Directed Faith Community Reintegration Project (DFCRP) – AIM of Toronto

Advanced Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

Directed Faith Community Reintegration Project (DFCRP) – AIM of Toronto

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 the requirement:

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has a requirement to initiate a Directed Faith Community Reintegration Projects (DFCRP). DFCRPs are an integrated, post-release component of the continuum of care as they align with CSC’s mandate for public safety through the provision of a range of services and activities that facilitate the transition and reintegration of individuals back into the community in their support of offender reintegration plans and program goals.

The work will involve the following:

1.1 Objectives:

To contribute toCSC’s mandate to support successful offender reintegration following their release from CSC institutions through:

• Bridge building between offenders and their religious and spiritual community groups;
• Liaising with parole, justice organizations and faith communities;
• Developing faith community capacity to engage with offenders; and
• Assisting offenders to become contributing members of society

1.2 Tasks:

1.2.1 Contribute to the continuing Correctional Work of CSC Post-release:

“Spiritual factors are a consideration at parole hearings as a part of the release planning needs.” (Guide for Parole Officers) The Contractor must offer an essential link between the reintegrating offender and their community of faith/spiritual practice and community at large. The services the Contractor must provide includes, but is not limited to:

1. Support the reintegration goals/correctional plan of the offender and
   encouraging a balanced religious/spiritual perspective rooted in mainstream
   religious thought;
2. Engage faith communities to support and nurture a balanced religious/spiritual
   development path for the offender post-release;
3. Support positive, pro-social relationships in faith communities and other
   communities as appropriate;
4. Support offender in their accountability (parole officer, following conditions
   and any other aspects of his/her re-integration plan);
5. Incorporate and facilitating restorative practices into the offenders’
   relationships, building on restorative justice principles including relationships with
   persons/institutions having authority, and
6. Work with identified offenders and offender groups at institutions prior to
   release to build relationships in anticipation of offering reintegration support and
   pro-social, faith-based activities upon release;
7. Work with identified offenders post release offering reintegration support; prosocial faith-based activities; and where required, disengagement services.

1.2.2 Local Needs Assessment

The Contractor must liaises with local parole offices, justice organizations, institutional chaplains and other community stakeholders to identify the needs and trends of the reintegrating offender population and facilitate responsive services (including volunteers) that are uniquely faith/spirituality based and complementary with existing services. This includes, but not limited to:

1. Educate and liaise with community justice organizations (John Howard, E. Fry,
   Salvation Army, others) about the DFCRP services available to support offender
   religious and spiritual practice during the reintegration process;
2. Conduct offender religious/spiritual needs assessments on an ongoing basis and
   develop a religious/spiritual care plan that supports the religious and/or spiritual
   practice of the offender and connects him/her with faith communities that
   promote cooperative living in a diverse society;
3. Work with faith leaders to develop local capacity to address the needs of
   offenders returning to the community;
4. Coordinate with faith leaders to offer and support religious/spiritual transition rites
   and rituals that are unique to the needs of offenders returning to the community,
   and;
5. Recruit, train, and oversee faith community volunteers.

1.2.3 Develop and implement a unique DFCRP strategy:

The Contractor must develop or adapt a holistic strategy for working with offenders released from federal institutions. The Contractor must implement that strategy, which will include the following:

1. Investigate existing advisory groups and working groups in all regions, at all
   levels, and develop networking relationships with relevant resources.
2. Initiate an advisory group that may include, but is not limited to, representatives
   from local religious communities, the police, CSC parole, clinical/social worker
   groups and professional/academic groups, to meet regularly to support the work
   of the Directed FCRP initiative.
3. Network with chaplains and institutional Parole Officers at CSC Institutions
   releasing identified offenders to the community to initiate and encourage
   referrals.
4. Network with CSC Parole in communities where the work is being done to inform
   and educate parole officers about the work of the Directed FCRP.
5. Develop or adapt a structured faith-based reintegration support model focussed
   on assisting identified offenders who require faith support; cultural and
   community connection; and/or disengagement services, and
6. Incorporate positive, faith-based mentoring initiatives to assist with effective
   reintegration.

1.2.4 Community Safety Impact:

The Contractor must contribute to public safety through reducing the stigma attached to being an offender and breaking down barriers to successful reintegration and participation in law-abiding society. To accomplish this the Contractor must:

1. Educate the public about the strengths and challenges that offenders bring when
   returning to the community;
2. Accompany offenders in their reintegration into faith communities and help build
   confidence in offenders within the community;
3. Coach faith communities and others to safely engage with offenders,
4. Facilitate restorative practices where appropriate (e.g. where the faith community
   has been affected by the offender’s actions) fostering restoration, belonging and
   mutual care; and
5. Build capacity in faith communities to address the needs of released offenders:
   engaging, informing, educating, and equipping the communities to support
   offenders in their successful reintegration.

1.2.5 Facilitation of Pro-Social Involvement and Belonging:

Communities of faith typically offer many diverse, faith-based, pro-social activities to the public that foster a sense of belonging while contributing to spiritual and religious growth. Offender involvement in these activities offers a direct resource to mitigate identified risk factors. The Contractor must initiate, accompany and support safe reintegration into an offender’s community of interest/preference as they:

1. Coach/nurture offender social skills through healthy applied spirituality/religious
   practices;
2. Foster healthy relationships with self, faith tradition and community at large;
3. Introduce offenders to pro-social supportive communities;
4. Facilitate faith communities to donate/offer material resources to offenders for
   practical living, leisure (lessons, membership sponsorships);
5. Facilitate faith community networking for occupational opportunities for offenders;
6. Coach the offender to manage attitudes of self as a spiritual person of value;
7. Introduce and accompany offenders in pro-social religious, spiritual, or faith-based recreational and social activities, and;
8. Foster the applied religious and spiritual growth of offenders within their faith
   community as it relates to their unique experience of reintegration including
   coping, psychological, emotional and physical self-care as well as other needs
   that are responsive to the offender.

Definitions:

Disengagement – is an intervention strategy with a focus on changing behaviours, not ideology. Disengagement requires an understanding of the factors that motivate and encourage moderate religious expression.

Holistic – Supportive interventions that present a balanced spiritually-based, restorative interpretation of life.

1.3 Expected results:

• To develop or adapt a unique DFCRP strategy. 
• To work with identified offenders and offender groups at institutions prior to release to build relationships in anticipation of offering reintegration support and pro-social, faith-based activities upon release.

• To work with identified offenders post release offering reintegration support, pro-social faith based activities; and where required, disengagement services.

1.4 Deliverables:

1.4.1 The Contractor must provide to the Project Authority:

1. A copy of the disengagement model being used within six (6) months of the contract being initiated;

1. A copy of the Monthly Quantitative Indicator reports using the provided measurement tools provided; and

1. A copy of the Quarterly Reports within thirty (30) days of the end of each quarterly reporting period.

1.4.2 Format of Deliverables

The Contractor must submit one (1) electronic copy of reports in Excel format submitted to the Project Authority

1.4.3 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).

1.5 Constraints:

1.5.1 Location of work:

a. The Contractor must perform the work in Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and Hamilton area.

b. Travel

i. Travel may be requested on an “as and when required basis” by CSC for attendance at meetings, orientation or conferences, as specified in writing by the Project Authority.

1.5.2 Language of Work:

The Contractor must perform all work in English.

1.5.3 Security Requirements:

This contract includes the following security requirements:

SECURITY REQUIREMENT FOR CANADIAN SUPPLIER:  

PWGSC FILE No. 21120-22-4055669

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 Contract Security Program (CSP), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).

2. The Contractor/Offeror personnel requiring access to PROTECTED information, assets or sensitive site(s) must EACH hold a valid RELIABILITY STATUS, granted or approved by the CSP, PWGSC.

3. The Contractor/Offeror MUST NOT remove any PROTECTED information or assets from the identified site(s), and the Contractor/Offeror must ensure that its personnel are made aware of and comply with this restriction.

4. Subcontracts which contain security requirements are NOT to be awarded without the prior written permission of the CSP, PWGSC.

5. The Contractor/Offeror must comply with the provisions of the:

a) Security Requirements Check List and security guide (if applicable), attached at Annex A;

b) Contract Security Manual (Latest Edition).

2. Criteria for assessment of 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:

Experience:

1. The Supplier must have completed at a minimum two (2) projects in collaborating with agencies working with ex-offenders and / or offenders. The experience must have been acquired within the last seven (7) years preceding the closing date of this Advanced Contract Award Notice (ACAN).
2. The Supplier must have a minimum of two (2) years experience in delivering faith based support services to offenders returning to the community. The experience must have been acquired within the last seven (7) years preceding the closing date of this ACAN.
3. The Supplier must have a minimum of two (2) years experience managing a volunteer program in the community. The experience must have been acquired within the last seven (7) years preceding the closing date of this ACAN. The volunteer program(s) must include all of the following elements:
   1. Recruitment;
   2. Selection; and
   3. Training and retention.

The Supplier should provide the following details regarding the acquired experience and projects for criteria 1, 2 and 3 above:

• Where (program name, organization name and address);
• When (start and end dates of the project/employment):
• How (details about the work performed during the engagement) the stated experience was obtained; and
• A reference including; name, phone number, and email, who can attest the work/experience claimed.

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 Indigenous Business

This procurement is not subject to any set-asides for Indigenous 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

AIM of Toronto (Anjuman-E-Islahul Muslemin of Toronto) is the only moderate faith-based Muslim organization working consistently in the area of offender reintegration from a Muslim perspective, pre- and post-release. This is a highly specialized area of engagement with a challenging offender population. The pre-identified supplier has indicated their ability to provide these specialized services in the geographical locations where CSC and the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) have identified needs.

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

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. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The proposed contract is for a period of one (1) year, from date of contract award to one (1) year later with an option to extend the contract for two (2) additional one (1) year periods.

11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $281,640.00 (GST/HST, travel included).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Name: Anjuman E Islahul Muslemin (AIM) of Toronto)

Address: 277 Scott Rd, Toronto, ON M6M 3V3

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 Wednesday October 19th, 2022 at 2:00pm EDT.

15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Danielle Cameron

Manager/Team Leader, Operations, Contracting and Materiel Services

Telephone: 343-542-9350

E-mail: Danielle.cameron@csc-scc.gc.ca