EXPERT MEMBERSHIP FOR THE NEW NON-INSURED HEALTH BENEFITS (NIHB) ORAL HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE (NOHAC).

Solicitation #: 1000177843 Closing Date: May 6, 2016 Time: 2:00 EDT

This requirement is for the department of Health Canada.

Title:

Expert membership for the new Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Oral Health Advisory Committee (NOHAC).

Background:

Provinces and territories are responsible for delivering health care services, guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act. Health care services include insured hospital care and primary health care, such as physicians and other health professional services. Like any other resident, First Nations people and Inuit access these insured services through provincial and territorial governments.

However, there are a number of health-related goods and services that are not insured by provinces and territories or other private insurance plans. To support First Nations people and Inuit in reaching an overall health status that is comparable with other Canadians, Health Canada's NIHB Program provides coverage for a limited range of these goods and services when they are not insured elsewhere.

The NIHB Program is Health Canada's national, medically necessary health benefit program that provides coverage for benefit claims for a specified range of drugs, dental care, vision care, medical supplies and equipment, short-term crisis intervention mental health counselling and medical transportation for eligible First Nations people and Inuit.

The NIHB Program's dental benefit covers dental services, including: diagnostic, preventive, restorative, endodontic, periodontal, prosthodontic, oral surgery, orthodontic and adjunctive services.

Scope:

The NIHB Program is in the process of establishing the NIHB Oral Health Advisory Committee (NOHAC). Once created, NOHAC will be an external advisory body of highly qualified oral health professionals and academic specialists who will bring impartial and practical expert opinions, advice, and recommendations to the NIHB Program to support the improvement of oral health outcomes of First Nations and Inuit clients.

The advice and recommendations provided by NOHAC will follow an evidence-based approach, reflecting oral health and scientific knowledge as well as current clinical and oral health care delivery and disease prevention best practices in the context of a public health program. In addition, NOHAC will provide evidence-based recommendations regarding management of the NIHB Dental Benefits List, including existing and newly introduced procedure codes to the NIHB Program.

NOHAC members will be remunerated for meeting attendance and meeting preparation time and will be reimbursed their travel costs associated with face-to-face meetings.

Objectives of the Requirement

The NOHAC members will be responsible for providing impartial expert professional advice to the NIHB Program on a variety of topics identified by NIHB, including: current and evolving best practices; evidence-based oral health disease prevention and treatment; NIHB oral health policy; specific clinical issues; and technologies and procedures, that may have an impact on the oral health outcomes of NIHB client population.

Tasks, Activities, and Deliverables

All members (including Chair and Vice-Chair) must:

1. Obtain the required material from the NIHB Program prior to each meeting for preparation;
2. Prepare for each meeting by reviewing provided documentation;
3. Be present for the duration of each meeting (unless approved by the Chair prior to the meeting);
4. Be a thoughtful and active participant during committee discussions and business;
5. Participate in votes at meetings (an exception to this voting requirement may occur when a member has declared a COI prior to the meeting. In this situation, the Chair may restrict the member’s participation in the discussion and in voting);
6. Provide the NIHB Program with:
   1. Expertise and evidence-based recommendations on issues such as, but not limited to, existing and planned NIHB dental benefit policy criteria, guidelines, protocols, activities and initiatives.
   2. Evidence-based recommendations regarding management of the NIHB Dental Benefits List, including existing and newly introduced procedure codes.
   3. Expert advice on oral health issues identified by the NIHB Program as having a potential impact on the oral health outcomes of NIHB clients. These may be current and emerging issues, and may be related to areas of expertise such as Public Health benefit coverage and delivery, oral disease prevention, and oral disease treatment modalities.
   4. Evidence-based recommendations on existing and emerging dental technologies, their use within the context of a Public Health program and their impact on the oral health outcomes for the NIHB Program client population.

The deliverables associated with the services include but are not limited to the following:

1. Written recommendations, as stated above, must be submitted to the NIHB Program in the form of a Record of Decision (ROD) for consideration. All ROD’s must be completed, in full, and submitted by ways of the appropriate ROD template as specified by the NIHB Program. ROD’s may be prepared by NIHB Program staff at the discretion of the Chair and must be signed by the Chair and Vice-Chair prior to being submitted.

Aside from their requirements as a regular member, the Chair must:

1. Chair committee meetings;
2. Assist in the preparation of meeting agendas;
3. Invite members to make a presentation at a meeting when relevant and appropriate;
4. Facilitate a full and frank discussion among advisory body members in fulfillment of the advisory body's mandate, including in formulating its recommendations, advice, or report to Health Canada;
5. Seek consensus on the advisory body's advice among all advisory body members, and, if there is no agreement, to ensure that this diversity of opinion is noted in meeting records or report;
6. Support, in any other way, the fulfillment of the advisory body's mandate;
7. Provide the tie-breaking vote should there be a tie during any vote at meetings.

Aside from their requirements as a regular member, the Vice-Chair must:

1. At the request of the Chair, or in the case of the Chair's absence, the Vice-Chair will chair the meeting(s) and take on the Chair's other tasks, as required.

Estimated Value:

The total cumulative value of call-ups issued against all Standing Offer Agreements (SOA) shall not exceed the sum of $77,650.00 (CAD) in the first year and $77,650.00 in each of the four (4) one (1) year option periods, Goods and Services Tax or Harmonized Sales Tax extra should they be exercised.

Security Requirement:

All Bidders must have a Reliability Security Clearance prior to being awarded a Standing Offer Agreement.

SECURITY REQUIREMENT FOR CANADIAN SUPPLIER:

1. The Contractor personnel requiring access to PROTECTED information, assets or sensitivework site(s) must EACH hold a valid RELIABILITY STATUS, granted or approved by Health Canada/PHAC or the Canadian Industrial Security Directorate (CISD), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).

2.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.

3.Subcontracts which contain security requirements are NOT to be awarded without the priorwritten permission of Health Canada/PHAC

M1-A

Oral Health Professionals

The Offeror’s proposal demonstrates qualification as an oral health professional, licensed/registered in their respective specialty and in good standing with the regulatory body of the province/territory in which they practice, in one of the following specialties:

1. Public Health Dentist (*)

2. Dental General Practitioner (*)

3. Pedodontist (*)

4. Prosthodontist (*)

5. Dental Hygienist (*)

6. Periodontist (*)

7. Dental Anesthesiologist

8. Denturist

9. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

10. Endodontist

11. Orthodontist

Offerors must provide the following:

• a copy of their diploma, certificate, licence etc. to demonstrate their qualification as an oral health professional.
• proof of licensing/registration and letter of good standing from a Canadian Provincial/Territorial dental regulator.

NOTE FOR DENTAL SPECIALISTS

The committee will initially be comprised of the six oral health specialists specified above with an asterix.(*)

However, due to the potential of changing priorities and/or direction of the committee, oral health professionals of all specified specialties are encouraged to respond to this call for bids.

M1-B

Health Economist or Epidemiologist/ Biostatistician

If the Offeror is submitting a proposal for a Health Economist or Epidemiologist/ Biostatistician, the Offeror must hold a doctoral degree. Offerors must provide a copy of their degree in their proposal.

M2-A

Oral Health Professionals

Offerors submitting a proposal for one of the eleven categories identified in M1 for oral health specialties must clearly demonstrate that they possess as a minimum five years of clinical experience from date of this RFSO working in their recognized specialty as described in the Statement of Work.

The information provided must contain details of how, when and where the experience was obtained, who else the Offeror worked with, and the scope of the Offeror`s involvement.

Work Experience is cumulative, must be in months and years and cannot overlap.

M2-B

Health Economist or Epidemiologist/ Biostatistician

Offerors submitting a proposal for the categories of Health Economist and Epidemiologist/Biostatistician must provide at least five years of experience working in their recognized specialty as described in the Statement of Work.

The information provided must contain details of how, when and where the experience was obtained, who else the Offeror worked with, and the scope of the Offeror`s involvement.

Work Experience is cumulative, must be in months and years and cannot overlap.

M3

All Offerors must provide in their proposal the signed conflict of interest declaration form attached at Annex “E” to disclose to Health Canada any circumstance that may place, or be seen to place the Offeror in a real, apparent or potential conflict of interest.

See documents attached below.

Selection Methodology:

Basis of Selection - Highest Combined Rating of Technical Merit (80%) and Price (20%)

Enquiries regarding this Request for Proposals are to be submitted in writing to:

Donna Pettit

Senior Contracting and Procurement Officer

Ottawa, Ontario

Telephone: (613) 698-3684

E-mail: Donna.pettit@hc-sc.gc.ca