ExtremeHeat.ca - Online accredited course about extreme heat and health

HEALTH CANADA ADVANCE CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE




TITLE:  ExtremeHeat.ca  -  Online accredited course about extreme heat and health

SOLICITATION NUMBER:  1000171851

1.  The purpose and explanation of an ACAN

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows Health Canada contracting authorities to post a notice on MERX, for no less than fifteen (15) calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that a good, service or construction contract will be awarded to a pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a Statement of Capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contracting authority may then proceed with the award. However, should a Statement of Capabilities be found to meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, then the contracting authority will proceed to a full tendering process.

2.  Rights of suppliers

Suppliers who believe that they are fully qualified and available to provide the services or goods described in this ACAN may submit a Statement of Capabilities clearly demonstrating how they meet the advertised requirement. This Statement of Capabilities must be provided via e-mail only to the contact person identified in Section 12 of the Notice on or before the closing date and time of the Notice. If there is a reasonable level of evidence regarding capability, the requirements will be opened to electronic or traditional bidding processes.

3.  Proposed Contractor

McMaster University
1200 Main Street West,
Hamilton, Ontario
L8S 4L8
Telephone:  905-525-9140 x 26525

4.  Definition of Requirements or Expected Results
 
Health Canada Canada launched a heat resiliency project to assist Canadians in coping with extreme heat by strengthening the capacity of communities, health care workers, and individuals to manage heat-related health risks.

Extreme heat events are posing a growing public health risk in Canada, as a result of a changing climate. A key element in reducing heat illness and heat stroke is to provide health care providers with targeted information to assist them in undertaking protective activities and to increase their patients and/or clients' awareness of heat-health risks. Health care providers have the capacity to reduce heat-related health risks by focussing planning and adaptation decisions on protecting vulnerable populations, and by promoting actions to reduce heat-health risks during daily professional activities, as well as within their own communities.



Health Canada wishes to continue the availability of an existing accredited online course entitled ExtremeHeat.ca which has been hosted and promoted by McMaster University as part of their "machealth" program since 2012. 

Extreme.Heat.ca was developed in collaboration with the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP), the Clean Air Partnership (CAP), and McMaster’s Division of e-Learning Innovation. It provides heat/health information and tools to health care providers to help them and their patients prepare for and manage extreme heat events. HC's publication Extreme Heat Events Guidelines: Technical Guide for Health Care Workers is the designated course reading material.  
 
Key audiences to be reached include family physicians, pediatricians, pharmacists, nurses, public health physicians, public health inspectors, athletic therapists. The course is also available to the general public.

In order to maintain consistency, availability, reliability and measurability, the following requirements must be demonstrated by any interested suppliers in a Statement of Capabilities:

a) A current and credible relationship with the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) and the Clean Air Partnership (CAP); and McMaster University.

b) Evidence of an established and recognized web presence with demonstrated credibility in the provision of an educational online learning environment supportive of environmental health programs; 

c) Ownership of, and technological expertise in, handling the software and platform required to run this program/course, and experience providing records of results successfully tried and tested;

d) Ability for managing knowledge transfer targeting health care professionals and their patients via an accredited environmental health online program/course, including competency in providing efficient, experienced and expert technical support to course applicants and participants;

e) Familiarity with obtaining course accreditation, as per 5B in Section 5 – Minimum Requirements; 

f) Comprehensive method for collecting qualitative data to include feedback from users, for example, regarding the applicability of the program/course into their medical practices; 

g) Expertise and experience in the administration of a reporting system for conveying metrics and measurable results back to Health Canada covering the duration of a similar environmental health online program/course;

h) Expertise and experience developing a strategic promotional/marketing campaign to ensure a seamless transition and effectively drive traffic to an alternate institutional website capable of offsetting confusion caused by an address change to an established program/course. A new address will conflict with existing promotional materials which have been in circulation since 2012, such as emails, social media, printed and digital advertisement, printed tools/postcards disseminated at relevant conferences and meetings.  





5.  Minimum requirements

Any interested supplier must demonstrate minimum of 3 years of experience by way of a Statement of Capabilities that it meets the following minimum requirements: 

A) Demonstrated ability to host the extreme heat events-related programs, to include:
•	Host, maintenance and upgrade program platform, including course management system for health care provides, as well as for patient/public information and resources;
•	Host English and French versions of the extreme heat events programs and course;
•	Assist, service and support to successful conclusion any end users requesting help in relation to the extreme heat events program/course.

B) Demonstrated ability to administer accredited online education in health science, to include educational research and development expertise such as instructional design, problem-based learning, evidence-based medicine, multimedia development, computer-based learning technologies, and research and evaluation, as follows:
•	accreditation by The Committee on the Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education (CACME) to provide CFPC Mainpro and RCPSC Maintenance of Certification (MOC) study credits for Continuing Medical Education for family physicians and specialists;
•	Responsibility for planning meetings or honoraria/stipends for planning committee members related to accreditation application;
•	Acquisitions of endorsements from at least 3 major medical professional associations.

C) Demonstrated ability to provide regular reporting and final report/evaluation of the program, to include:
•	Monthly reporting on marketing initiatives/outcomes
•	An in-depth report on program and course metrics to include: website analytics; course analytics/utilization; course evaluation data, and summary of promotional efforts and impacts.

6.  Reason for non-competitive award

i) Background:  The Climate Change and Health Office (CCHO) at Health Canada has the mandate of developing heat resilient communities and individuals in Canada.  Extreme heat events are also posing a growing public health risk in Canada, as a result of a changing climate.  Health care workers need to be informed about the health risks of heat in order to increase their patients and/or clients' awareness, and to support them to undertake protective activities. Health care workers have the capacity to reduce heat-related health risks by focussing, planning and adaptation decisions on protecting vulnerable populations and by promoting actions to reduce heat-health risks during daily professional activities, as well as within their own communities.

(ii)Sole Source Justification:  In 2011, CCHO undertook a continuing initiative in the form of an accredited online course entitled ExtremeHeat.ca in order to provide health care workers with information and tools for their patients and to help manage extreme heat events. Key audiences include family physicians, pediatricians, pharmacists, nurses, public health physicians, public health inspectors, athletic therapists. The course is also available to the general public. HC's publication Extreme Heat Events Guidelines: Technical Guide for Health Care Workers is the designated course reading material.  

ExtremeHeat.ca was developed through a collaboration between Health Canada (HC), the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) and the Clean Air Partnership (CAP), McMaster’s Division of e-Learning Innovation.  McMaster University hosts and promotes this site as part of their "machealth" program. 

Initial launch of this online program was August, 2012 and there have been 240 online course completions.

CCHO proposes to have McMaster continue to offer and run ExtremeHeat.ca as it currently exists for FY 2015/16. McMaster's Division of e-Learning Innovation is in the best position to continue this work due to the following:
- technologically, software required to run the course and record results has been successfully tried and tested;


7.  Applicable trade agreements and justification for limited tendering or the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business

	This contract is subject to the following trade agreements:  
	
	North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Article 1016.2 (b) and AIT, Article 506.12 (b).
	
Article 1016.2(b) of NAFTA and Article 506.12 (b) of the AIT allows contracts to be directed to a particular firm when the products or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists.

8.  Ownership of Intellectual Property

 Crown will retain IP ownership 

1  If the main purpose of the contract is: to generate knowledge and information for public dissemination;


9.  Period of the proposed contract

“The contract period shall be from date of contract award until March 31, 2016.

10.  Estimated value of the proposed contract

The total estimated value of the proposed contract, from Date of Contract to March 31, 2016, shall not exceed $40,500.00, including all applicable taxes and travel (if applicable). 

This contract may be extended, by mutual consent, for up to an additional three (3), one (1) year option periods from April 1 2016-March 31 2019 under the same terms and conditions and where the total Contract value may be increased up to an additional $40.500.00 (per option year) including all applicable taxes and travel (if applicable).  

For a total estimated value to not exceed $162,000.00



11. Closing date and time 

The closing date and time for accepting Statements of Capabilities is 25th June 2015, 2 p.m. EST).

12.  Contact Person

All inquiries with regard to this Notice must be addressed by e-mail to:

Name:  Catherine Stiletto
E-Mail: Catherine.stiletto@hc-sc.gc.ca