Employability – Estrie, Granby, Longueuil, Trois-Rivières and Beauce Areas

An advanced contract award notice (ACAN) is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date and time stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

1. Definition of requirement:
1.1	In May 1996, a strategy to increase public safety and lower recidivism rates by placing emphasis on the provision of offender interventions was recommended by the Solicitor General of Canada and the Minister of Justice at the time. In response to these recommendations, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) implemented the Enhancing Community Corrections Infrastructure initiative. As part of this initiative, in 2000, CSC put in place the Community Employment Services Program (CES Program), which provides offenders with a range of employment services, including individual assessments, counselling, job search techniques and job placement. 
1.2	In April 2012, the CES Program was integrated into the Community Corrections Infrastructure, with the CSC Community Reintegration Branch providing functional support for this program. 
The work will involve the following:

2.  Objectives:

To provide employment services to conditionally released offenders in communities in order to facilitate their successful reintegration through the creation of opportunities for sustained employment.

2.1 	Tasks

2.1.1	The Contractor shall provide services in the following areas:

(a) Operational requirements
	(b) Case management
	(c) Community and employer partnerships
	(d) Reporting

2.1.2   Operational requirements 

Operational requirements refer to the baseline facility and administration requirements necessary for the successful delivery of the CES Program, taking into consideration the risks presented by offenders.
  
2.1.3   Contractor facilities:

(a)	Unless otherwise indicated by the Project Authority, the Contractor must be able to provide the services at the Contractor's place of business, which must include an area where confidential discussions can occur.
(b)	The Contractor's place of business must be in the local area and be readily accessible by public transportation.
(c)	The Contractor shall provide its own telephone, fax machine, photocopier, computer and office supplies.   
(d)	The Contractor shall, at its place of business, provide offenders with access to a telephone, fax machine and computer (where permitted) for job search purposes. 
(e)	The Project Authority must be able to contact the Contractor by telephone, fax and e-mail.

2.1.4   Administration:

(a)	The Contractor must provide services during normal business hours from Monday to Friday (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), with the exception of statutory holidays observed by the federal government.  
(b)	At the request of the Project Authority, the Contractor may be required to provide services outside normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), such as in the late afternoon and/or evening.
(c)	The Contractor shall provide backup personnel to ensure that there will not be any interruption in service and that the Government of Canada's operational requirements are met when the Contractor is unable to provide services (for reasons including, but not limited to, leave or illness) The Contractor shall submit to the Project Authority, for approval, the names, addresses, qualifications and experience of all backup personnel to be employed by the Contractor to provide the services under contract. The Contractor shall submit any subsequent changes in backup personnel to the Project Authority for approval. Any backup personnel replacements shall have similar qualifications and experience and shall be deemed acceptable by the Government of Canada.
2.2     Case management 

Case management involves the services required to assess offenders' needs, determine employment objectives and provide support towards positive employment outcomes.  

The Contractor shall provide case management services as follows:

2.2.1	Initial assessment:

(a)	Complete an initial assessment interview (CSC form 1391 – Annex A) for all offenders on any form of release who are referred to the Contractor. The assessment process shall include: 
(i)	identifying and developing employment opportunities during the release period;  
(ii)	analyzing and assessing offenders' needs based on level of education, job experience, skills, employment objectives, occupational interests, etc.; 
(iii)	determining needs with respect to developing skills for functional independence: time management, teamwork, leadership, financial management, creativity, adaptability, etc.;
(iv)	identifying and defining offenders' employment dynamics and issues (including, but not limited to, family issues, medical issues, physical and/or mental limitations, restrictions imposed by parole conditions) that have an impact on the type of employment that suits offenders;
(v)	establishing an action plan to meet employment needs.

2.2.2	Job counselling and job search support:

(a)	Informing offenders of real labor market conditions.
(b)	Providing advice and guidance on developing an individual employment plan. 
(c)	Promoting offenders to potential employers through:
(i)	the employer directory;
(ii)	available federal, provincial and local employment programs.
(d)	Supporting and coaching offenders on job search strategies as follows:
(i)	refer them to any appropriate external resources or specialized agencies;
(ii)	refer them to available employment opportunities;
(iii)	encourage and support offenders in approaching employers;
(iv)	follow up on applications with potential employers to identify potential gaps or concerns;
(e)	Supporting and coaching offenders with job entry and retention by:
(i)	following up at specified intervals; 
(ii)	to the extent possible, collecting information from employers with respect to job progress.

2.2.3  Governance:

(a)	The Contractor shall work collaboratively with the offender's parole officer/supervisor throughout the program. The Contractor shall notify the parole officer/supervisor of any of the following: 
(i)	The offender's failure to keep an appointment with the Contractor or a potential employer;
(ii)	The offender's quitting the program;
(iii)	The offender's failure to follow up on referrals to community resources to obtain the necessary employment assistance; 
(iv)	The securing of a job or a change of job by an offender;
(v)	Any information considered relevant to the progress made by the offender in securing employment.

2.3     Community and employer partnerships

The Contractor shall establish and maintain partnerships within the community and local employers. The two main areas of focus are professional development and referrals. In support of this requirement, the Contractor shall carry out the following activities:

2.3.1 Professional development

(a)	Conduct local marketing activities to ensure that employers and community partners are aware of the CES Program and the availability of offenders for potential employment.
(b)	Locate and meet with employers in business and industry in the community to secure employment opportunities for offenders.  
(c)	Attend job fairs in the community to meet potential employers and gain a clear understanding of their needs and their desired employee profiles.
(d)	Provide information sessions to community parole officers on a quarterly basis (April, July, October and January).
(e)	Develop and maintain relationships with government agencies, employment service providers and provincial job training programs.
(f)	Provide assistance with educational training applications, financial assistance and disability applications, and critical documentation applications.
(g)	Proactively obtain local labor market information to identify new potential employers and employment opportunities, as well as trends in labor need areas.

2.3.2 Referrals

(a)	Access and use the CES Program referral process in the CSC Offender Management System (electronic database) on a weekly basis to accept referrals.
(b)	Visit community correctional centers, community residential centers and any other relevant community accommodation options on a weekly basis to meet with referred offenders.  
(c)	Accept self-referrals to the program, with confirmation from the Parole Officer and the Project Manager.
(d)	Make referrals to:
(i)	existing community resources specializing in employment assistance for Aboriginal persons, women, immigrants and visible minorities;
(ii)	organizations providing specialized employment services, including but not limited to workshops, vocational testing, job coaching and job placement;
(iii)	academic upgrading and skills training;
(iv)	agencies that assist with employment barriers, including but not limited to housing, child care, and transportation;
(v)	agencies that provide job readiness services, including but not limited to résumé writing, interview preparation and clothing programs. 

2.4     Reporting

(a)	The Contractor shall:
(i)	record and input all offender-related employment information, as well as employer information, into the OMS; 
(ii)	document all information and submit it to CSC no later than ten (10) business days after providing employment services to each offender.
(b)	Each CSC-approved database will have specific data entry requirements. The Project Authority will communicate these requirements to the Contractor. It is estimated that reporting requirements will represent approximately 10% of the level of effort required. The information required to be tracked and entered into CSC’s databases includes, but is not limited to the following:
(i)	offender employment information, including but not limited to start and end of employment, name of employer and type of employment;
(ii)	employer information, including but not limited to name of business, address, contact information and type of employment;
(iii)	all offender referral information, including offender referrals to community employment services, and offender referrals to job readiness service providers;
(iv)	offenders' employment status ninety (90) and one hundred and eighty (180) days after job placement.
(c)	On a quarterly basis, the Project Authority will audit all offender-related employment information, as well as employer information, input by the Contractor.

1.3 Expected results:

The Contractor shall meet the minimum targets, as described in section 1.4.

1.4 Performance standards:

1.4.1 The minimum offender placement targets for this contract are:

District Montréal-Métro

				Estrie Area :			30 placements
				Granby Area:			30 placements
				Longueuil Area :			45 placements

District Est-Ouest

				Trois-Rivières Area :		40 placements
				Beauce Area:			10 placements


1.4.2	The Project Authority reserves the right, at his/her discretion, to review and/or modify the minimum offender placement targets for this contract.

1.4.3	The Contractor shall meet or exceed offender placement targets applicable to the region of responsibility under this contract.

1.4.4   The Project Authority will review the Contractor's performance and compare it to applicable targets on a quarterly basis.  

1.4.5	Contractors who do not meet offender placement targets shall prepare a report explaining the reasons for the shortfall. The Project Authority may, at his/her discretion, require that the Contractor submit a written plan outlining the corrective measures that will be taken to achieve targets.  

1.4.6   At a minimum, the Contractor is expected to carry out the activities listed in sections 2.2 and 2.3 of this document.

1.4.7   Section 2.2.1 shall be completed and entered in the OMS within ten (10) business days following an assignment to the CES Program. The initial interview with the offender shall be conducted no later than ten (10) days after the Project Manager refers the case to the Contractor.

1.4.8	The action plan for meeting the offender's employment needs and providing the required level of service shall include a pre-placement activities plan, in accordance with sections 2.2.1, 2.2.2 and 2.3.1. 

1.4.9   The Contractor shall prepare an interim report every ninety (90) days until the offender receives a job placement that is approved by the Contract Manager, and shall enter these reports in the OMS.

1.4.10 Ninety (90) days after the offender receives a job placement, the Contractor shall prepare an interim report and enter it in the OMS, in accordance with Referrals (attached to this document).

1.4.11 The Contractor shall prepare and enter a final report in the following circumstances:

	a)  	One hundred and eighty (180) days after the beginning of a job placement
	b)	When the offender is withdrawn from the program for various reasons with the approval of the Contract Manager (including but not limited to parole suspension, referral to vocational or academic training, or community employment services no longer required)

1.5 Deliverables – Schedules meetings

1.5.1	A start-up meeting will be held by the Project Authority to ensure that the Contractor understands the scope of work and to answer any questions the Contractor may have. In addition, quarterly meetings (location to be determined by the Project Authority) will be held to monitor work progress.

1.5.2	The Contractor shall attend Community Intervention Board, Community Assessment Team or case conference meetings as requested by the applicable parole office.  

1.5.3	The Contractor shall participate in case conferences with CSC to discuss employment needs and prospects and to communicate with appropriate parties on offender progress or changes.

1.5.4   The Project Authority reserves the right to schedule additional face-to-face meetings, as deemed necessary, based on how the project is progressing. 

1.5.5	The Contractor shall immediately report to the Project Authority, by telephone and then by follow-up e-mail, any urgent issues that arise during the course of the work that could impact its progress.

1.5.6	Paper consumption: 

a.	Should printed material be required, double sided printing in black and white format is the default unless otherwise specified by the Project Authority. 

b.	The Contractor must ensure printed material is on paper with a minimum recycled content of 30% and/or certified as originating from a sustainably managed forest. 

c.	The Contractor must recycle unneeded printed documents (in accordance with Security Requirements).

1.6 Constraints:

1.6.1	Security:  
	a) The Contractor shall comply with all security requirements. 

1.6.2     Compliance with CSC policies:  	
a)	The Contractor shall follow applicable CSC policies (Commissioner's Directive 715) 
http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/plcy/cdshtm/715-cd-eng.shtml
http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/plcy/cdshtm/715-2-cd-eng.shtml

b)	The Contractor shall maintain records in accordance with Government of Canada policies and directives on information management and recordkeeping, as well as CSC guides and directives, which can be found on the CSC website at the following link: 
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?section=text&id=16552

1.6.3	List of Areas in which to Provide Services

For all sectors which follow, the points of service will be at the office of parole of the respective sector.

District Montréal-Métro

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS AREA
Includes the sector-based of Easter Townships. Overall but not restricted, the sector is located to the east of the Quebec region, commonly named Canton de l'est. From the south side and south-east, it is limited by the American border. From south to the north-east, it is limited by the cities of Beebe Plan, Stanstead, Georgeville, Fitchbay, Ayer's Cliff, Omerville, Orford, St-Denis de Bompton, St-François-Xavier-de Brompton, Windsor, Melbourne and Richmond. For the eastern part to the north-west, it is limited by the cities of Danville, Asbestos, Trois Lacs, St-Adrien de Ham, Ham-Sud, Weedon, St-Gérard, Stratford, Stornoway, St-Romain, Sainte Cecile, Nante, Audet, Frontenac, Lac Mégantic, Piopolis and Woburn.

GRANBY AREA
Includes the sector-based of Granby. Overall but not restricted, the sector from the south it is limited by the American border. It goes to the north-west following the cities of Venise en Québec, St Sébastien, Pike river, Bedford, Notre-Dame de Stranbridge, Ste Sabine, Farnham, Ste Brigide, L'Ange-Gardien, St Césaire, St Paul d'Abbotsford, Ste Pie ,Ste Cecile de Milton, St Valérien, Acton Vale, St Théodore d'Acton, St Nazaire d'Acton, Upton, St Liboire, St Hélène de Bagot. From the east side, it is limited from north to south by the cities of Maricourt, Racine, Valcourt, Lawrenceville, Bonsecours, Eastman, Stukley, St Étienne de Bolton, Bolton Centre, south Bolton, Vale Perkins, Mansonville and Highwater.


LONGUEUIL AREA
Includes the sector-based of Longueuil. Overall but not restricted, the sector is limited by the St-Lawrence River, from Sorel up to Dundee, passing north to south by Contrecoeur, Boucherville, Longueuil, Brossard, Kahnawake, Châteauguay, Valleyfield and St-Anicet. From the east side, it is limited from north to south by the cities of Massueville, St Hugues, St Simond de Bagoy, Ste Rosalie, St Hyacynthe, Rougemont, Ste Angèle de Monnoir, Mont St Grégoire, and Henryville. From the south side, it is limited by the American border.  




District Est-Ouest
TROIS-RIVIÈRES AREA
•	The North region: the MRC Francheville, Upper St-Maurice, Maskinongé, Mékinac and the centre of la Mauricie. The main cities are; Three-Rivers (including the old municipalities of Three-Rivers West, Cap-de-la-Madeleine), Shawinigan Grand-Mère and La Tuque.
•	The South region: the MRC Arthabaska, Érable, Nicolet-Yamaska, Bécancour and Drummond. The main cities are; Drummondville, Victoriaville and Bécancour.

BEAUCE AREA
The Beauce-Appalaches sector including the cities of St-Georges, Beauceville and Ste-Marie de Beauce up to the American border.

1.6.2	Language of Work:

The Contractor shall provide all services in the offender's preferred official language, according to the language profile of the region in which the services are provided:
•	Quebec Region: French/English

1.6.3 Security Requirements:

This contract includes the following security requirements:
a.	The Contractor must, at all times during the performance of the Contract, hold a valid Designated Organization Screening (DOS), issued by the Canadian Industrial Security Directorate (CISD), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).
 
b.	The Contractor personnel requiring access to sensitive work site(s) must EACH hold a valid reliability status granted or approved by CISD/PWGSC.   

c.	Subcontracts which contain security requirements are NOT to be awarded without the prior written permission of CISD/PWGSC. 

d.	The Contractor must comply with the provisions of the: 
Security Requirements Check List;
Industrial Security Manual (Latest Edition)


2. Minimum essential requirements:

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that it meets the following requirements:

Experience:

The Lead / Project Manager who will provide services:

Must have a minimum of three (3) years of experience in providing employment services within the last seven (7) years prior to contract award. 

Must have a minimum of three (3) years of experience in providing employment services to persons with multiple barriers to employment (persons with mental or physical disabilities, persons with low income or low literacy or with an educational deficit, disadvantaged populations, persons from different ethnocultural groups, persons with a criminal record). The experience must have been obtained within the last seven (7) years prior to contract award.

Must have a minimum of two (2) years of experience in developing employment opportunities through partnerships with potential employers within the last five (5) years prior to contract award.

Must have a minimum of two (2) years of experience in referring clients to not-for-profit or governmental service providers of job readiness services. The experience must have been obtained within the last five (5) years prior to contract award. Job readiness services are defined as specialized employment services to prepare offenders for employment and includes vocational testing, job coaching, resume writing, skills upgrading and job placement
Must have a minimum of six (6) months of experience in maintaining statistics on the outcome of job readiness services within the last five years (5) prior to contract award. Job readiness services are defined as specialized employment services to prepare offenders for employment and includes vocational testing, job coaching, resume writing, skills upgrading and job placement.

3. Applicability of the trade agreement (s) to the procurement

This procurement is not subject to any trade agreement.

4. Set-aside under the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business

This procurement is not subject to any set-asides for Aboriginal Suppliers.

5. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement (s)

This procurement is not subject to a Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement.

6. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

To our knowledge, there are a restricted number of sources in the province of Quebec who are qualified and have the resources needed to offer these specific services. 

It should be noted that we went to three (3) times in tendering for this contract but in vain.

7. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection: 

(c) the nature of the work is such that it would not be in the public interest to solicit bids.

8. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

This procurement is not subject to any trade agreement.

9. Ownership of Intellectual Property

Canada intends to retain ownership of any foreground intellectual property arising out of the proposed contract on the following basis: 

6.2 statutes, regulations, or prior obligations of the Crown to a third party or parties preclude Contractor ownership of the Foreground;

10. The period of the proposed contract or the delivery date(s)

The proposed contract is for a period of two (2) years, from July 8th, 2013 to May 31st, 2015.
 
11. A cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract is 347 000.00 $ (GST/HST extra) from contract award to July 8th, 2013 to June 30th, 2015.

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

AREAS	For the period of July 8th, 2013 to June 30th, 2015
	(including harmonized sales tax - HST)

District  Montréal-Métro
Estrie AREA	79 200.00 $
Granby AREA	79 200.00 $
Longueuil AREA	118 800.00 $
Via Travail inc.
9390, Lajeunesse
Montréal (Québec) H2M 1S4
Contract N° : 21301-14-1936170A

District  Est-Ouest
Trois-Rivières AREA	56 000.00 $
Maison Radisson inc.
962, Sainte-Geneviève
Trois-Rivières (Québec) G9A 5K4
Contract N° : 21301-14-1903541

Beauce AREA	 14 000.00 $
Réhabilitation Beauce
294, Bisson
Vallée-Jonction (Québec) G0S 3J0
Contract N° : 21301-14-1943539

13. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN, may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date and time of this notice. This statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

14. The closing date and time for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is July 5th, 2013, EDT.

15. Enquiries and submission of statement of capabilities

Enquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Manon Paulin
Contracting and Procurement Regional Officer
Regional Services Center
Material Management
Correctional Service Canada 
250, Montée St-François
Laval (Quebec) H7C 1S5
manon.paulin@csc-scc.gc.ca