RFP-2024-0008 - Newly redesigned website, including content management system (CMS) capabilities

Introduction
Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA) is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) and works with Ontario’s Public and Broader Public Sector employers and workers, providing consulting, training, and resources to reduce workplace risks and prevent occupational injuries and illnesses.
PSHSA is committed to serving its market of over 10,000 firms and 1.67 million workers across the province’s health and community care, education and culture, municipal and provincial government, and public safety sectors. For more background on PSHSA and where we’re going, see our 2021-24 Strategic Plan and latest Annual Report.
The Opportunity
Background
This RFP has been prepared to seek prospective Proponent’s experience, proposed solution, and pricing quotations for PSHSA requirements for a newly redesigned website, including Content Management System (CMS) capabilities and promotional collateral.
The goal of this project is to leverage existing technology (https://www.firstrespondersfirst.ca/) to redesign and build an anti-stigma mental health website to increase mental health literacy and provide accessible resources tailored to public safety personnel (PSP) in Ontario. An anti-stigma campaign and associated promotional collateral will be developed and made available through the website.
This work will support the implementation of an Anti-Stigma Strategy designed to remove potentially harmful stigmas around asking for help. For more background on the Anti-Stigma Strategy, see the News Release.
We are looking for a firm to develop an engaging and well-designed solution supported by a CMS that can be managed internally ongoing. We require this project to be completed no later than March 31, 2026.
Scope of Project
The project scope is separated by project component. Proponents may bid on any one or all components. If partnering with other firms, one party must be identified as the primary and submit a single proposal.

The Submission

• Request for Quotation, demonstrated experience/expertise and project approach
• Finalist virtual presentation and interview to PSHSA to walk through quote and proposed project approach
• Remote Presentation Date: February 3 to 12, 2025

1. Market Research

• Conduct market research across Ontario with key groups to inform the design of a culturally responsive website and anti-stigma campaign for PSP.
  • Describe your expertise and approach to conducting market research.
• PSHSA will assist in recruiting market research participants and collaborating with mental health experts.

2. Anti-Stigma Campaign and Promotional Collateral

• Create the anti-stigma campaign and assets to be available on the website. These can include digital and print elements such as visuals, imagery, slogans, posters, and branded merchandise to increase website traffic and support the website's messaging with consistent branding.
  • Describe your expertise and approach to design and development of promotional collateral.

3. Website Design and Build

• Redesign (https://www.firstrespondersfirst.ca/) and build an anti-stigma mental health website to increase mental health literacy and provide accessible resources tailored to public safety personnel (PSP) in Ontario in both English and French.
  • The following is a non-exhaustive list of requirements. Proponents are encouraged to describe their expertise and approach to design and build of website, including development and implementation of content management system.
  • Note: The Proponent will not be responsible for translating the content into French. PSHSA will coordinate a translation service. The website should have the capability to toggle between the two languages.

• Requirements Discovery (confirm goals, users, site requirements, and design preferences)
• Review market research outputs
• Technical audit and integration research
• Information architecture and content modelling
• Content strategy
• Creative direction

• Prototyping
• Visual design and development
• Content migration and entry
• Quality assurance testing
• User acceptance testing
• Bug fixes and improvements
• Authoring and CMS documentation
• Capability to toggle between English and French

• Hosting
• Support + Maintenance
• Backups and disaster recovery

• Service retainer

• Strategic guidance on wireframes based on best practices for UX and content discoverability. Include a scalable solution for strategically important features on the website, while minimizing impact on navigation and site complexity/bloat.
• Improve key metrics of traffic on pages and resources downloaded.
• Overall guidance and implementation of best practices to optimize web vitals.
• Compliance with accessibility guidelines such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level AAA, and strategic recommendations for creating a website and user experience that is accessible for all.
• Optimized for cross-browser and cross-device functionality for a consistent user experience and optimal performance across all web browsers and devices.
• Suggestions and recommendations for use of AMP webpages to reduce page load times.
• Implementation of on-page and technical Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices, including (but not limited to): page load speed, schema structured data, page URL structure, mobile-friendliness (user experience), page metadata.
• Strategic use of rel=”canonical” tags for duplicate content in cases where same or similar content must exist in multiple places on the website.
• Overall recommendations on best practices for UI and UX.

• Recommendations for content strategy should consider multi-purpose, multi-user information architecture and content taxonomy needs, as well as launching user-focused, user-tested, intuitive website.
• Design of modern looking website using flexible, open-source CMS.
• Create various CMS templates for PSHSA to use in the future.
• Ability for PSHSA staff to create, modify, or remove pages, with full back-end access for design, and implementation/editing of HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
• Ability to install additional plugins to supplement website functionality as needed (e.g. web forms, member-only sites).
• Ability to migrate existing content from our current website and any existing content from WorkSafeBC’s platform.
  • Note: Recommendations for content migration from current websites to the new website will be based on findings from the Discovery phase and market research. The Proponent will not be responsible for developing new content. PSHSA will coordinate content development and updates with subject matter experts.
• Upload new content to website.
  • Note: The Proponent will not be responsible for developing new content. PSHSA will coordinate content development and updates with subject matter experts.
• Options and costs for T&M ongoing website design and web development activities.
• .

• Hosting service offerings, including uptime and support SLAs, inclusions, exclusions, and ongoing costs.
• Backups, Disaster Recovery
• Cloud vendor preference if any.
• Ensure inclusion of:
  • An isolated, PHIPA-compliant and confidential server
  • A redundant back up server
  • Encryption protocols
  • Firewall, malware, and anti-virus programs
  • AODA compliance
• Perform regular audits throughout project lifecycle to ensure links and assets are functional.

• • Ensure website can link seamlessly and coordinate reciprocal portal entry to related portal(s) and site(s) as required, (i.e., Pshsa.ca, Ontario.ca, Warriorhealth.ca)
    • Please describe your approach to building integrations and providing PSHSA with integration capabilities after the implementation of the website. Are there any third-party integration platforms that you recommend?

• Google Analytics (GA4) setup, configuration, and reporting
• Track number of website visits and number of downloads of materials
  • Please describe the capabilities of your real-time website logging, monitoring, and analysis

• Please describe your approach to implement the best practices for security on the website, including implementation of SSL certificate, risk mitigation protecting PSHSA’s website and content.
• Please describe the logging (granularity, storage, reporting, retrieval) that would be recommended in your implementation.

• Provide website content in written format prior to website launch to facilitate French translation.
  • Note: The Proponent will not be responsible for translating the content into French. PSHSA will coordinate a translation service.
• Upload French language content to website.
• Ensure website can toggle between English and French content.