Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA)

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 enhance support and services, as necessary, to high-risk sex offenders in order to help meet two specific corporate objectives:

• the safe management of eligible offenders during their transition from the institution to the community, and while under supervision; and,

• in the case of Indigenous offenders, effective, culturally appropriate interventions and reintegration support for First Nations, Metis and Inuit offenders. 

 The work will involve the following:

1.1 Objectives:

To create and operate “circles of support” for federally supervised sex offenders (referred to in this ACAN as core members) on conditional or statutory release, or on Long Term Supervision Orders in the Pacific Region. This includes provincially sentenced offenders who are under the supervision of CSC.

Trained volunteers must deliver each circle and meet with offenders to provide continuous reintegration support during their conditional release. Core members will include male, female, or offenders with complex gender considerations under community supervision in the Pacific Region, and may include Indigenous and Non-Indigenous offenders. 

1.2 Tasks:

The Contractor must recruit, screen and identify up to fifteen (15) core members.

The Contractor must create and operate up to fifteen (15) circles at any given time, and maintain a “circle of support” for each of these core members.

The Contractor must participate in the initial sessions of any new circle to ensure that the process goes smoothly and to deal with any issues that may arise.

1.3 Expected results:

The contractor must identify and provide reintegration support for up to 15 high risk sex offenders under supervision in the Pacific Region. The contractor must ensure that volunteers are identified, screened and trained to deliver this service, and that they are able to offer both in person and virtual circles of support that contribute to the stable and successful community release of core participants. 

1.4 Performance standards:

Each circle must consist of a minimum of 4 contacts per month, including direct in-person contact with the participant, virtual meetings, or collateral contact with the Case Management Team or other community supports (including but not limited to social services, offender families, employers).

Wherever possible, the circles that operate within the Lower Mainland must have in-person contact, but depending on circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic or the individual needs of the core members, the Project Authority may permit virtual sessions (either by telephone or by videoconference). The Contractor must obtain the Project Authority's prior approval for virtual circle sessions. However, for those core members living in remote communities and who are geographically outside the reach of the Circles of Support and Accountability’s (COSA) volunteer base, the Contractor may provide COSA programming exclusively in a virtual format. 

The first session of each circle must be an average of 1.25 hours in duration.

The volunteers and core members must arrange each session at a mutually convenient time, but sessions will usually take place in the evenings to accommodate work schedules. 

The Contractor must identify and secure a suitable location for the in-person sessions, which may take place in Community Residential Facilities (CRFs) or CSC parole offices where pre-approved arrangements have been made with CSC staff, or other safe and appropriate locations in the community. For security reasons, a CSC escort must be present during all times a session is to take place on CSC premises.

Due to current COVID-19 restrictions on office footprints, the Contractor must obtain prior approval from the CSC office management for visits to CSC sites first. 

1.5 Deliverables:

1.5.1 

Upon commencement of each circle, the Contractor must provide the Project Authority with the core member’s name, parole office of supervision, and the start date of the first circle meeting, in writing. 

Each circle must make contact with each offender or their support network a minimum of four (4) times per month.

The Project Authority will verify the efficacy and progress of each circle through collateral contact with the core member’s parole officer. 

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:

1. The Contractor must perform the work at various locations in the Pacific Region, including but not limited to:

Vancouver Parole Office

401-877 Expo Blvd, Vancouver, BC

Surrey/New West Parole Office

100-7404 King George Boulevard. Surrey, BC V3W 1N6

Abbotsford Parole Office

100-32544 George Ferguson Way. Abbotsford, BC V2T 4Y1.

Chilliwack Parole Office

8990 Young Rd, Chilliwack, BC V2P 4R8

b. Travel

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

1.6.2 Language of Work:

The contractor must perform all work in English.

1.6.3 Security Requirements:

There are no security requirements associated to this contract.

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:

• Must have 2 years experience, obtained within the last 5 years, prior to the ACAN closing date, working in the criminal justice system.
• Must have 2 years experience, obtained within the last 5 years, prior to the ACAN closing date, providing reintegration and support services for high risk sex offenders.
• Must have 2 years experience, obtained within the last 5 years, prior to the ACAN closing date, recruiting, training and supervising their volunteer base.

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

There are a restricted number of qualified service providers who are willing and available to provide continuous reintegration support to supervised sex offenders on conditional or statutory release, or on Long Term Supervision Orders. The proposed contractor has extensive experience in the delivery of the services specified and the ability to assist with the necessary requirements for CSC to meet its mandate.

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 12 months from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024.

11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $ 60,000.00 (GST Included).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Name: Catholic Justice Services Society

Address: 2777 Towline Road, Abbotsford, BC V2T 5E1

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 March 28, 2023 at 2:00 PM PDT.

15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Contracting Authority

Katie Simpson

Contracting and Procurement Officer

E-mail: 801BidSubmissions@csc-scc.gc.ca