Northern Contaminated Sites Program - Strategic Program Management Services - Set-Aside for Aboriginal Business

RFP NUMBER: 1000162739
PROJECT TITLE:	Request for Standing Offer Agreements for the Northern Contaminated Sites Program Strategic Program Management Services - Set-Aside for Aboriginal Businesses
This requirement is set aside for Aboriginal suppliers in accordance with the government Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business.  The bidder must certify in its bid that he or she is an Aboriginal business or joint venture as defined within the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business.
For the bid to be considered compliant, the bidder must submit at the time of bid closing, the completed and duly signed "Certification Requirements" and "Owner/Employee Certification" forms included herein as part of the tender documents.
The following Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement Claimant groups have been advised:
	
	Location	Related Land Claim(s)
Nunavut	Nunavut Land Claims Agreement
Northwest Territories	T’licho Agreement
Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement
Yukon	Carcross/Tagish First Nation Final Agreement
Champagne and Aishihik First Nation Final Agreement
Kluane First Nation Final Agreement
Kwanlin Dun First Nation Final Agreement
Little Salmon / Carmacks First Nation Final Agreement
First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun Final Agreement
Selkirk First Nation Final Agreement
Ta’an Kwach’an Council Final Agreement
Teslin Tlingit Council Final Agreement
Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in final Agreement
Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Final Agreement

	
SW1.0	TITLE
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Northern Affairs Organization, Northern Contaminated Sites Program – Strategic Program Management Services Standing Offer Agreement.
SW2.0	BACKGROUND
The responsibility of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development’s (DIAND) Minister, to the North, as mandated by the DIAND Act, is met primarily through the programs and services of the Northern Affairs Organization. The Organization supports two main goals:
i)	supporting northern political and economic development through the management of federal interests; and
ii)	promoting sustainable development of the North's natural resources and northern communities.
A major component of the fulfilment of both these goals is the addressing of sites in the North, on Crown lands, which have become contaminated.
Since 1991, the Northern Affairs Organization has been managing northern federal contaminated sites. Its Northern Contaminated Sites Program (NCSP) has the objective to manage these sites to mitigate the effects of contamination on both human populations and the environment. This includes a focus on environmental and human health and safety. The operation of the NCSP is governed by DIAND’s Contaminated Sites Management Policy (August 2002). Within the purview of this Program, DIAND carries out a variety of projects in the North, including environmental assessment, monitoring, and remediation. The NCSP is responsible for a large number of large contaminated sites, including as examples Giant Mine (in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories) and Faro Mine (in Faro, Yukon).  
To support the initiatives of the NCSP and due to the potentially strong negative impact these areas may pose to human and environmental well-being, the Department has recognized a need to acquire external resources and expertise to support the Program’s mandate and assist DIAND in evolving its abilities to meet its current and future program challenges in a proactive and strategic manner. DIAND requires the services of qualified resources within Headquarters and its Regions to provide strategic advisory and management support services to assist NCSP in furthering the management of its projects at an enterprise level. This includes coaching NCSP to further its capacity for managing projects from a portfolio perspective, and actively transferring this knowledge to internal NCSP resources to foster best practices in these and related areas.
SW3.0	OBJECTIVE
3.1	The NCSP is seeking to establish competitively awarded Standing Offer Agreements (SOAs) with professional SOA Holders to acquire access to qualified resources capable of providing on-going Strategic Program Management Services. The qualified suppliers, subject to any resultant Call-up(s), shall provide the services described herein, to both NCSP Headquarters and its Regional locations, with most services being provided in situ, as and when required.
3.2	The qualified suppliers are required to support and enhance the internal implementation of a strategic portfolio management approach to the overall governance and management of DIAND program direction in order to facilitate improved decision-making and better integrate the needs and priorities of multiple, on-going projects and program initiatives, in alignment with over-arching departmental objectives. This includes supporting alignment of practice with the Major Project Management Office’s standards within specific projects.
3.2.1	NCSP requires that the SOA Holder provide service delivery that enables seamless continuation of existing NCSP Program-level activities in line with commitments to central agencies.
3.2.2	Specific project objectives will be contained within any resulting Call-up(s).
SW4.0	ESTIMATED VALUE
4.1	The total estimated value of all anticipated call-ups across the duration of this SOA is anticipated to not exceed $2 million (CAD) per Standing Offer Agreement Holder (SOA Holder).
4.2	The value of individual work requirements will be specified in any resulting Call-up(s).
SW5.0	SCOPE OF WORK
5.1	The SOA Holder shall provide “as-and-when requested” Strategic Program Management Services including subject matter expertise, advice, guidance and implementation support that build upon existing approaches and assist NCSP project managers in situ to foster a strategic portfolio management approach to the NCSP program and its related initiatives in order to facilitate improved decision-making and better integrate the needs and priorities of multiple, on-going projects in alignment with departmental objectives.
5.2	As described in any resultant Call-up(s), the SOA Holder shall provide the Department with any combination of Strategic Program Management Services, such as, but not necessarily limited to:
5.2.1	Review, advice, analysis, recommendations and implementation support for program or project-specific governance structures (including organizational forms, improvement and administration), resourcing (including levels and skill sets required), and accountabilities; 
5.2.2	NCSP program risk management, including:
i)	Identification of risks and strategic issues, establishment of frameworks, and facilitation of collaborative management in consultation with NCSP stakeholders;
ii)	Advice on risks associated with NCSP’s programs, initiatives and operations in accordance with the TBS Framework on the Management of Risk (2010) and Guide to Integrated Risk Management (2011), taking into account an organization-wide approach to Risk Management within NCSP, in addition to broader Departmental and GoC-wide Risk Management approaches;
5.2.3	Subject matter expertise on matters such as life cycle based project delivery models, stage gate progress and performance review processes, uncertainty planning and control, contingency and reserve estimating;
5.2.4	Analysis of the application of Treasury Board policies and other related policies, and development and implementation of policy and program management strategies for NCSP;
5.2.5	Assistance with the establishment, implementation and maintenance of internal controls and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory acts (including, but not limited to: environmental, health and safety, privacy, etc.);
5.2.6	Facilitation, coaching and knowledge transfer services to support NCSP program initiatives and development of associated educational or informational toolsets, including:
i)	Advice on the establishment of processes, relationships and institutions through which program stakeholders exercise authority, articulate their interests, exercise their rights and obligations, mediate their differences, enforce compliance and work collaboratively to respond to collective problems;
ii)	Advice on the preparation and implementation of stakeholder engagement and consultation strategies to support departmental, sector and program priorities and initiatives;
iii)	Facilitation, in situ coaching and knowledge transfer services to NCSP employees to promote an understanding of the Program’s procedures, management systems, objectives and initiatives;
iv)	Assistance in developing and updating the guidance material for internal programs and initiatives and related NCSP tools; 
v)	Support in the preparation of various learning or usage materials to support the implementation of program management systems;
5.2.7	Support, guidance and advice in preparation for audits and/or evaluations, including decision-making support before or during an audit;
5.2.8	Data and information management services to provide timely and accurate program-related information for planning, monitoring, performance assessment, reporting, evaluation/audit and effective management of program resources;
5.2.9	Cost/benefit and decision analysis of current and anticipated internal programs and initiatives and long-term funding and service delivery options for NCSP programs and internal initiatives; 
5.2.10	Strategic planning and management services, including performance measurement services. This may include, but is not limited to:
i)	advice, subject matter expertise, and guidance, at the program or project level, involving the systematic identification, tracking, analysis, and reporting of performance indicators and other key data;
ii)	support, guidance and advice in preparation of program reporting documents (performance reporting);
iii)	advice and guidance in the implementation of management control frameworks, in support of financial, contracting, human resources, and specific business processes;
iv)	support, guidance and advice in preparation of departmental and/or federal government decision and approval documents (such as components of Treasury Board Submissions, Memoranda to Cabinet);
5.2.11	Other related Strategic Program Management Services.
SW6.0	DELIVERABLES
6.1	The SOA Holder shall provide any Deliverables in accordance within the Scope of Work above, as required, and as specified in any resultant Call-up(s). These may include, but are not limited to:
6.1.1	Program assessment criteria, monitoring frameworks and related reporting tools;
6.1.2	Strategic issues papers, management framework documents, strategies and plans;
6.1.3	Performance Measurement frameworks;
6.1.4	Policy and/or issue advice, interpretation and guidance;
6.1.5	Plans and Reports;
6.1.6	Presentations;
6.1.7	Reviews, written advice and recommendations; and
6.1.8	Coaching, training and mentoring and related instructional aides.
6.2	The scope of work as specified in any resultant Call-up(s) shall identify the particular deliverable(s), timelines, and other relevant areas of consideration that are required.
6.3	All Deliverables shall be in hard-copy, electronic, or both, as required and as identified by the Project Authority in any resultant Call-up(s). Any and all electronic deliverables must be compatible with the departmental software standards, as described in section Error! Reference source not found..
SW7.0	RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS
7.1	Resource Categories 
7.1.1	The following five (5) categories of SOA Holder resources will be required in the provision of services related to the SOA:
i)	Principal Consultant (“core team”);
ii)	Senior Consultant (“core team”);
iii)	Consultant (“core team”); 
iv)	Junior Consultant (“core team”); and
v)	Administrative Support.
i)	The Administrative Support role anticipates the following types of tasks: serving as the information and communication manager for projects; assembling materials; planning and scheduling meetings and appointments; organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files; conducting research; and handling travel and guest arrangements.
7.1.2	In addition to the “core team” of SOA Holder resources (as defined in section 9.1.1 a through d above), the following resource categories represents an area of additional (optional) capacity offered by the SOA Holder: 
i)	Senior Consultant – Subject Matter Expert; and
ii)	Consultant – Subject Matter Expert.
7.1.3	Refer to the section 7.3 below (Qualification Standards) for a description of the minimum qualifications associated with each of these resource categories.
7.2	SOA Holder Resource List
7.2.1	For the provision of Services to DIAND, the SOA Holder shall provide access to qualified resources from the SOA Holder’s Resource List, as accepted by DIAND. 
7.2.2	The Resource List may be updated upon written authorization from DIAND, to reflect additions or deletions and to update qualification information.  Additions to the List will be vetted against the Qualification Standards for the Resource Category in which they are provided, as identified below
7.2.3	Where the SOA Holder has additional qualified Resources that align with the Optional Resource Categories (see 9.1.2 and qualifications in 9.3 below), the SOA Holder may also include these additional levels of resources, as necessary to complete the work as described in the Call-up.
7.3	Qualification Standards
7.3.1	SOA Holder’s Resources shall meet or exceed the minimum qualifications for the Resource Category in which they are put forward as stated below. 
7.3.2	Resources may not be assigned to more than one (1) Resource Category.
Resource / Group Category 	Minimum Qualifications
The definition of a “work summary” for the purposes of demonstrating a proposed resource’s work experience is as follows:
The work has a beginning and an end date and delivers a result.  The work described must be a minimum of six (6) months in length.  
While resource work experience gained as part of a large client initiative or integrated undertaking (“Project”) may address more than one (1) subject area of experience (as noted below), in order to have this experience be considered as relevant against each subject area, the work must be identified as a discrete client undertaking under the overall work (i.e. with specific defined deliverable(s)) and must be clearly identified within the scope of the larger undertaking.
In addition to the resource-category specific qualifications, as described below, the following represent collective qualifications that are required at the “team” level as follows:
Collective or “Team” Qualifications	a)	At least one (1) resource on the SOA Holder’s “core team” of resources (i.e. any one of the Principal Consultant, Senior Consultant, Consultant or Junior Consultant) must have a Masters of Business Administration (MBA).
b)	At least one (1) resource on the SOA Holder’s “core team” of resources must hold a current Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
c)	At least one (1) resource on the SOA Holder’s “core team” of resources must have experience in at least one (1) project that demonstrates knowledge of Aboriginal issues in Northern Canada including Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements (CLCAs).
d)	At least one (1) resource on the SOA Holder’s “core team” of resources must have a specialization in Internal Controls, as described below.
e)	At least one (1) resource on the SOA Holder’s “core team” of resources must have a specialization in Performance Measurement, as described below.
Internal Controls Area of Specialization	a)	At least one (1) resource on the SOA Holder’s “core team” of resources must have a specialization in Internal Controls, as follows:
1)	Must demonstrate at least three (3) years of financial management or project / program controls expertise in a Public Sector context, similar and relevant to the Scope of Work (sections 7.2.1-7.2.10).
2)	Must demonstrate relevant Canadian Public Sector understanding and knowledge, as evidenced by one (1) or more resource work experience summaries  that demonstrate at least two (2) of the following areas:
i.	Project Controls, specific to large scale (i.e. departmental or program-wide), high dollar value (i.e. valued at $50 Million or higher - for a portfolio of projects cumulatively) initiatives;
ii.	Business case development, specific to large scale (i.e. departmental or program-wide), high dollar value (i.e. valued at $50 Million or higher - whether a single project or a portfolio of projects cumulatively) initiatives;
iii.	Federal approval and expenditure management processes (e.g. Preliminary Project Approval (PPA), Effective Project Approval (EPA), Policy on the Management of Projects etc.);and
iv.	Financial risk management.
Performance Measurement  Area of Specialization	a)	At least one (1) resource on the SOA Holder’s “core team” of resources must have a specialization in Performance Measurement, as follows:
1)	Must demonstrate at least three (3) years of work experience developing, implementing and advising on Performance Measurement of large scale (i.e. departmental or program-wide), high dollar value (i.e. valued at $50Million or higher - for a portfolio of projects cumulatively) initiatives; within the Public Sector.
The following represent the resource-category specific qualifications:
Principal Consultant
[Minimum of One (1) required]	a)	Must demonstrate relevant education from a generally recognized institution Relevant education is defined as a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant discipline, such as but not necessarily limited to: 
	Public Administration
	Economics
	Business
	Business Administration
	Commerce
	Engineering
	Environmental Science
	Science
b)	Must demonstrate at least ten (10) years of work experience for strategic program or project management undertakings similar and relevant to the Scope of Work (see sections 7.2.1-7.2.10), of which at least two (2) years must have been in a Principal Consultant role or other similarly senior-level position with oversight responsibilities over teams of deployed resources.
c)	Must demonstrate at least five (5) years of work experience in advising or supporting Public Sector client(s) for strategic program or project management undertakings similar and relevant to the Scope of Work (see sections 7.2.1-7.2.10).
d)	Must demonstrate at least two (2) years experience working on projects in Canada’s North. 
e)	Must demonstrate relevant Canadian Public Sector understanding and knowledge, as clearly evidenced by one (1) or more resource work experience summaries that demonstrate at least five (5) of the following areas:
i.	Strategic Program Management;
ii.	Senior Executive Engagement;
iii.	Integrated Risk management;
iv.	Program performance management and reporting;
v.	Project development and implementation strategies; and
vi.	Regulatory programs and related initiatives in the North.
Senior Consultant
[Minimum of Three (3) required]	a)	Must demonstrate at least ten (10) years of work experience for strategic program or project management undertakings similar and relevant to the Scope of Work (sections 7.2.1-7.2.10).
b)	Must demonstrate relevant education from a generally recognized institution OR demonstrate an additional three (3) years of work experience for strategic program or project management undertakings similar and relevant to the Scope of Work (sections 7.2.1-7.2.10) (beyond the minimum required in a above). 
Relevant education is defined as a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant discipline, such as but not necessarily limited to: 
	Public Administration
	Economics
	Business
	Business Administration
	Commerce
	Engineering
	Environmental Science
	Science
c)	Must demonstrate relevant Canadian Public Sector understanding and knowledge, as evidenced by one (1) or more resource work experience summaries  that demonstrate four (4) of the following areas (i through v):
i.	Strategic planning;
ii.	Project development and implementation strategies;
iii.	Risk management;
iv.	Regulatory programs and related initiatives in the North;
v.	Program management.
d)	One (1) of the Senior Consultant Resources must demonstrate relevant Canadian Public Sector understanding and knowledge, as evidenced by one (1) or more work experience summaries  that demonstrate work experience in regulatory programs and related initiatives in the North.
Consultant
[Minimum of Two (2) required]	a)	Must demonstrate at least five (5) years of work experience for strategic program or project management undertakings similar and relevant to the Scope of Work (sections 7.2.1-7.2.10).
b)	Must demonstrate relevant education from a generally recognized institution OR demonstrate an additional three (3) years of work experience for strategic program or project management undertakings similar and relevant to the Scope of Work (sections 7.2.1-7.2.10) (beyond the minimum required in (a) above). 
Relevant education is defined as a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant discipline, such as but not necessarily limited to: 
	Public Administration
	Economics
	Business
	Business Administration
	Commerce
	Engineering
	Environmental Science
	Science
c)	Must demonstrate relevant Canadian Public Sector understanding and knowledge, as evidenced by one (1) or more resource work experience summaries that demonstrate at least two (2) of the following areas:
i.	Strategic planning;
ii.	Project development and implementation strategies;
iii.	Risk management;
iv.	Regulatory programs and related initiatives in the North;
v.	Program management.
Junior Consultant
[Minimum of One (1) required]	a)	Must demonstrate at least two (2) years of work experience for strategic program or project management undertakings similar and relevant to the Scope of Work (sections 7.2.1-7.2.10).
b)	Must demonstrate relevant education from a generally recognized institution OR demonstrate an additional three (3) years of work experience for strategic program or project management undertakings similar and relevant to the Scope of Work (sections 7.2.1-7.2.10)  (beyond the minimum required in a above).  
Relevant education is defined as a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant discipline, such as but not necessarily limited to: 
	Public Administration
	Economics
	Business
	Business Administration
	Commerce
	Engineering
	Environmental Science
	Science
Administrative Support
[Minimum of One (1) required]	a)	Must demonstrate a minimum of two (2) years of work experience, acquired within the past ten (10) years, in the provision of day-to-day administrative support/clerical services.
Optional Resource Category
Subject Matter Expert – Senior Consultant	a)	Must demonstrate at least ten (10) years of work experience in a role specific to the field of subject matter expertise, in the areas of communications, training, or socio-economic or Aboriginal consultations, as related to Section 7.0 of the SOW.
b)	Must demonstrate at least five (5) years of work experience in the past ten (10) years for Canadian Public sector clients. 
c)	Must demonstrate a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant discipline, based on the area of required subject matter expertise OR demonstrate an additional three (3) years of work experience in a role specific to the field of subject matter expertise (beyond the minimum required in a and b above).
Subject Matter Expert - Consultant	a)	Must demonstrate at least five (5) years of work experience in a role specific to the field of subject matter expertise, in the areas of communications, training, or socio-economic or Aboriginal consultations, as related to Section 7.0 of the SOW.
b)	Must demonstrate at least two (2) years of work experience in the past ten (10) years for Canadian Public sector clients. 
c)	Must demonstrate a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant discipline, based on the area of required subject matter expertise OR demonstrate an additional three (3) years of work experience in a role specific to the field of subject matter expertise (beyond the minimum required in a and b above).

SW8.0	COMMENCEMENT, DURATION AND AWARD
	The SOA will commence upon signing of the Articles of Agreement.
The SOA shall be valid for three (3) years with two (2) additional one (1) year option periods at DIAND’s exclusive option.
Basis of Selection
	DIAND intends to award up to one (1) Standing Offer Agreement as a result of this solicitation to the Bidders representing Best Value, as determined in accordance with the Selection and Evaluation Criteria of this RFP.  Best Value shall be defined as the highest Total Scores.
Under companion solicitation No. 1000163364 DIAND intends to Award up to two (2) competitively awarded SOAs. 
In the event the required number of Awards is not attained as a result of that process, DIAND reserves the right to Award up to an additional two (2) SOAs pursuant to this process, for a total of three (3) SOAs.
In the event that more than one (1) Proposal receives the same Total Score, of those Proposals, the Proposal with the higher Financial Score will be considered to represent Best Value.
Security
Pursuant to the Government of Canada Security Policy, the nature of the services to be provided under the Standing Offer Agreement requires a Government of Canada Security Clearance.

This procurement is subject to the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Businesses (PSAB).