Late, Facsimile, Or Hard Copy Responses Will Not Be Accepted Or Considered

Request For Proposal
(RFP)for
Evaluation Services

RFP-2017-0008

Key Dates:

Final Date to Submit Questions: / Wednesday, December 13 2017
Noon
Send to
Optional Telephone Q&A Session: / Friday, December 15, 2017
11:00 am
Email to receive dial-in information
Answers to Questions Emailed to All Inquirers: / Monday, December 18, 2017
11:59pm
Submissions Due By: / Sunday, January 7, 2018Monday, January 15, 2018
11:59pm
Send to
Interviews (for those invited): / Thursday, January 18, 2018Tuesday, February 6, 2018 (afternoon)
and/or
Friday, January 19, 2018Wednesday, February 7, 2018 (morning, afternoon)

Late, facsimile, or hard copy responses will not be accepted or considered.

Table of Contents

1.0 About the PSHSA

2.0 About the VARB Project

3.0 Purpose of the Evaluation

4.0 Planning Considerations

5.0 Content of Response

5.1 Evaluation Plan

5.2 Project Governance

5.3 Stakeholder Engagement

5.4 Consultant Qualifications

5.5 Knowledge Translation Plan

5.6 Minimum Compliance

5.7 Pricing

5.8 References

6.0 Evaluation of Proposals

6.1 Process and Criteria

6.2 Timelines

7.0 Terms of this RFP

7.1 Procurement Process Non-Binding

7.2 RFP Shall Not Limit Pre-Existing PSHSA Rights

7.3 Parties Shall Bear Their Own Costs

7.4 Errors and Omissions

7.5 Accuracy of Response

7.6 Conflict of Interest

7.7 Submissions Property of the PSHSA

7.8 Confidential Information of the PSHSA

7.9 Confidentiality of Bidder’s Information

7.10 Communications

7.11 Use of Names or Logos

7.12 Indemnification

7.13 Right to Termination

7.14 Notification of Procurement Results

7.15 Dispute Resolution

7.16 Terms of Service

Appendix A – General Proponent Information

Appendix B – Tax Compliance Declaration

Appendix C – OHSA Compliance Declaration

Appendix D – AODA Compliance Declaration

Appendix E – Conflict of Interest Declaration

Appendix F – Bidder Acknowledgement Form

Appendix G – Terms of Service (Information Copy)

Appendix H – Bidder Q&As

1.0 About the PSHSA

The Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA) serves Ontario's public service sector, including universities, colleges, school boards, municipalities, health and community care organizations, and emergency services.We help 9,000+ organizationsoffer safer and healthier work environments for their 1.4 million workers by assisting themin identifying and reducing workplace risks and hazards,thereby preventing workplace injury, illness and disease.

For more background on the PSHSA, see our latest Annual Report and website.

2.0 About the VARB Project

The Violence, Aggression & Responsive Behaviour (VARB) Project toolkit development began in 2015 with representation from the Ministries of Labour and Health & Long-term Care and labour, employer and professional associations. Shortly afterthe Leadership Table with joint leadership of the Ministries of Labour and Health & Long-term Care was established to address the harms resulting from violence in healthcare workplaces, i.e. acute care hospitals.

PSHSA served as an expert advisor to the VARB Leadership Table and has since undertaken implementation of several of the Table’s recommendations. A short background of this project can be found here on the PSHSA’s website, including a high-level description of the toolkit’s first five toolkits. The Leadership Table’s report can be found here.

Now that the first five toolkits have been launched publicly, PSHSA is seeking evaluation services to evaluate four of the five VARB toolkits:

Workplace Violence Risk Assessment Tool (WVRAT)

Flagging

Security

Personal Safety Response System

The “Individual Client Risk Assessment Tool” is excluded from the scope of this Request for Proposals(RFP).

More information about each toolkit’s intended benefits and outcomes can be found at

3.0 Purpose of the Evaluation

In the long-term, the PSHSA will be expected to show the value of the toolkits:

1. Do any or all of these tools achieve what each is designed to do? Have the tools been implemented? Have workplace behaviours changed, and if so, can the change be linked to the tool(s)?
2. Do any or all of these tools help reduce the frequency and/or severity of incidents of workplace violence in the healthcare sector? Is there a relationship between tool utilization and injury severity/frequency?
3. Do any or all of these tools help improve the healthcare organizations’ management of incidents of workplace violence?
4. What can be learned from the implementation of these tools that can inform future initiatives to reduce the frequency and severity of incidents of workplace violence in the healthcare sector? What can be learned to improve existing and future tools?

For the purpose of this RFP, PSHSA understands that the above questions will require more time than the 18-month window for the present exercise. However, the PSHSA wishes to use this 18-month window to deliver short-term evaluation information, and to lay the groundwork for a longer-term evaluation to be conducted later. Therefore, PSHSA asks bidders to propose in their responses:

A)An evaluation plan that will tell us:

1. the level of awareness of the tools (among both workers and supervisors/managers),
2. the extent of uptake and implementation of the tools,
3. the barriers and facilitators to implementation of the tools, and ongoing challenges that inhibit implementation across different types of health care organizations;

B)The measures that can be put in place, and by whom, to facilitate longer-term outcome measurement as noted in Q1-4 above.

The results of this evaluation exercise will be used to increase uptake and implementation of the toolkits.

4.0 Planning Considerations

In preparing your response, bidders should take the following points into consideration:

The evaluation must be completed within 18 months of commencement. PSHSA anticipates work to commence in late January 2018 or early February 2018

The entire evaluation has an approved budget of up to $250,000. However, a portion of this budget must be reserved for project expenses not incurred by the successful bidders (e.g. PSHSA’s cost of contract management, communications products, etc.). In communicating the evaluation budget to bidders, PSHSA does not guarantee that the full amount will be awarded, or any portion thereof. PSHSA does not have sufficient information at this time to estimate the proportion that needs to be set aside; therefore, PSHSA asks bidders to make best efforts to propose realistic budgets.

The toolkits are free and can be adopted by any health care institutions, such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, or community care organizations. The evaluation may include more than one type of health care organization.

Adoption of the four VARB tools is not mandatory for health care organizations. Some organizations may have adopted one, some, all or none of the tools. As of November 2017, approximately 50 of Ontario’ 150 hospitals have adopted at least some of the tools. PSHSA will assist the successful bidder at the start of work with the identification of organizations that have adopted the tools.

The only data currently available for the evaluation are WSIB injury data and the number of registered users for the online WVRAT and for the Security toolkit. PSHSA will facilitate access to WSIB injury data.

The successful bidder will be expected to recruit organizations’ participation for this evaluation. PSHSA will facilitate communications with these organizations but expects the successful bidder to lead the recruitment work.

The workplan will also need to allow flexibility for participating organizations to complete any internal approval requirements, e.g. ethics reviews. PSHSA prefers to avoid collecting any data that could identify either patients or workers, which should mitigate the time needed for any necessary approvals.

PSHSA’s role will be limited to contract management, including advice to the successful bidder. PSHSA will not provide project coordination or project management services.

5.0 Content of Response

Having regard to Sections 3.0 and 4.0 above, bidders’ responses must address the following:

5.1 Evaluation Plan

Indicate how you propose to design the evaluation, including methodology and timelines. Outline any working assumptions you used to develop the plan. PSHSA expects the successful bidder to review the evaluation plan at the start of work with the PSHSA team in order to incorporate any necessary modifications.

Refer to Section 3 for instructions on the two components of the evaluation plan (short-term and long-term). Include a discussion of project risks and your recommended mitigation measures.

5.2 Project Governance

Indicate the project oversight that you think would be effective and appropriate.

5.3 Stakeholder Engagement

Indicate how your proposed evaluation process reflects the PSHSA’s core corporate values of streamlined and meaningful collaboration with key stakeholders. Stakeholders may include but are not limited to:

Participating health care organizations

Organized labour (ONA, OPSEU, CUPE, SEIU, Unifor)

Employer associations

Ministry of Health and Long-term Care

Ministry of Labour

5.4 Consultant Qualifications

Include the qualifications and experience of each member of your proposed team. Scoring preference will be given to bidders who include at least one team member with a CE designation.

Provide information on your company history.

Outline your firm’s previous experience with a project of this nature.

Complete the “General Proponent Information” form at Appendix A and enclose with your proposal.

5.5 Knowledge Translation Plan

Indicate how you propose that the evaluation results be disseminated, and what Knowledge Translation plan you will provide to the PSHSA.

5.6 Minimum Compliance

Bidders must provide proof of:

a)Tax compliance (complete the form at Appendix B)

b)OSHA compliance (complete the form at Appendix C)

c)AODA compliance (complete the form at Appendix D)

Bidders must also complete the Conflict of Interest declaration at Appendix E, and the Bidders’ Acknowledgement Form at Appendix F.

5.7 Pricing

Provide your pricing breakdown based on your proposed workplan, estimated work effort for each stage of work, and per diems for each team member.

To minimize meeting-related expenses, bidders are expected to maximize the use of tele-meetings and virtual meetings.

Show out-of-pocket expenses, if any,and any applicable taxes separately. Because the PSHSA is bound by the Broader Public Sector Expenses Directive, PSHSA will reimburse out-of-pocket expenses only with prior approval and in accordance with the directive.

Show any working assumptions used to develop your budget.

5.8 References

Provide three references. Note that references will only be contacted for those bidders who are moved to Stage 2 of the evaluation process.

For each reference, provide:

1. Organization name
2. Contact name, title, telephone and email
3. The date of the work conducted for the reference
4. A brief description of the work conducted for the reference

6.0 Evaluation of Proposals

6.1 Process and Criteria

Stage 1 Review: Bids will be evaluated by the PSHSA’s Evaluation Team on the basis of:

Criteria / Points
Proposal (Content of Response) / 35
Qualifications / 20
Minimum Compliance / 10
Price / 35
TOTAL / 100

Stage 2 Review: The three bidders with the highest scores fromthe Stage 1 review will be invited to attend an interview (either in-person or video), and will be evaluated on the basis of:

Criteria / Points
Interview / 50
References / 50
TOTAL / 100

6.2 Timelines

Fri Dec 8/17RFP posted

Wed Dec 13/17Deadline for bidder questions to be submitted

Deadline for bidders to RSVP for optional telephone Q&A session

Fri Dec 15/1711:00 am

Optional telephone Q&A session for bidders

Mon Dec 18/1711:59 pm

Deadline for PSHSA to send responses to bidder questions

Mon Jan 15/1811:59 pm

Deadline for bid responses

TuesFeb 6/18 (pm)Stage 2 interviews (TBC)

WedFeb 7/18 (am, pm)Stage 2 interviews (TBC)

Mon Feb 12/18Commencement of work (TBC)

7.0 Terms of this RFP

PSHSA reserves the right to change the terms of this RFP. In the event that PSHSA changes the RFP terms, PSHSA will re-post the RFP with a new deadline. Subject to the responses to this RFP, PSHSA reserves the right to change or cancel its plans for the project.

In responding to this RFP, each biddermust submit a completed and signed BidderAcknowledgement Form(Appendix F) that, among other things, acknowledges its acceptance of the RFP Terms as contained herein:

7.1 Procurement Process Non-Binding

PSHSA shall not be bound or obligated in any manner as a result of issuing this RFP to enter into contract negotiations, or to conclude a contract. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, PSHSA expressly reserves the right, at its sole discretion, (i) to initiate any form of procurement process including without limitation direct negotiations with any Bidder regardless of whether such Bidder responded to this RFP; or (ii) to elect not to procure the good or service that is the subject of this RFP.

7.2 RFP Shall Not Limit Pre-Existing PSHSA Rights

This RFP shall not limit any pre-existing PSHSA rights. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the PSHSA expressly reserves the right, at its discretion:

(i)to seek subsequent information or initiate discussions with any supplier, including suppliers who did not respond to this RFP;

(ii)to initiate direct negotiations for the procurement of any good or service with any supplier or suppliers regardless of whether the supplier or suppliers responded to this RFP;

(iii)to contact a limited number of suppliers, which may be limited to those who responded to this RFP, or may include suppliers who did not respond to this RFP, for the purpose of a competitive procurement for the procurement of any good or service;

(iv)to elect to proceed by way of open tender call where all potential suppliers, including those who did not respond to this RFP, are eligible to compete for the award of a contract for the supply of any good or service; or

(v)to elect not to procure the good or service that is the subject of this RFP.

These expressly reserved rights are in addition to any and all other rights of the PSHSA that existed prior to the issuance of this RFP.

7.3Parties Shall Bear Their Own Costs

The PSHSA shall not be liable for any expenses incurred, including the expenses associated with the cost of preparing responses to this RFP. The parties shall bear their own costs associated with or incurred through this RFP process, including any costs arising out of or incurred in: (a) the preparation and issuance of this RFP; (b) the preparation and making of a submission; or (c) any other activities related to this RFP process.

7.4Errors and Omissions

PSHSA shall not be held liable for any errors or omissions in any part of this RFP. While PSHSA has used considerable effort to ensure an accurate representation of information in this RFP, the information contained in the RFP is supplied solely as a guideline for potential companies. This information is not necessarily comprehensive or exhaustive. Nothing in the RFP is intended to relieve the company from forming their own opinions and conclusions with respect to the matters addressed in the RFP.

7.5Accuracy of Response

The bidder acknowledges that the information provided is, to the best of its knowledge, complete and accurate. Acknowledgement must be provided by completing the form at Appendix F.

7.6 Conflict of Interest

Bidders must declare any real or perceived situations where a conflict of interest exists, whether past, current or future. Declaration must be provided by completing the form at Appendix E.

7.7Submissions Property of the PSHSA

Except where expressly set out to the contrary in this RFP or in the bidder’s submission, the submission and any accompanying documentation provided by a bidder shall become the property of the PSHSA and shall not be returned.

7.8Confidential Information of the PSHSA

All information provided by or obtained from the PSHSA in any form in connection with this RFP, either before or after the issuance of this RFP:

(a) is the sole property of the PSHSA and must be treated as confidential;

(b) is not to be used for any purpose other than replying to this RFP;

(c) must not be disclosed without prior written authorization from the PSHSA; and

(d) shall be returned by the bidders to the PSHSA immediately upon the request of the PSHSA.

7.9Confidentiality of Bidder’s Information

Information provided by a Bidder and all or a portion of the proposal itself, even if identified as being confidential, may be used, reproduced, and disclosed by PSHSA, and on a confidential basis, to third parties retained by PSHSA in connection with the subject matter of this RFP, including without limitation, for the purposes of evaluating the information.

7.10Communications

All contact and questions with regard to this RFP must be made by email to . Discussion of this RFP with any other parties within PSHSA may result in disqualification of your organization from this procurement process.

PSHSA reserves the right to decline to answer a Bidder’s question. The reasons for this may, among others, be:

a)The information requested is not needed for the preparation of a submission, or

b)The answer to the question can be found in the RFP, or

c)The answer to the question is the purpose of the RFP.

PSHSA will provide answers to questions only in accordance with the RFP schedule, in order to maintain fairness of the procurement process.

Unless otherwise notified, the time required by PSHSA to answer questions will not change the deadline specified for submission of a proposal.

7.11Use of Names or Logos

The Bidder shall not use the PSHSA name or logo or associated names or logos or make reference to this RFP in any advertising copy or other promotional materials or messages without prior written consent.

7.12 Indemnification

The Proponent shall indemnify and hold harmless PSHSA, its officers, board members, partners, agents and employees from and against all actions, claims, demands, losses, costs, damages, suits or proceedings whatsoever which may be brought against or made upon PSHSA and against all loss, liability, judgments, claims, suits, demands or expenses which PSHSA may sustain, suffer or be put to resulting from or arising out of the Proponent’s failure to exercise reasonable care, skill or diligence or omissions in the performance or rendering of any work or service required hereunder to be performed or rendered by the company, its agents, officials and employees.

7.13Right to Termination

PSHSA may, in its sole discretion, cancel this RFP or revise the scope of this RFP at any time.

7.14Notification of Procurement Results