Usability Testing on EC Websites

The information contained in this notice is a brief description of the requirement and is for information purposes only. Bidders must refer to the complete Request for Proposal document for a full description of the requirement and the full bid instructions.
Background
The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada (CEOC), an agent of Parliament, exercises general direction and supervision over the conduct of elections and referendums at the federal level. The CEOC heads the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, commonly known as Elections Canada.

Requirement
EC requires the service of a Contractor to evaluate with website users their websites, content and applications so that they are intuitive, up-to-date and user friendly. A contractor will be engaged to:
When requested, provide on demand access to usability research tools in support of activities that include but are not limited to card sorting and unmoderated usability testing.
Recruit participants for a series of usability research projects, using incentives if necessary to secure/encourage participation. Participants may be EC clients or members of the general Canadian population. Specific user communities may be requested, such as age demographics; Indigenous electors; language profiles or demographic ranges; members of particular groups such as the media, political entities; internet usage, etc.). Research will primarily take place online but must include participants in regional or remote locations.
Based on this testing, identify and recommend ways to improve the participant success rates for tasks related to EC content as defined above.
May be asked to recommend updates, based on research findings, on various concepts and designs, including but not limited to information architectures, personas, journey maps, service blueprints, and wireframes.
May be asked to provide usability research services, including but not limited to:
Perform Heuristics analysis on EC’s websites.
Perform comparative analysis with similar websites in other jurisdictions or with other leading government websites.

Incumbent
The work is currently not being performed by a contractor.
Security
There is no security requirement associated with this solicitation.
Period of the Contract
The Contract period will be from the Effective Date of the Contract for one year (the “Initial Term”).
The Contractor will grant to Elections Canada irrevocable options to extend the period of the Contract by two (2) additional periods of one (1) year each under the same terms and conditions.

Submission of Proposals
This Request for Proposal allows bidders to use the Connect service provided by Canada Post Corporation to transmit their proposals electronically. For further information, bidders must refer to Part 2 – Bidder Instructions, and Part 3 – Proposal Preparation Instructions of the Request for Proposal document.
Proposals are to be addressed to the attention of the Contracting Authority and delivered, sealed, to the Proposal Receiving Unit on or before the bid closing date and time indicated on the front page of the Request for Proposal.
For sending packages by courier or for dropping off, please note that the Proposal Receiving Unit at the Business Centre is open Mondays to Fridays from 8:00 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 16:00 (Gatineau, Quebec time).
Bids sent via email or facsimile will not be accepted.
Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.
Elections Canada retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.
Selection Methodology
Competitive Procurement Strategy: Highest combined rating of technical merity and price
Enquiries
All enquiries and other communication with Elections Canada personnel are to be directed ONLY to the Contracting Authority. The Contracting Authority will be the bidder’s primary contact. Bidders who contact anyone other than the Contracting Authority may be disqualified.
All enquiries must be submitted in writing to proposal@elections.ca no later than the deadline indicated in the Request for Proposal. Enquiries received after that time may not be answered.
Interested parties wishing to obtain the solicitation documents for this Request for Proposal must do so through https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/tenders. The documents downloaded through this site take precedence over any copies that may also be made available.
Further information about Elections Canada may be obtained at elections.ca.
Debriefings
Once the successful bidder has been announced, bidders may request a debriefing on the results of the Request for Proposal process. Bidders should make the request to the Contracting Authority as per the terms of the Request for Proposal. The debriefing may be in writing, by telephone or in person.