Request for Proposal
Date Issued: Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Request from: Infrastructure Health and Safety Association
21 Voyager Court South
Etobicoke, ON M9W 5M7
Contact: Alan Hansen
Type of Service Required: COR (Certificate of Recognition) Electronic Audit Tool
Request for Proposal: This should be considered a formal procurement document in which a RFP for a COR Electronic Audit Tool for IHSA.
Date Response Required:
2022 - #004
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Request for Proposal Checklist
Infrastructure Health & Safety Association recommend that Proponents use the following checklist when completing the RFP to help ensure that all the key components to your organization’s proposal are submitted on time. Documents must be delivered to the Project Representative by the dates and times set out below.
Courier, E-Mail or Deliver By:
Wednesday, July 6, 2022 2:00 pm EDT
TO:
Alan Hansen
Manager, Finance
21 Voyager Court South
Etobicoke, ON M9W 5M7
Submissions that are received after the closing time will be returned unopened.
Include all RFP materials, in one (1) package.
The package should contain:
• One (1) envelope prominently marked “Original” signed by an authorized representative in your organization and containing
• one (1) printed original of all documents and exhibits in response to the RFP
• One (1) envelope marked “Copies” and containing
• three (3) copies of all documents and exhibits in response to the RFP
or
• PDF Copy by e-mail ahansen@ihsa.ca
Due to COVID-19 PDF is the preferred method of submission.
Proposals are to be prominently marked Confidential with the RFP title and number (see RFP cover), with the full legal name and return address of the Proponent, and with the Proposal Submission Deadline date and time.
Proposals submitted in any other manner may be disqualified.
Introduction
A. Definitions
“Proponent” wherever used shall mean RFP respondent/participant.
“Proposal” wherever used shall mean a Proponent’s written response to this RFP.
“RFP” wherever used shall mean this Request for Proposal.
“COR” wherever used shall mean “Certificate of Recognition”.
“Copier” or “Photocopier” wherever used shall mean multifunctional devices that provide capabilities of any combination to photocopy and network print, mainframe print, scan, FAX, email or other additional capabilities, such as document management.
“BPS” as of April 2, 2012, IHSA is required to follow the Broader Public Sector (BPS) Procurement Directive.
B. Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities
The selected Proponent shall comply with the requirements for all relevant accessibility standards established by regulation under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.
C. Background
The Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA) works with employers and workers in Ontario to eliminate occupational injury and illness. The membership of IHSA includes seven major industries: construction, transportation, electrical, utilities, aggregates, natural gas pipelines, and ready-mix concrete.
Office Locations:
Etobicoke
21 Voyager Court South
Etobicoke, ON M9W 5M7
Mississauga
5345 Creekbank Road
Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5L5
Ottawa
2515 St. Laurent Blvd.
Ottawa, ON K1H 8P5
Purpose and Intent of RFP
The purpose of this RFP is to solicit the best overall proposals for the development and implementation of a COR (Certificate of Recognition) Electronic Audit Tool for IHSA.
D. Scope of Services
1. Scope of Work/Deliverables
The scope of this project is for the development of a fully responsive audit tool that will effectively serve IHSA’s COR members, key stakeholders, and members of the public as per the proposed services listed below.
1. Audit tool must, at a minimum, include the content found in both the IHSA COR 2015 & COR 2020 audit tools and follow a similar format with regards to consolidation of audit question requirements as found in the IHSA COR 2020 Audit Tool – IHSA COR audit tools attached
2. COR Electronic Audit Tool must include ability to include all files found in the e-file submission tool for both COR 2015 & COR 2020
3. IHSA will own the COR Electronic Audit Tool developed through this agreement
4. Ability to update the COR Electronic Audit Tool, per IHSA direction, within 30 days
5. Provide training to clients regarding the use of the COR Electronic Audit Tool
6. Provide ongoing assistance to clients regarding the function of the COR Electronic Audit Tool meeting agreed upon response times
7. Provide two COR Electronic Audit Tools with the ability to link evidence to each audit question example; photos, documents, other.
a. One for COR 2015 – including development of an audit information form that includes the content found in the IHSA COR 2020 Audit Tool
b. One for COR 2020
8. Ability to analyze audit results across NAICS codes, overall firm results and by COR element.
9. The Audit Tools will be stand-alone products that will be accessible to the client via link found on the IHSA website.
10. The end user will have the ability to login and log-out of the Tool at various stages of the Audit Tool completion process and the Tools will save any information in the Tool at the time of log-out.
11. Client will be able to permanently access the COR Electronic Tool they purchased with the ability to edit.
12. IHSA has the ability to determine who will have access to a license for any COR Electronic Audit Tool.
13. Suggestions for other services that could help in addition to the Tool setup
Project Management Methodology
Please outline your project management methodology and controls and describe how these will facilitate project execution while mitigating risks.
Assets
In support of the electronic audit tool build the following assets will be provided to the vendor at the start of the project.
1. Copies of the IHSA COR 2015 & COR 2020 Audit Tools
2. COR 2015 e-file submission tool
3. COR 2020 e-file submission tool
4. COR 2020 Program Guidelines
5. COR Audit Handbook
6. COR 2020 Audit Handbook
7. COR 2015 interview & observation questions
8. COR 2020 interview & observation questions
9. COR 2020 Standard
Accessibility
1. The COR Electronic Audit Tools will be solely accessed by link on the IHSA website.
2. Client would be able to access their COR Electronic Audit Tool / even after submission to IHSA for review, with the ability to edit the audit tool.
3. IHSA will have additional permissions to access the clients COR Electronic Audit Tool for review and analytics purposes.
Technology – IT Reviewed and Provided
a. For integration:
■ RestAPI or/and
■ Webhooks
b. Browser:
■ Chrome version 100+
■ Internet Explorer will go back to version 11
■ Safari – 10.1 +
■ Edge – 16 +
c. Internet based application not stand alone
d. URL can be customized example ihsa.yourDomain.com
e. The application must operate under https SSL
Other Deliverables
1. The vendor will conduct unit and systems testing to ensure overall quality assurance including performance, functionality, usability standards, and data validation.
2. The vendor will provide training on the new COR Electronic Audit Tools and the administration for IHSA staff.
3. The vendor will work with IHSA staff to deploy the solution to the production environment.
4. The vendor will also be required to facilitate any suggestions that will enable the Audit Tool to be functional now and in the future
RFP Submissions
• Company overview including prior project outlines of similar work
• Pricing for setup, implementation and support for term of agreement
• Issue management process
• Change management process
• Solution documentation (outline what will be provided as solution documentation)
• Training
• Build plan including
o Development
o content review, revisions and approvals
o UAT testing
o Ongoing support
2. Term/Service Agreement
The term of the agreement/contract will begin on July 11, 2022. The contract will be for three (3) years with an option to extend for two (2) years at the sole discretion of IHSA. A SLA (Service Level Agreement) will be required by the successful proponent.
Pricing should include both set up and maintenance over the stipulated years of the contract.
Note: Term/Service Agreement date is subject to change
E. Project Management
We require that a dedicated representative be assigned to assist us with the planning, staged purchasing, delivery and follow up phases required given the information above.
F. Guidelines for Proponent’s Submission
The preferred format for the Proponent’s “Offer of Service” or response to this RFP is as follows:
• Project Understanding. In narrative form, provide a summary of your understanding of the assignment, the major tasks to be completed, and the skills required to do the project.
Each Proponent is to include in its proposal a description of how the Proponent will provide the services outlined, which must include a project work plan that includes milestones, methodology and approach; project main contacts; and, the process for managing and resolving any issues.
• Qualifications. Provide a detailed explanation of your firm’s qualifications, and the qualifications of the individuals you are proposing to undertake the project. See below.
• Previous experience. Provide an outline of your firm’s previous experience working on projects of this nature.
• Provide a complete listing of pricing/costs, including staff, expenses and any contingencies. Please provide detailed pricing on all aspects of this project.
1. Any out-of-pocket expenses should be clearly stated.
2. Any assumptions incorporated in the proposal.
3. Value-added services offered free of charge.
4. Other services available by the Proponent and any other information that may support the proposal.
G. Experience & Qualifications
Each Proponent must provide as part of its proposal a summary outlining:
• Company history including information of any recently formed partnerships or strategic alliances with other companies that may be beneficial to the IHSA for the purposes of the services requested in this RFP
• Personnel working on the project with qualifications & experience
• Describe Proponent’s relationship with other companies with whom Proponent may partner to service HSA needs and requirements as described in this RFP
• Health and Safety documentation
• Any additional information that will support your proposal
H. Evaluation of Proposals
There is an Evaluation Team made up of three (3) members of the IHSA. This Team will attend the onsite/virtual demonstration, review submissions, select and recommend the successful Proponent.
Stage I – Mandatory Requirements
Stage 1 will consist of a review to determine which proposals comply with all the mandatory requirements. Proposals, which do not comply with all the mandatory requirements, may be disqualified and not evaluated further.
Other than inserting the information requested on the mandatory submission forms set out in this RFP, a Proponent may not make any changes to any of the forms. Any proposal containing such changes, whether on the face of the form or elsewhere in this proposal, may be disqualified.
Each proposal must include the following completed documents located as Appendices:
Mandatory Documents to be Completed and Submitted
Appendix A General Proponent Information/References
Appendix B Tax Compliance Declaration
Appendix C Conflict of Interest Declaration
Appendix D Respondent Acknowledgement Form
The Proponent, by submitting the proposal, warrants that to its best knowledge and belief no actual or potential Conflict of Interest exists with the submission of the proposal or performance of the contemplated contract other than those disclosed under General Proponent Information. Where the IHSA discover a Proponent’s failure to disclose all actual or potential Conflicts of Interest, the IHSA may disqualify the Proponent or terminate any contract awarded to that Proponent pursuant to this procurement process.
A proposal that includes conditions, options, variations or contingent statements that are contrary to or inconsistent with the terms set out in the RFP may be disqualified.
Stage II – Rated Criteria/Price
Stage II will consist of scoring by the Evaluation Team of each qualified proposal on the basis of the rated criteria.
The HSA evaluation team will base selection decisions on responses received and the best outcome for the IHSA. Each response will be carefully evaluated and scored by the evaluation team.
Each response will be scored in accordance with the relative importance weighting indicated in the table below. It is suggested you address these criteria in sufficient depth in your response.
# Rated Criteria Weighting
(Points)
1 Project/Plan Proposal 30
2 Team Members 5
3 Virtual Meeting on Proponent Proposal 5
4 Experience 15
5 References 10
6 Price 35
Total Points 100
Cumulative Score
All scores for qualified Proponents will be added and the highest scoring Proponent will be selected.
Negotiations
The IHSA may, at their sole discretion, enter into negotiations with one or more Proponents. The IHSA reserve the right to negotiate with more than one Proponent concurrently or consecutively, and to add to, expand, reduce or modify the scope of this RFP. If the IHSA and the selected Proponents are unable to negotiate an agreement, the IHSA may begin or continue negotiations with any other Proponent, at any time. Negotiations may take place with selected Proponents without the obligation to recall proposals or provide an opportunity for other Proponents to quote on the same changes. No Proponent shall have any rights against the IHSA arising from such negotiation.
I. Confidentiality
All information contained in this Request for Proposal, and all information and material obtained during the course of this project, is confidential, and remains the property of the IHSA. The Proponent must agree to sign a confidentiality agreement. All outputs of the project will remain the property of the IHSA.
J. Sub-contracting or Substitution
No sub-contracting or substitution on the part of the Proponent will be accepted without explicit agreement from the IHSA.
K. References
Provide three (3) references from clients for whom your company has provided the same or similar services within the past three (3) years and include the following information for each reference: Name of Company, Address, Name of Contact, Title of Contact, Telephone Number of Contact, Date Work Undertaken, and Brief Description of Assignment. Refer to Stage I Mandatory Requirements – Appendix A.
L. Costs and Expenses
When providing complete pricing/costs, a Proponent must be aware of and affirm the following:
On June 17, 2009, the Ontario government established new standards relating to the procurement of consulting services and management of consulting contracts for all government agencies and the IHSA. As a result the IHSA will not pay for any hospitality, incidental and food expenses, including, but not limited to: meals, beverages, gratuities, personal telephone calls, etc. under the new rules.
The IHSA will not be responsible for any travel expenses.
All fees for services shall be quoted in Canadian Funds. The fees quoted for services or goods shall not include applicable taxes (i.e. HST, GST, PST, VAT …).
Any services supplied to one or more of the IHSA are to be invoiced by the Proponent to the individual organization and will be paid separately by that organization.
The IHSA will not be responsible for any payments to the Provider(s)/Vendor(s) selected to provide Group Benefit Brokerage Services for the IHSA. The IHSA will be responsible for paying the monthly benefit premiums directly to the carrier.
The benefit carrier will assume full responsibility for any and all payments to the Provider(s)/Vendor(s) selected to provide Benefit Brokerage Services for the IHSA.
M. Review Representative
All contact and questions with regard to this RFP must be made through the Project Representative selected for this initiative, by e-mail. For the purposes of this RFP, the Project Representative is:
Name: Alan Hansen
Email: ahansen@ihsa.ca
Any questions received and responses will be provided to all Proponents. Questions will be accepted up to and including Friday, July 1, 2022 @ 2:00 p.m. EDT.
The IHSA reserves the rights to not answer a proponent’s question. The reasons for this might be:
1. The information requested is not needed for the preparation of a submission, or
2. The answer to the question posed can be found in the RFP, or
3. The answer to the question posed is the purpose of the RFP
The IHSA will not provide answers to questions in any form or electronic format by direct reply in order that the fairness of the HSA procurement process is maintained.
Unless otherwise notified, the time required by the IHSA to answer questions will not change the deadline specified for submission of a proposal.
N. Additional Information
The IHSA may request additional data, discussions, presentations or on-site visits in support of the response to this RFP, all without obligation to provide other RFP recipients with similar information or notice of such communication. Additionally, the IHSA reserve the right to implement the appropriate due diligence processes to organize or clarify any information provided, or to collect more evidence of managerial, financial and technical abilities, including but not limited to, meetings and visits with current customers served by the Proponent.
• The deadline for submission of an Offer is Wednesday, July 6, 2022 @ 2:00 pm EDT.
• The successful Proponent will do everything possible to exceed delivery expectations.
O. Other Consideration
Circumstances may arise in which additional billable work or services may be required by the IHSA that cannot be currently determined for this RFP. The Proponent will provide in their response their lowest hourly or unit pricing and/or highest discount structure that will be extended to the IHSA if additional work/service outside the scope of this RFP is approved by the IHSA. This pricing may be used as further consideration by the IHSA during the evaluation of offer stage.
When replying to this RFP, a Proponent should consider their response as an investment and cornerstone of the potential for additional engagements.
P. Notification to Other Proponents of Outcome of Procurement Process
Once the successful Proponent executes a contract, the others will be notified in writing of the outcome of the procurement process.
Q. Debriefing
Proponents may request a debriefing after receipt of a notification of award. All requests must be in writing to the Project Representative and must be made within sixty (60) days of notification of award. The intent of the debriefing information session is to aid the Proponent in presenting a better proposal in subsequent procurement opportunities. Any debriefing provided is not for the purpose of providing an opportunity to challenge the procurement process.
RFP Terms
By submitting a proposal, the Proponent agrees the following terms and conditions shall apply:
A. Information Gathering Process
This RFP is being issued for information gathering purposes only. The IHSA shall not be bound or obligated in any manner as a result of issuing this RFP to enter into contract negotiations, or to conclude a contract. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the IHSA expressly reserve the right, at their sole discretion, (i) to initiate any form of procurement process including without limitation direct negotiations with any Proponent regardless of whether such Proponent responded to this RFP; or (ii) to elect not to procure the good or service that is the subject of this RFP.
B. Cost of RFP Response
All work undertaken by any Proponent in preparation of its Proposal is performed on a speculative basis. The IHSA accept no responsibility for costs of proposal preparation, benchmarking, piloting, interviews, meetings, or other activities related to proposal preparation or any contract negotiations. All proposals submitted will be regarded as the personal property of the IHSA and will not be returned.
C. Use of the IHSA Names or Logos
The Proponent shall not use the IHSA’ names or logos or associated names or logos or make reference to this RFP in any advertising copy or other promotional materials or messages without prior written consent.
D. Explanation of Information Evaluation/Decision Making
The IHSA are not bound to explain how any proposal was evaluated nor are the IHSA bound to explain any decision they make based upon the subject matter of the proposal.
E. Restriction on HSA Contacts
All contacts, written and oral, concerning this RFP in any respect, should be made through the Representative named in this RFP or a member of the Evaluation Team. Discussion of this RFP with any other parties within the IHSA may result in your organization’s proposal not being considered.
F. Confidentiality of Proponent’s Information
Information provided by a Proponent and all or a portion of the proposal itself, even if identified as being confidential, may be used, reproduced, and disclosed by the IHSA, and on a confidential basis, to third parties retained by the IHSA in connection with the subject matter of this RFP, including without limitation, for the purposes of evaluating the information.
Information provided by a Proponent is subject to disclosure in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, and c.F.31, as amended. Each Proponent is requested to identify in its proposal any information it wishes the IHSA to keep confidential. Proponents are advised that the information provided by a Proponent and all or a portion of the proposal itself, may be disclosed by the IHSA to third parties where an order by the Information and Privacy Commissioner or a court requires the IHSA to do so.
G. Data Validity
All data and information included in this RFP have been extracted from sources, which the IHSA consider to be reliable. However, the IHSA make no warranties and accept no responsibility for inaccurate data contained herein.
H. Errors and Omissions
The IHSA shall not be held liable for any errors or omissions in any part of this RFP. While the IHSA have used considerable effort to ensure an accurate representation of information in this RFP, the information contained in the RFP is supplied solely as a guideline for potential companies. This information is not necessarily comprehensive or exhaustive. Nothing in the RFP is intended to relieve the company from forming their own opinions and conclusions with respect to the matters addressed in the RFP.
I. Indemnification
The Proponent shall indemnify and hold harmless the IHSA, it’s officers, board members, partners, agents and employees from and against all actions, claims, demands, losses, costs, damages, suits or proceedings whatsoever which may be brought against or made upon the IHSA and against all loss, liability, judgments, claims, suits, demands or expenses which the IHSA may sustain, suffer or be put to resulting from or arising out of the Proponent’s failure to exercise reasonable care, skill or diligence or omissions in the performance or rendering of any work or service required hereunder to be performed or rendered by the company, it’s agents, officials and employees.
J. Conflict of Interest
Proponents that respond to this RFP must identify any real or perceived situations where a conflict of interest, past, current or future exists. All instances are to be declared in Appendix C.
K. Right to Termination
The IHSA may, in their sole discretion, cancel this RFP or revise the scope of this RFP at any time.
L. Dispute Resolution
In order to address suppliers’ concerns related to any aspect of the procurement process in an ethical, fair, reasonable and timely fashion, the following dispute resolution process will be followed:
1. Notice of Dispute received
2. Conduct Negotiation (if negotiation is successful, proceed to Step 6 - End of Process; if not successful, both parties must agree to proceed to Step 3 - Mediation)
3. Conduct Mediation (if mediation is successful, proceed to Step 6 - End of Process; if not successful, both parties must agree to proceed to Step 4 - Arbitration)
4. Conduct Arbitration (if arbitration is successful, proceed to Step 6 - End of Process; if not successful, proceed to Step 5 - Litigation)
5. Litigation
6. End of Process
Appendix A - General Proponent Information
Please provide concise responses to all of the following questions. Where you do not provide a response, please explain why. Please review all Appendix materials before completing this questionnaire.
Contact Information
Please provide the following information: (Name one person to be the contact for this RFP response and for any clarifications that might be necessary)
Full Organization Legal Name:
Street Address:
City, Province/State:
Postal Code:
Phone Number:
Fax Number:
Organization Website (if one exists):
Organization Ownership
(specify private or public company):
Parent Organization Name (if any):
RFP Contact Person and Title:
E-mail Address for RFP Contact Person:
References – Current Clients
Please list three references comparable to the IHSA for which you currently provide similar products and services to outlined in this RFP.
Company Name
Company Address
Contact Name
Title of Contact
Contact Phone Number
Date Work Undertaken
Brief Description of Assignment
Company Name
Company Address
Contact Name
Title of Contact
Contact Phone Number
Date Work Undertaken
Brief Description of Assignment
Company Name
Company Address
Contact Name
Title of Contact
Contact Phone Number
Date Work Undertaken
Brief Description of Assignment
APPENDIX B – Tax Compliance Declaration
The Ontario Government expects all suppliers to pay their provincial taxes on a timely basis. In this regard, Proponents are advised that any contract with the Ontario Government will require a declaration from the successful Proponent that the Proponent's provincial taxes are in good standing.
In order to be considered for a contract award, the Proponent must submit the following tax compliance status statement and the following consent to disclosure:
Declaration
I/WE hereby certify that at the time of submitting its proposal,
(Legal Name of Proponent)
is in full compliance with all tax statutes administered by the Ministry of Revenue for Ontario and that, in particular, all returns required to be filed under all provincial tax statutes have been filed and all taxes due and payable under those statutes have been paid or satisfactory arrangements for their payment have been made and maintained.
Consent to Disclosure
I/We consent to the Ministry of Revenue releasing the taxpayer information described in this Declaration to the Ministry issuing the RFP as necessary for the purpose of verifying that I/we am/are in full compliance with all statutes administered by the Ministry of Revenue.
Dated at this day of 20
An authorized signing officer)
(Print Name)
(Title)
(Phone Number) (Fax Number)
APPENDIX C – Conflict Of Interest Declaration
The Proponent and its Affiliates declare that it does not now have and agrees not to have any public or private interest, and shall not acquire directly or indirectly any such interest in connection with the work defined in this RFP 2022 - #004 that would conflict or appear to conflict in any manner with the performance of the SERVICES under this RFP 2022 - #004 or subsequent contract. “Affiliate” means a corporate entity linked to the Proponent through common ownership. The Proponent and its Affiliates agree not to provide any services to any entity that may have an adversarial interest in a project for which it has provided services to the IHSA. The Proponent and its Affiliates agree to disclose to the IHSA all other interests that the Proponents have or contemplate having during each phase of the project. In all situations, the IHSA will decide if a conflict of interest exists. If the IHSA conclude that a conflict of interest exists, it will inform the Proponent and its Affiliates. If the Proponent and its Affiliates choose to retain the interest constituting the conflict, the IHSA may terminate the Contract for cause in accordance the provisions stated in the Contract.
______________________________________ ___________________________________
Proponent Organization Proponent Representative
I have the authority to bind the organization.
______________________________________
DATE
APPENDIX D - Respondent Acknowledgement Form
(Please complete the following information)
Respondent’s Registered Legal Business Name:
Mailing Address:
Name of Contact Person:
Title:
Contact Person Tel.#:
Facsimile Tel.#:
E-mail Address:
The respondent hereby acknowledges
(i) that the information it is providing is, to the best of its knowledge, complete and accurate;
(ii) that the information it is providing, and all or a portion of the proposal itself, even if identified as being confidential, may be used, reproduced, and disclosed by IHSA on a confidential basis to third parties retained by the IHSA in connection with the subject matter of this RFP, including without limitation, for the purposes of evaluating the information;
(iii) that the information it is providing is subject to disclosure in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.F.31, as amended, that notwithstanding that the respondent has identified in its proposal any information it wishes the IHSA to keep confidential, the information provided by a Proponent and all or a portion of the proposal itself, may be disclosed by the IHSA to third parties where an order by the Information and Privacy Commissioner or a court requires IHSA to do so.
(iv) that IHSA, shall not be liable for any costs incurred by the respondent in the preparation of its proposal;
(v) that all materials submitted to IHSA by the respondent shall become the personal property of IHSA and shall not be returned;
(vi) that, as elaborated upon in paragraph A, “Information Gathering Process” of Section IV, this RFP is for information gathering purposes only and does not create any legal obligations or restrict IHSA rights regarding the procurement of any good or service.
(vii) that a benefit has not been conferred of any kind on anyone employed by or connected with the IHSA for the purpose of influencing the outcome of procurement.
Signature of Witness: Signature of Respondent representative:
__________________________________ ________________________________
(I have authority to bind the respondent).
Name: (corporate seal)
Title:
Date:
Name of Witness:
