ACAN

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE:

Analytical support for the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Community of Practice on Cluster and Asset Mapping

BACKGROUND

Budget 2016 announced the Government’s intent to develop, in collaboration with provinces, territories, research institutions and other stakeholders, a nationwide Canadian Cluster Mapping Portal (the Portal). The Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is leading the development of this Portal and has assembled a Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Community of Practice to create a forum that will guide and inform its development.

REQUIREMENTS/RESULTS:

The objectives of this project report are to:

• Analyze and compare approaches to cluster and asset mapping across FPT jurisdictions, systematically highlighting commonalities and differences in goals, approaches and detailed methodologies;
• Highlight data gaps and opportunities for enriching our common evidence base;
• Develop a picture of regional economic strengths and priorities based on a synthesis and interpretation of the data in possession of the FPT governments at this time; and
• Provide advice on the development of a nationwide Canadian Cluster Mapping Portal.

In order to achieve these objectives, the contractor will:

1. Moderate an in-person meeting of FPT Community of Practice representatives;
2. Actively engage with FPT governments to collect their models, approaches, and data sets related to cluster and asset data and mapping;
3. Create and apply a framework for systematically assessing the various approaches taken by FPT governments;
4. Synthesize information gathered into a comprehensive series of regional cluster profiles touching on existing industrial strength and areas of future economic opportunity; and,
5. Conduct a comparative analysis of approaches and methodologies used by federal, provincial and territorial governments, highlighting areas of alignment and revealing gaps and opportunities for enriching our common evidence base.

In the event that the in-person meeting of FPT Community of Practice does not occur, the contractor will not be required to deliver requirement 1 and not be able to bill for this work.

The services will be required for a period commencing from contract award until submission of the final report. All contract work, including final submission, must be completed by March 31, 2017.

SCOPE OF WORK/TASK

The contractor will leverage its status as an impartial third-party, having a pan-Canadian mandate, focus and track record to conduct an impartial analysis of the various cluster-related goals, approaches, methodologies and data sets of all FPT governments. The contractor will actively solicit information and develop and apply a structured framework to enable comparison across jurisdictions. The contractor will prepare national and regional economic profiles for each FPT jurisdiction that identify views on cluster and asset mapping as well as regional economic strengths and priorities. The profiles need to reveal the methodology employed by each jurisdiction to capture regional economic strengths and opportunities. These profiles will need to be visually enhanced with graphics, including charts and graphs as well as stock images. The contractor will provide a final report which incorporates FPT input to develop a pan-Canadian view, and provide advice on a recommended path forward for developing the Portal in terms of methodology, data and scope, in a way that aligns with the shared goals and interests of FPT governments.

Data for the profiles will be collected via the following means:

1. Internal analysis: The contractor will draw on its existing knowledge-base and internal analysis of economic performance and trends for FPT jurisdictions; and,
2. Presentations from FPT representatives: There is a planned in-person meeting of FPT representatives, to be held in November 2016, where each jurisdiction will present their views on regional economic strengths and priorities. Presentations will be followed by a group discussion. The contractor will be responsible for moderating this meeting. Copies of presentations by each FPT jurisdiction and a summary of discussions during the meeting will be made available to the contractor by ISED.
3. Active solicitation of information from FPT representatives: It is expected that the contractor will proactively seek out data sets from within each jurisdiction, leveraging the FPT Community of Practice members as key points of contact, in order to assemble the fullest picture of the implicit or explicit cluster and asset mapping approach of each jurisdiction.

Once the regional economic profiles are drafted, the contractor will make an interim presentation to the group of FPT jurisdictions (either in person or through video-conferencing), and take feedback on board.

DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES:

The contractor will be responsible for seven main deliverables for this project :

1. Submission of an outline for the report;
2. Moderating the in-person meeting of the FPT Community of Practice;
3. Submitting an interim report for feedback;
4. Presenting the interim report;
5. Completing a final report on FPT perspectives on regional economic strengths and priorities as well as a recommended path forward;
6. Delivering a presentation on report findings to the Community of Practice; and,
7. Providing guidance and answers questions to ISED on an ongoing basis up to March 31, 2017.

In the event that the in-person meeting does not occur, the contractor will not be responsible for deliverable 1. The contractor will also bill the department for deliverables not required.

Regular communication through email, and/or phone calls shall be maintained between the Contractor and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada as needed.

The submissions must address the questions outlined in the scope of work and reflect any comments and revisions from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Deliverables will be submitted electronically in an appropriate electronic format.

The total for the contract shall not exceed $80,700.00