

(v)Out-of-Country Driver’s Record Check (US and/or International); or

(vi)Any other Security Screening Check as deemed necessary by the Ministry at its sole discretion.

• The Supplier shall obtain the Security Screening Checks set out above at its own cost through the OPS Vendor of Record arrangement, local police, or an RCMP accredited third party agency.
• If applicable, clearance checks must be completed before the Supplier and the Ministry enter into the Agreement.
• All required information shall be provided in a form acceptable to the Ministry.

Mandatory Requirements:

1. Counselling will be provided in both English and French, therefore only Bidders who have the capacity to evaluate the effectiveness of the conjoint counselling provided in both languages will be considered. Evidence is required to show that the proponent has the capacity or a plan to create capacity to evaluate the effectiveness of conjoint counselling for couples who received services in French (e.g., contract for services).

4PART 4 - scoring of proposals (i.e. evaluations)

4.1Overview of the Evaluation Process

There are four (4) stages in the evaluation process.

4.1.1Stage 1 - Evaluation of Qualification Response and Mandatory Requirements

In this stage the Bid will be reviewed to ensure that it contains all of the forms listed in Section 2.1 – Structure of a Complete Bid. Where a form is indicated as mandatory, failure to include that form or to meet the mandatory requirements within that form may result in disqualification from the RFB process.
If the Bidincludes the mandatory forms and meets the mandatory requirements,it will move to the next stage.
Note: Bidders must have the capacity to evaluate the effectiveness of counselling provided in both English and French.

4.1.2Stage 2 - Technical Response Evaluation

This stage will consist of a scoring of each qualified Bid from Stage 1 on the basis of information provided in the Bidder’s proposal in response to Technical Response section (sec 4.3) to determine the total score for this Stage 2.

4.1.3Stage 3 - Commercial Response Evaluation

In this stage the Commercial Response contained in the Appendix C.3 - Pricing Form will be evaluated using the relative pricing formula set out in the Appendix C.3 - Pricing Formto determine the total pricing score.
Each eligible Bidder will receive a percentage of the total possible points allocated to price by dividing the lowest Bid price by the Bidder’s Bid price.
(Lowest Bid price)÷(Bidder's Bid price)×Total available points=Pricing Score for the Bid
For example, if the lowest Bid price is $120.00, that Bidder receives 100% of the possible points (120/120 = 100%), a Bidder who bids $150.00 receives 80% of the possible points (120/150 = 80%) and a Bidder who bids $240.00 receives 50% of the possible points (120/240 = 50%).

4.1.4Stage 4 –The Ministry may at its discretion chose to conduct an interview with up to three highest scoring candidates