Aboriginal Elder Services

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:

The Correctional Service Canada has a requirement to provide programs and opportunities to meet the needs of Aboriginal offenders. The Correctional Service of Canada is legislated to provide Aboriginal offenders with the opportunity to further develop their understanding of traditional Aboriginal spirituality while allowing others to practice their beliefs and values systems. The work will involve the following:

1. 1. Objectives:

The Aboriginal Elder shall expose offenders to traditional Aboriginal ways of life through workshops, teachings and counselling and by facilitation of traditional ceremonies for the benefit of both offenders and staff; and monitoring the participation of offenders in Aboriginal programming.

1.2 Tasks:

The Elder will provide (in-group or individual) counseling, teachings and ceremonial services to Aboriginal offenders. This includes the following:

Providing guidance and teachings through group sessions (circles) and individual discussions to offenders in the institution.

Conducting spiritual services and various traditional ceremonies based on Elder’s teachings.

Assisting offenders following a healing path in support of their correctional plan.

Elders may be requested, by agreement, to escort offenders on Escorted Temporary Absences (ETAs) for ceremonial and other spiritual purposes.

Provide advice/information to staff and management, locally, regionally and nationally on issues of Aboriginal spirituality and cultural practices.

Introduce institutional staff to various elements of traditional spirituality as deemed appropriate based on their teachings.

Provide advice to the Institutional Head regarding ceremonies, ceremonial objects, traditional practices and protocols, traditional medicines, or sacred ground within the institution including the collection and storage of ceremonial objects and traditional and ceremonial medicines.

1. 1. Expected results:

Provision of Aboriginal programs and Elder services to Nova Institution for Women inmate population.

1. 1. Performance standards:

Provide the Case Management Team with verbal information regarding the offender's participation in a healing path as requested as part of the offender’s progress report. This may include progress on an offender’s participation in Pathways, in Aboriginal Correctional Programs, or in other cultural and spiritual activities as appropriate.

Upon receiving a referral/request from Case Management team, the Elder will provide initial information and updates verbally to the Aboriginal Liaison Officer or Parole Officer for documentation and may include initial observations; whether the offender has agreed to continue working with the Elder through Aboriginal Specific interventions; provide information about offender progress in addressing his or her needs; and provide verbal information about an offender’s readiness for the possible transition into the community.

The Elder may be asked to provide advice, guidance, information, or recommendations regionally or nationally on issues of Aboriginal spirituality and cultural practices.

This may also include participation, by agreement, on regional or national advisory bodies, such as the National Elders Working Group, or the National Aboriginal Advisory Committee.

1.5 Deliverables:

1.5.1 The Aboriginal Elder, with the assistance and coordination of the Aboriginal Liaison Officer or Parole Officer, will report to the Technical Authority on a monthly basis providing a summary of the tasks and hours completed.

1.5.2 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 Location of work:

a. The Contractor must perform the work at Nova Institution for Women.

b. Travel

i. Travel to the following locations will be required for performance of the work under this contract: areas preapproved by the AWI. There may be a need to attend other institutions and communities as well as regional and national meetings.

1.6.2 Language of Work:

The contractor must perform all work in English.

1.6.3 Security Requirements:

This contract includes the following security requirements:

a. The Contractor personnel requiring access to PROTECTED information, assets or sensitive work site(s) must EACH hold a valid RELIABILITY STATUS, granted or approved by CISD/PWGSC or Correctional Services Canada (CSC).

b. The Contractor MUST NOT remove any PROTECTED information or assets from the identified work site(s), and the Contractor must ensure that its personnel are made aware of and comply with this restriction.

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

d. The Contractor must comply with the provisions of the:

a) Security Requirements Check List, described in Annex E;

b) Industrial Security Manual (Latest Edition).

1.6.3 Site Security Requirements:

All of the Contractor’s personnel who will be visiting CSC Penitentiary institutions will be submitted to verification through the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) at the institutions’ entrances.

2. Minimum essential requirements:

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

1. Provide proof of being recognized as an Aboriginal Elder;

2. Have a minimum of two years experience in the delivery of Elder Services to Aboriginal people;

3. Be recommended by Aboriginal Elders to be a suitable candidate in the correctional environment

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 set-aside for an Aboriginal Supplier in accordance with the government's Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business (PSAB) (https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100032802/1100100032803). Therefore, only suppliers who meet the definition of an Aboriginal business, as defined in the PSAB, may submit a statement of capabilities.

This restriction does not apply to contracts with individuals who are Aboriginal Elders.

5. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement (s)

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

6. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

Ms. Prosper is a female elder from Millbrook NS. She has extensive experience teaching Mi'kmaw culture, language and spirituality. She has experience working with female offenders and is strongly supported/ connected to the Aboriginal community. Given our long history with staff within the Aboriginal Initiatives division, we believe that Ms. Prosper is the only qualified elder to meet our operational needs.

The pre-identified supplier meets all of the minimum essential requirements described in this ACAN.

7. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

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

(d) only one person is capable of performing the contract.

8. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

This procurement is not subject to any trade agreement.

9. Ownership of Intellectual Property

There are no intellectual property terms in the contract.

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

The proposed contract is for a period of one year, from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 with an option to extend the contract for three additional one-year periods.

11. A cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option (s), is $ 345,900.00 (GST/HST extra).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Name: Doreen Prosper

Address: contractor’s place of business

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 March 29, 2016 at 2:00 p.m.

15. Enquiries and submission of statement of capabilities

Enquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Andrea Nugent

Regional Contract Officer

Correctional Service Canada

1045 Main Street, 2^nd floor

Moncton, NB E1C 1H1

Telephone: 506-851-6977

Email: andrea.nugent@csc-scc.gc.ca