2023 - # 006 - Training Delivery Needs Assessment

Request for Proposal



Date Issued:                                    Thursday, November 16, 2023
                                   
Request from:                                 Infrastructure Health and Safety Association
                                                            21 Voyager Court South
                                                            Etobicoke, ON M9W 5M7

Contact:                                            Alan Hansen

Type of Service Required:          Training Delivery Needs Assessment

Request for Proposal:                  The purpose of this RFP is to solicit a vendor to provide IHSA with a comprehensive training needs assessment and a 3-year strategic roadmap for enhancing instructor-led training (ILT) training delivery and the participant experience through the incorporation of digital technologies.


Date Response Required:          

 2023 - #006
 








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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:
 Thursday, December 7, 2023 2:00 pm EDT  

TO:

Alan Hansen
Manager, Finance
21 Voyager Court South
Etobicoke, Ontario M9W 5M7

Submissions that are received after the closing time will be returned unopened or unread if by email.

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   Preference PDF by email

           



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 

1. 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.

“BPS” as of April 2, 2012, IHSA is required to follow the Broader Public Sector (BPS) Procurement Directive.
 

2. 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.
 

3. 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, Ontario M9W 5M7


Ottawa
2515 St. Laurent Blvd.
Ottawa, ON K1H 8P5



Purpose and Intent of RFP
As Ontario’s trusted health and safety resource, the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) is committed to maintaining a standard of excellence in the delivery of its training programs. The IHSA offers a wide range of instructor-led, in-person, virtual training, and eLearning designed to improve health and safety outcomes in the construction, utilities, and transportation sectors. 

As part of IHSA’s vision for safe and healthy workplaces free from incidents, injuries, illnesses or fatalities, enhancing the classroom learning experience for instructor-led training (ILT) is essential for the continuous improvement of health and safety outcomes. The goal is to create a more engaging, effective and personalized learning environment that will improve educational outcomes and streamline administrative and logistics (i.e. shipping) processes to deliver training to IHSA membership.

The integration of digital training materials will not only enhance the overall learning experience but also contribute to environmental sustainability by significantly reducing paper usage and fostering a more eco-friendly approach to training.

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit a vendor to provide IHSA with a comprehensive training needs assessment and 3-year strategic roadmap for enhancing instructor-led training (ILT) training delivery and the participant experience through the incorporation of digital technologies.
 

4. Scope of Services

 

1. Required services:

­The proponent will provide the following:
Overview
As part of this solicitation, the following items should be included in the proposal for discussion and consideration by IHSA:

2.1 Who we are looking for:
The IHSA is seeking an innovative and experienced vendor to undertake a training needs assessment and present a comprehensive learning strategy and roadmap for improving the way that instructor-led classroom-learning experiences are delivered and managed with the use of digital technologies. This will include AODA compliance.


2.2 What we are looking for:
The vendor’s training needs assessment should include:

• Conducting interviews, surveys, and focus group sessions with employees and learners (membership) to gather insights on training needs, skills gaps, and performance expectations.
• Analyzing existing training programs, materials, and methodologies to identify areas for improvement and innovation.
• Assessing IHSA’s current and future skill requirements based on industry trends, technological advancements, and organizational growth objectives.
• Developing a detailed report outlining the training delivery recommendations prioritizing them based on criticality and impact on organizational success.
• Providing strategic recommendations for designing, developing, and delivering training programs that address the identified needs effectively.
• Presenting the findings and recommendations to the project and executive management team in a clear and concise manner.
• Other previous engagements deliverables regarding training assessments not mentioned here of value.

Recommendations may include:

• Skills Gap Analysis Report - outlining the disparities between current employee skills and the skills required for future training delivery.
• Training Needs Inventory - detailed list of specific training needs identified across different departments, roles, or skill areas.
• Feedback Summary - compilation of survey results and feedback, highlighting common themes and concerns related to training delivery, including key findings and notable quotes.
• Technology and Process Assessment - review of IHSA's technology infrastructure and processes that impact training needs, with recommendations for enhancements.
• Compliance and Regulatory Report - ensuring alignment with legal standards and accessibility requirements.
• Action Plan: A detailed plan outlining specific actions to address each identified recommendation, including timelines, responsible parties, and required resources.
• Communication Plan - a plan detailing how the assessment findings, recommendations and change management will be communicated to key stakeholders, including employees and leadership.
• Executive Summary – concise summary highlighting the key findings, recommendations, and proposed actions for quick reference by organizational leadership.
• These outputs collectively provide a roadmap for the development and implementation of improved training delivery initiatives, ensuring that the organization's learning and development efforts align with strategic objectives and address the identified needs of its training delivery operations.
• Other previous engagements recommendations regarding training assessments not mentioned here of value.

Additional Considerations:

• If the vendor is presenting a platform-based solution, they should account for and acknowledge that IHSA currently has an enterprise LMS in place and will need to make the case for how the vendor’s platform will specifically improve the classroom learning experience.
• The vendor should also account for and acknowledge that the IHSA already has a dedicated team of seven experienced instructional designers that will be responsible for on-going learning experience design. Accordingly, the vendors’ solution should not include bundled instructional design services. Rather it should propose a strategy for on-boarding IHSA staff with the proposed digital technology solutions.  
• The vendor’s recommendations should focus on the improvement of the classroom experience for training that may include hands-on and interactive activities. Self-paced e-Learning will not be considered an adequate solution for these programs.  
• Recommendations should consider training delivered with limited or no internet connectivity (e.g. offline at a Northern Ontario Training Centre)

 

2. Engagement Agreement

The term of the engagement agreement will be one (1) year with the option to extend the contract for a period for a one (1) year extension.
 

3. Pricing

All pricing for this project should be completed in a separate section within your proposal.





 

5. 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.
 

6. 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.

 

7. 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
• Any additional information that will support your proposal

8. Evaluation of Proposals

There is an Evaluation Team made up of three (3) members of the IHSA. This Team will 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 AGeneral Proponent Information/References
Appendix BTax Compliance Declaration
Appendix CConflict of Interest Declaration
Appendix DRespondent 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 IHSA 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. 

Upon successful completion of Stage II, qualified proponents achieving a score of 70% or more will have their pricing scored. The 70% will be made up of the rated criteria numbers 1 to 3 below. The presentations will commence after the committee reviews and finalizes the sum of the rated criteria numbers from 1 to 3. The Evaluation Team will evaluate pricing after the evaluation of mandatory requirements and rated requirements are completed from 1 to 4 below.

Invitations via e-mail will be sent to the short-listed Proponents to advance to Stage III to make their presentations to the Evaluation Team and will be contacted to be interviewed.

Upon completion of all presentations, the Evaluation Team will make their final decision.  All Stage IV Finalists will be notified of the final decision. 




#Rated CriteriaWeighting
(Points)
1Engagement Proposal30
2Prior Experience15


3Reference 5
4Presentation10
5Price 40

Total Points100

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. 

1. 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.

10. Sub-contracting or Substitution

No sub-contracting or substitution on the part of the Proponent will be accepted without explicit agreement from the IHSA.

11. 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.

50. 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.
 

1000. 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:  IHSAprocurement@ihsa.ca

Any questions received and responses will be provided to all Proponents.  Questions will be accepted up to and including Thursday, November 30, 2023 @ 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.

14. 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 Thursday, December 7, 2023 @ 2:00 pm EDT.
• The successful Proponent will do everything possible to exceed delivery expectations.

 

• 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.
 

16. 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.
 

17. 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:
 

1. 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 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
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)