Reporting Centre - 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 Canada has a requirement to provide a Reporting Centre to provide enhanced supports and intervention to cases that present increased risk, or needs, or both while on parole or Long Term Supervision Order (LTSO) release in the community. The Reporting Centre must also provide additional intervention and support resources for offenders on supervision with CSC in the community. The work will involve the following:

1.1 Background:

The Reporting Centre provides support for offenders who require additional interventions, counselling or connection to community resources while on parole release in the community. The Reporting Centre also functions to provide after business hours and weekend supports to further promote the reintegration needs and goals of offenders in the community. The Reporting Centre services focus on the supervision of higher needs, or higher risk cases, or both; conditionally-released or LTSO offenders with residency conditions at Community Residential Facilities/ and Community Correctional Centres (CRF/CCC) or those in transition from CRF/CCC residency to independent living. These services provide assistance to the Parole Officer in dealing with offenders who require increased counselling, or hands on support, or both to access and connect to various community resources in meeting their community reintegration needs and goals. The Reporting Centre may also provide post suspension interventions that allow for alternatives to parole revocation. 

1.2 Objectives:

To provide offenders access to a Reporting Centre that offers supervision, support and assessment to higher needs or higher risk offenders in keeping with generally accepted community practices, professional standards and Correctional Service of Canada’s Commissioner’s Directives.

1.3 Tasks:

The Contractor must:

• Provide an office site, accessible by public transit, consisting of a large meeting and reception area and separate office or interview rooms. 

• Provide services to offenders in the community, who are unable to access the direct Reporting Centre office location, based on lack of, or limited access to public transportation, or both from their home, or other case specific factors that may reduce their ability to access the Reporting Centre.

• Provide Reporting Centre Services up to 8 hours per day, 7 days per week Monday to Sunday, with the following operating hours. 

• 10am and 6pm for five (5) days of the week; and
• 12pm and 8pm for two (2) days of the week. 

• The Contractor and Project Authority will agree upon the schedule of operating days and hours.

• The Contractor may adjust operating days and hours by providing two weeks prior notice to the Project Authority, and obtain the prior written approval of the project authority before implementing the adjustments.

• Provide two (2) Case Management Workers to facilitate Reporting Centre services.

• Receive Reporting Centre referrals from Correctional Service Canada.

• Meet directly with CSC referred offenders as required, based on the frequency determined between the CSC Parole Officer and the Reporting Centre staff.

• Meetings must be based on an assessment of the supervised offender’s specific reintegration needs, risk factors, Community Strategy, and Correctional Plan.

• Identify and provide referral support for offenders to access culturally specific community services, focused on the specific ethno-cultural needs of the diverse offender population in the Central Ontario District. The Contractor must focus on developing culturally relevant community connections to support reintegration goals for Black, racialized, Indigenous or gender-diverse offenders when needed.

• Work to provide offenders with links to agency partnerships and community resources that support reintegration, focused on their specific needs.

• Document meetings and assessments between the Reporting Centre Case Management Workers and offender in the offender’s casework records and make them available to the applicable Parole Officer, within 5 working days of their contact with the offender.

• Provide meetings that include individual counselling for released offenders, links and direct support in accessing community resources and crisis support if and when required.

• Participate in case conference with offender’s Parole Officer no less than once per month to provide a status report on the offender’s case, regarding compliance and any assessment of the case or interventions provided, or required, or both.

• Immediately advise Correctional Service Canada of any offender that is assessed as displaying an increased risk, or violation of Special Conditions, or both.

• Notify the Parole Office as soon as possible but at latest by the end of the shift and via an email system that meets the Government of Canada Information Security Guidelines, when an offender fails to attend a scheduled appointment.

• Provide single use public transit fares for offender travel relating to the Reporting Centre. 

1.4 Performance standards:

• The Contractor’s Case Management Workers must document their interview with and assessment of offenders and make this information available to the Parole Officer by entering the Casework Records into the Offender Management System (OMS).

• The Contractor’s Case Management Workers must enter Casework Records into OMS within 5 working days from the date of their interview with an offender.

• The Contractor`s Case Management Workers must participate in a case conference with the offender’s Parole Officer no less than once per month to provide a status report on the offender’s compliance and any assessment of the case or intervention provided, or required, or both. 

• The Contractor`s Case Management Workers must, at the request of the Parole Officer, provide additional consultation or a progress summary report to support release or suspension recommendations.

• The Contractor`s Case Management Workers must immediately advise Correctional Service Canada of any offender that is assessed as displaying an increased risk, or violation of Special Conditions, or both.

• The Contractor`s Case Management Workers must notify the Parole Office as soon as possible but at latest by the end of the shift and via an email system that meets the Government of Canada Information Security Guidelines, when an offender fails to attend a scheduled appointment.

1.5 Deliverables:

1.5.1 The Contractor must:

• Document all offender Reporting Centre contact(s) by phone or in-person; including assessment of the interview or contact between the Case Management Workers and the offender, and the Case Management Workers must make this information available to the Parole Officer by entering their casework records into the Offender Management System (OMS).

• The Contractor’s Case Management Workers must enter Casework Records into OMS within 5 working days from the date of their interview with an offender.

• The Contractor’s Case Management Worker must finalize Casework Records. The Correctional Service Canada will monitor the quality and integrity of the Casework Records data.

• The Contractor’s Case Management Worker must hold a Case conference with the offender’s Parole Officer no less than once per month to provide a status report on the offender’s compliance and any assessment of the case or intervention provided, or required, or both. 

• The Contractor`s Case Management Worker must be available to consult with Parole Officers regarding the supervised offender’s status as requested by the parole officer.

• At the request of the Parole Officer, the Contractor must provide a progress summary report to support release or suspension recommendations.

• The contactor must provide the Project Authority with a written monthly Utilization Report; including name of offenders and the referring CSC Parole Office/Officer, release type, date(s) of service, and reason(s) for the offender Reporting Centre visit(s). In addition, the contractor must provide an annual summary of all services provided to offenders supervised by Correctional Services Canada between March 20^th - March 31^st each year, identifying the various community resources utilized, trends in offender needs including ethno-cultural and diverse needs, and reintegration patterns obtained through the provision of Reporting Centre services to the offenders.

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:

1.6.1 Location of work:

a. The Contractor must perform the work at the contractor's place of business, or within the community setting, or in the offender’s area of residence, or any combination of the three.

b. Travel:

i Travel from the Reporting Centre to; a Correctional Service of Canada office or a community service agency, to provide services to offenders in the community unable to access the direct Reporting Centre office location, will be reimbursed as per the current approved National Joint Council (NJC) Travel Directive. Travel costs must have prior approval from the Project Authority.

1.6.2 Public Transit Assistance:

Upon receipt of invoices, CSC will reimburse the contractor for actual expenses related to providing public transit assistance for CSC supervised offenders. The contractor must provide details of all expenditures supported by proof of payment (including, but not limited to receipts and payment vouchers) with each invoice. CSC considers acceptable transit costs to be limited to single use public transit fares, and subject to the Project Authority’s approval.

1.6.3 Language of Work:

The contractor must perform all work in English.

1.6.4 Security Requirements:

This contract includes the following security requirements:

1. The Contractor must, at all times during the performance of the Contract, hold a valid Designated Organization Screening (DOS), and obtain approved Document Safeguarding Capability at the level of PROTECTED B, issued by the Contract Security Program (CSP), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).

2. The Contractor 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 MUST NOT utilize its facilities to process, produce, or store PROTECTED information or assets until the CSP, PWGSC has issued written approval.

4. The Contractor MUST NOT utilize its Information Technology systems to electronically process, produce, or store PROTECTED information until the CSP, PWGSC has issued written approval. After approval has been granted or approved, these tasks may be performed at the level of PROTECTED B including an IT Link at the level of PROTECTED B.

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

6. The Contractor must comply with the provisions of the:

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

(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:

• The supplier must have a minimum of two (2) years experience in the last five (5) years prior to the ACAN closing date, in providing supportive counselling and community reintegration services to offenders, with additional focus on high risk, ethnocultural,or gender diverse offenders.

• All of the bidder’s proposed staff must have at least one (1) year experience in the last three (3) years prior to the ACAN closing date, and at least 50% of the bidder’s proposed staff must have two (2) years experience, within the last five (5) years prior to the ACAN closing date, in providing support services to offenders. Case management workers must have a combination of experience related to delivering correctional programs or case management or reintegration services and referrals; and in addition must have assessment skills regarding human behaviour and working with higher risk offender populations. In addition, Case management workers must have work experience and training, or have lived-experience, to be able to provide specialized supports to the needs of CSC’s diverse offender populations, including Black, racialized, Indigenous, or gender-diverse offenders.

• One of the proposed Case management worker staff must have work experience or training with a women’s centered approach to corrections. This Case management worker must also have knowledge of the risk management principles in dealing with federally sentenced female offenders, in order to provide gender responsive services and support to the female offender population.

• The location of the supplier’s proposed Reporting Centre must be readily accessible by public transit.

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

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

The John Howard Society of Toronto has a long history of experience in reintegration and support programs for conditionally released offenders. They have demonstrated their ability to effectively complete assessments of supervised offender’s needs, appropriately identify risk factors and develop corresponding action plans. The pre-identified supplier has been operating a Reporting Center in Toronto since 2008, providing additional reintegration support, counselling and resources to a diverse spectrum of federal offenders in the community.

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 delivery date

The proposed contract is for a period of one (1) year, from January 15, 2023 to January 14, 2024 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 $ 787,703.20 (GST/HST extra).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

John Howard Society of Toronto

1669 Eglinton Avenue West

Toronto, Ontario

M6E 2H4

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 January 9, 2023 at 2:00 PM EST.

15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Monika Alexander, Regional Procurement Officer

Correctional Service Canada

Regional Headquarters, Ontario Region

Telephone: 647.234.2934

E-mail: monika.alexander@csc-scc.gc.ca