Visiting Elder – Spiritual/Cultural 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 for the provision of Cultural Services to Aboriginal offenders in the Pacific Region. The work will involve the following:

1. Objectives:

The Correctional Service of Canada is committed to providing 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.

Seabird Island Band is geographically the closest neighbouring First Nation to Mountain Institution and Kent Institution. The Aboriginal Corrections Accountability Framework mandates the building of horizontal relationships and enhancing relationships with community. Giving federal offenders the opportunity to learn traditional ways of the local Seabird Island people allows them the opportunity to build relationships to enhance reintegration.

1.2 Tasks:

The contractor shall provide cultural teachings which may take the form of teaching circles, crafts, and other approved cultural activities (eg. Ceremonies) for inmates and staff engaged in the Pathways initiative. These teachings may be for offenders and/or staff external to Pathways as well. The Contractor may be asked to provide ceremonial food services for either site in the form of cultural supplies.

1.3 Expected results:

The contractor will promote healing and pro-social behaviour and reintegration success of Aboriginal offenders. Culture and spirituality based interaction will be provided to the Aboriginal offenders.

1.4 Performance standards:

Hours of Work and activities undertaken will be documented by the contractor on a monthly basis. These will be submitted to the Project Authority for review.

1.5 Deliverables:

• 1.5.1 Estimated level of effort is up to 769 hours per contract period.

The contractor is to provide all supplies necessary in the delivery of these tasks.

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:

The Designated Institutional Staff must be notified of all supplies needed for entry into the institution and all supplies must be approved prior to entry into the institution. Cultural foods and consumable items will be permitted as per institutional policy and only with prior approval. As per the contract, all materials produced by this contract become the property of the Correctional Service of Canada. Should the Pathways residents, staff, or management wish to proceed with a gifts to residents will be permitted. Communications between Mountain Institution (Project Authority) and Seabird Island will be conducted in order to ensure that the Project Authority on-site supervision and Seabird Island services are aware of changes, cancellations, and requests in a timely manner. A minimum of 1 week notice by either party will be expected and appreciated.

Reporting/Invoicing will be conducted on a monthly basis, as per the contract. This monthly reporting will address invoicing, supplies, activities, concerns, and status of remaining contract sessions. This meeting will involve a management representative as well as a minimum of one representative from Seabird Island and the Mountain Pathways Team.

1.6.1 Location of work:

a. The Contractor must perform the work at

Mountain Institution (4732 Cemetery Rd, Agassiz, BC V0M 1A0),

Kent Institution (4732 Cemetery Rd, Agassiz, BC V0M 1A0),

b. Travel

No travel is anticipated for performance of the work under this contract.

c. Dates to be arranged between Project Authority and Contractor.

d. Times to be arranged between Project Authority and Contractor.

e. Pathways ALO or an institutional staff will provide supervision.

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:

Personnel in the delivery of the work will at all times be escorted by an institutional staff. 

2. Minimum essential requirements:

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

Experience:

· A minimum of 2 years experience in providing cultural teachings to aboriginal male inmates from a variety of Aboriginal cultures and backgrounds within an institutional environment.

· A minimum of 2 years experience in providing lessons in various forms of traditional arts and crafting such weaving, sewing, appliqué, and felting.

· Experience in providing ceremony relevant to the Coast Salish and Sto:lo people of this territory; for example blanketing.

· A minimum of 5 years experience delivering cultural teachings, stories, art forms, songs, language and traditions of coast Salish (Sto:lo) people.

Academic qualifications: Would not be applicable in this case as teachings are passed from Elders and community.

Professional designation, accreditation and/or certification: This would not be applicable however good standing and demonstration of the above essentials with the community and band of Seabird island for the Coast Salish nation of Sto:lo would be essential.

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). 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

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

Seabird Island Visiting Elder provide Coast Salish cultural teachings which may take the form of teaching circles crafts and other approved cultural activities for inmates engaged in the Pathways initiatives.

 Seabird Island has a minimum of 2 years of experience in providing cultural teachings within an institutional environment. Seabird Island provides the service of Elders who have varying years of experience providing cultural teachings to individuals and groups of people, mainly of aboriginal descent. A Seabird Island Elder has provided cultural teachings within Mountain Institution for the past two years.

Seabird Island has a minimum of 2 years of experience providing lessons. Seabird Island has 2 years experience attending the Correctional Service of Canada institutions to deliver cultural teachings, traditional art, crafts and ceremony.  Seabird Island has provided lessons and teachings through traditional arts and drafts such as weaving, sewing, appliqué and felting.

Seabird Island has a minimum of 5 years of experience in the delivery of cultural teachings, stories, art forms, songs, language and traditions. Seabird Island hosts Aboriginal Spiritual/Cultural events (such as their annual canoe race) throughout the year open to the general public as well as neighboring Nations.

7. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

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

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

8. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

The following exclusion (s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the section of the trade agreement (s) specified:

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 1 (One) year, from 2017-04-01 to 2018-03-31 with an option to extend the contract for 2 additional one-year periods.

11. A cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option (s), is $52,515.00 (GST extra).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Name: Seabird Island Band

Address: Agassiz, BC

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 30, 2017 at 2:00 PM PDT.

15. Enquiries and submission of statement of capabilities

Enquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Sandra Wilford

A/Regional Procurement & Contracting Officer

100-33991 Gladys Avenue

Abbotsford BC V2S 2E8

Telephone: 604-870-2603

Facsimile: 604-870-2444

E-mail: Sandra.Wilford@csc-scc.gc.ca