Student Counselling Services for the Canadian Coast Guard College

Procurement Hub – Fredericton

301 Bishop Drive

Fredericton, NB E3C 2M6

1 September 2017

F5211-170337

ADVANCED CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE

TITLE: Student Counselling Services for the Canadian Coast Guard College

ACAN:

The purpose of this Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) is to signal the government’s intention to award a contract for these services to SAGE Solutions Inc, 70 Rue King, Moncton, NB E1C 4M6.

 Before awarding a contract, however, the government would like to provide other suppliers with the opportunity to demonstrate that they are capable of satisfying the requirements set out in this Notice, by submitting a statement of capabilities during the ACAN posting period.

If other potential suppliers submit a statement of capabilities during this ACAN posting period that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the government will proceed to a full tendering process on either GETS or through traditional means, in order to award the contract.

If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a statement of capabilities meeting the requirements set out in the ACAN, a contract will be awarded to the pre-selected supplier.

INTRODUCTION:

The Canadian Coast Guard College, “the College”, requires timely, confidential, mobile, bilingual, 24 hour mental health counselling and support services delivered to its student population in the Officer Cadet and the Marine Communications Traffic Services (MCTS) Abinitio training programs.

BACKGROUND:

The Officer Cadet Training Program is unique and follows an intense forty-five month outline with both classroom and at-sea training components. Officer Cadets often spend long periods of time during the at-sea training components in very remote locations. Officer Cadets who successfully complete the program earn a Bachelor of Technology in Nautical Sciences from Cape Breton University. They also receive a Diploma from the College with examination exemptions up to Master Mariner and 1^st Class Engineering certificates. Finally, they graduate with a Transport Canada Certificate of Competency in either Engineering or Navigation. As part of the certification requirements from Transport Canada, Transport Canada Regulations specify that if a learner misses more than 10% of course time, they are not eligible to write exams.

As a designated bilingual institution under the Official Languages Act, services for staff, students and the general public must be accessible in both official languages (English and French). The provision of bilingual mental health counselling and support services is not currently available in the geographic area. Currently in the College’s geographic location, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and surrounding area, bilingual or French language mental health services are not accessible.

OBJECTIVES:

The Contractor will ensure the College student population has timely access, within 5 business days, to immediate bilingual services, with access to a 24 hour emergency access line no wait times and 24 hour accessibility. This service must be available from coast to coast and also when the students are at sea on the sea phase portion of their studies.

WORK REQUIREMENT:

This Contractor must offer confidential 24 hour mobile mental health care services in both official languages. The Contractor must have the capacity to serve any geographic region in Canada at any given time of the day or night in both English and French. As many of the student locations could be quite remote, the contractor must indicate how they will be accessible by providing a plan. As this generation of students all have cellular phones, a mobile application that can be downloaded to a student’s cellular telephone and/or through teleconferencing services where cellular services are not available is also a requirement. This accessibility would eliminate barriers to mental health services by ensuring greater privacy, eliminating travel needs and eliminating the need to navigate the traditional complex mental health care system. It must also allow the College to track, in a confidential manner, the ongoing and clinical progress of clients, monitor progress, and make recommendations based on precise data collected to enhance the support network and services to the College student body.

 Tasks and Deliverables:

The Contractor will provide client training and/or user documentation to all users.

A training report will be provided to the Project Manager weekly (including NIL reports for each week when the provision of training was not required).

The mobile application and teleconferencing services will be available to clients for support 24/7.

The Contractor will provide technical support to ensure successful use of the mobile application.

The Contractor will produce a bilingual quarterly bi-monthly newsletter and publications with references to services.

The Contractor will provide desktop Video counselling services to support mental health needs of students.

The Contractor must be able to provide services to approximately 200 students age 17 and up.

The Contractor will prepare regular reports that outline and summarize services on a bi-monthly basis, and that will identify trends and offer recommendations to support the needs of the student population.

The Contractor will provide (upon request) other services, including but not limited to fact-finding activities, investigative services, mediation services and other specialized services.

RESOURCES AND LEVEL OF EFFORT:

All counselling services will be made available via mobile application, desktop video conferencing and teleconferencing solutions. In person requirements will be negotiated on a case by case basis.

The Contractor will provide the Project Manager with a weekly training report on a weekly basis, including NIL reports when training is not delivered. These reports will include a copy of the participant lists for any orientation and training sessions delivered.

The Contractor will provide monthly summary assessment and recommendation reports based on the data collected and trends seen from the provision of services. These reports will outline and summarize the services provided throughout the course of that particular month and will provide information and data to ascertain if the scope of work is meeting the ongoing needs of the College.

MANDATORY CRITERIA:

• Must be able to provide bilingual service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the contract.
• Must be able to 24 hour accessibility nationwide, including areas with limited internet and telephone conductivity.
• Bilingual in French and English at the advanced level.
• Must have licensed and registered counsellors with their governing bodies (proof of enrolment and related insurances) as per the CPPA

ESTIMATED VALUE

The total value of the contract shall not exceed $70,000 excluding all applicable taxes for the firm period from contract award to 31 March 2018. Each subsequent Optional Year is estimated at $70,000 (each).

TRADE AGREEMENTS APPLICABILITY OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS:

No Trade Agreements apply. NAFTA Exemption Health and Social Services.

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS REGULATIONS EXCEPTION AND LIMITED TENDERING REASONS:

The following policy requirements are applicable to this ACAN process:

Applicable Exceptions to Soliciting Bids under the Government Contracting Regulations (GCRs) (Section 6):

Section 10.2.1 Section 6 (d) only one person or firm is capable of performing the work applies to this ACAN for the following reasons:

-There are no known alternative sources of supply. It is feasible and affordable to compete the requirement.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY:

No new Intellectual Property will be created in this contract.

CONTRACT PERIOD:

The period of the contract is from contract award to 31 March 2018 inclusive. The contract will include 3 optional years each of 1 year duration, to be activated at the discretion of DFO.

Firm period: contract Award to 31 March 2018

Option Year 1: 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019

Option Year 2: 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020

Option Year 3 – 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021

SUPPLIER’S RIGHT TO SUBMIT A STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES:

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services described herein, must submit a Statement of Capabilities in writing to the Contracting Officer identified in this Notice on or before closing date. The Statement of Capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMITTING STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES:

18 September 2017 at 2:00 p.m. (ADT)

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Vicki McEwan

Team Lead – Contracting Services

Procurement Hub – Fredericton

Telephone: (506) 452-4065

Email: DFOtenders-soumissionsMPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca