Learning Disability Assessments

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 meets 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 for professional assessments of learning disorders/disabilities (LD), as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental Disorders V (DSM V) for those offenders identified as having significant potential for learning difficulties. The work will involve the following:

1. Objectives:

To conduct a comprehensive review of the offender’s educational, medical and psychological history, including CSC file information as well as information from outside sources, and perform the necessary tests and measurements.

To provide a comprehensive assessment based on the tests, their interpretation, and any other acquired data. The assessment must include learning strategies, diagnosis, accommodation requirements and other pertinent information relevant to support successful learning intervention.

1.2 Tasks:

The Contract Psychologist must take into account gender, cultural, religious and linguistic differences and be responsive to the special needs of women and Indigenous People.

The contract psychologist must be familiar with and fully qualified to provide the following assessments, which is not exhaustive, as other measures may be appropriate based on a case-by-case review:

1.2.1 a comprehensive review of the offender’s eduaction, medical and psychological history, including CSC file information as well as information from outside sources

1. a complehensive measure of intelligence asuch as the WAIS IV or the Woodcock Johnson tests of Cognitive Ability IV
2. Measures of:

1. Memory including immediate and long term memory, verbal and visual memory, using tests such as NAB memory Module, the Wechsler Memory Scale IV, the California Verbal Learning Test II, the Rey Osterrich Figure or similar current measures;
2. Executive function and attention, such as the Delis Kaplan Executive Function System, the NAB Executive Function Module, the NAB Attention Module;
3. Phonological Processing, such as the CTOPP, and subtests of the WJ Tests of Achievements, or the Wechsler Tests Indivdual Acheivement Tests III

1.2.4 Comprehensive tests of academic achievements such as the Woodstock Johnson Tests of Achievement or the Wechler Individual Achievement Tests III

1.2.5 Measures of motivation and effort such as the TOMM, the ACS Word Memory Tes, the Green Tests or the VIP;

1.2.6 Measures of other aspects of cognitive function as may be indicated clinically.

1.2.7 In addition to the completion of learning disability assessments, other services may include, but

not limited to the following:

1. Participate in meetings as a consultant including case conferences, the Interdisciplinary Mental Health Team or the Correctional Intervention Board and other related activities as requested;
2. Participate in CSC training, including orientation to CSC as requested;
3. Provide consultation services for the resolution of CSC internal offender grievance and investigative processes as requested; and

1.2.8 Prepare and submit learning disability assessments and other reports as requested by the Project Authority or delegate.

1.3 Expected results:

The contract psychologist must:

1. Provide a comprehensive assessment based on the tests, their interpretation, and any other acquired data. The summary must include learning strategies and diagnosis, accomodation requirements and other pertinent information relevant to support successful learning intervention.
2. Must document all relevant information in complainace with relevant legislation, professional standards of practice and CSC’s Documentation for Health Services Professional Guidelines.

1.4 Performance standards:

The Contract Psychologist must provide all services in compliance with federal and provincial legislation and standards, provincial and national guidelines, practice standards and CSC Policy/Guidelines including the CSC Mental Health Policy and guidelines.

The Contract Psychologist must provide services in accordance with the ethical and professional practice standards of the applicable provincial regulatory body, the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists and relevant legislation guiding the practice of Psychology within correctional settings.

The Contract Psychologist, once receiving the referral, must initiate the learning disability assessment within thirty (30) days of the date of the referral.

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Assessments must be received by the referring institution in a timely manner, normally within two (2) weeks of the assessment. In addition, a follow-up meeting with the offender, the teacher, the Institutional Parole Officer (IPO), and other members of the offender’s Case Management Team will be required to discuss assessment results and possible remedial strategies. 

1.5 Deliverables:

1.5.1 Assessments must be written clearly in layperson’s terms and be received by the referring institution in a timely manner, normally within two (2) weeks of the assessment. In addition, a follow-up meeting with the offender, the teacher, the Institutional Parole Officer (IPO), and other members of the offender’s Case Management Team will be required to discuss assessment results and possible remedial strategies.

The assessment in its entirety and its original form (including test data and raw scores) will be placed in the offender’s Mental Health File. 

The assessment will be placed in the Education and Training File, the Mental Health File and the Case Management File. Additionally, the assessment must be posted in the Offender Management System (OMS) under the Learning Disability Assessment screen.

Results of the assessment will also be shared with the offender.

1.5.2 Paper consumption:

1. Should printed material be required, double sided printing in black and white format is the default unless otherwise specified by the Project Authority.

1. 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.

1. The Contractor must recycle unneeded printed documents (in accordance with Security Requirements).

1.6 Constraints:

1.6.1 Location of work:

1. The Contractor must perform the work at Bath, Beaver Creek, Collins Bay, Joyceville, Millhaven and Warkworth Institutions, and Grand Valley Institution for Women, in the Ontario region.
2. Travel

Travel to the following locations will be required for performance of the work under this contract:

1. Beaver Creek Institution, 2000 Beaver Creek drive, Gravenhurst, ON P1P 1Y2

1. Grand Valley Institution for Women, 1575 Homer Watson Blvd, Kitchener, ON N2P 2C5
2. Warkworth, County Road #29, Campbellford, ON K0L 1L0

1.6.2 Language of Work:

The contractor must perform all work in English and be able to communicate orally and in writing in English without any assistance and with minimal errors.

1.6.3 Security Requirements:

This contract includes the following security requirements:

1. The Contractor/Offeror must, at all times during the performance of the Contract/Standing Offer, hold a valid Designated Organization Screening (DOS), issued by the Canadian Industrial Security Directorate (CISD), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).

1. The Contractor/Offeror 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.
2. The Contractor/Offeror MUST NOT remove any PROTECTED information or assets from the identified work site(s), and the Contractor/Offeror 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 prior written permission of CISD/PWGSC.
4. The Contractor/Offeror must comply with the provisions of the:

1. Security Requirements Check List and security guide (if applicable);
2. Industrial Security Manual (Latest Edition).

2. Criteria for assessing the statement of capabilities (minimum essential requirements):

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

1. must have current registration or license – in good standing- for Autonomous Practice of Psychology by a Provincial Registering/Licensing Body in Ontario.
2. must have experience in learning disorder/disability assessments

Experience: The Contractor must possess three (3) years of experience in the past ten (10) years conducting learning disorder/disability assessments.

Academic qualifications:

The Contractor must possess a post-secondary degree from a recognised university in the field of psychology. 

The degree must have been obtained from a recognized Canadian university, college or high school, or the equivalent as established by a recognized Canadian academic credentials assessment service, if obtained outside Canada.

The list of recognized organizations can be found under the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials web site.

Professional designation, accreditation and/or certification:

1. must have current registration or license – in good standing- for Autonomous Practice of Psychology by a Provincial Registering/Licensing Body in Ontario.

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 not subject to any set-asides for Aboriginal Suppliers.

5. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement (s)

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

6. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

In December 2018, the Ontario region issued a request for procurement through buyandsell.gc.ca, (Reference number is PW-18-00854003) with a closing time and date of 2pm on January 3, 2019. Unfortunately, there were no interested bidders.

Dr. Cotton is a registered psychologist in Ontario.

Dr. Cotton has more than 30 years of experience working in the mental health field, providing a variety of services to police organizations including pre-employment and fitness for duty assessments, program development, and research consultation.

Given the lack of interest and response to our RFP, facilitating a contract award with Dr. Cotton is reasonable, particularly given her extensive experience and qualifications.

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. Period of the proposed contract or the delivery date(s)

The proposed contract is for a period of one (1) year and four (4) months, from May 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020.

11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $80,000.00 (GST/HST extra).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Name: Dr. Dorothy Cotton

Address: Kingston, Ontario

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. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

14. Closing date and time for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is April 26, 2019 at 2:00 PM EDT].

15. Inquiries and submission of statement of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Shane Collins, Regional Contract Administrator

Correctional Service Canada, Ontario Region

P.O Box 1174, 445 Union Street West

Kingston, Ontario

K7L 4Y8

Telephone: 613-536-4570

Facsimile: 613-536-4571

Email: shane.collins@csc-scc.gc.ca