RFP: Strategic Planning

Purpose:
Rexdale Women's Centre (RWC) is in the last year of our current strategic plan and is seeking to develop a three-year strategic plan to develop the future direction and road map for the Board of Directors and the organization. The goal of the process is to build on the work of the previous plan and to look forward as the organization continues to evolve.
The end result will be a strategic plan which will determine the organization’s goals and priorities, and how these will be achieved and measured in the context of our vision and mission.
Objective:
(RWC) wishes to initiate a Strategic Planning Process and is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to this end.
Fees:
The resulting contract for strategic planning services will have a defined budget which cannot be exceeded. The fee proposal must therefore include services, meetings / touchpoints with board and staff, costs and all incidentals including printing and travel costs. The request for proposal is up to C$20,000.
Services:
The expectation is for the consultant to perform a community assessment that will inform a strategic planning process - a survey of members and nonmembers will be a priority. Stakeholders to be assessed will include RWC Board Members, RWC clients, RWC service and office volunteers and other key leading and local community organizations.
The deliverables from the consultants work shall be:

• Strategic Plan
• Implementation Plan

2016-2019 Strategic Priorities:
Five priority Streams or Key Focus Areas have been identified by the Board of Directors:

1. Develop Resources
2. Build Partnerships
3. Strengthen People
4. Enable Programming Excellence
5. Build Brand Reputation

Response format:
Consultant must provide their responses in soft copy; word or pdf file. Consultant responses should be emailed to the contact above in advance of the submission deadline as outlined within the timelines.
If consultant wishes to provide additional information that has not been requested but is relevant to a particular component, please include that information with your proposal. Please do not include generic marketing documentation.
Assessment Criteria:
Responses to this RFP will be evaluated by the Executive Director who will present to the Board of Directors for consideration. Preference will be given to consultants who have prior experience working with non-profit organizations working with a diverse clientele as well as working with organizations serving women, immigrants, newcomers and refugees. RWC reserves the right to evaluate proposals received against criteria not included within the agreed requirements and specifications. As a guide, in addition to compliance with the requirements set out within this document, the following criteria will form a part of RWC’s evaluation.

• Consultants Approach to the RFP process, including understanding of scope and requirement and value generated
• Relevant experience of consultant, including prior strategic planning with similar organizations
• Pricing and ability to deliver according to timeline.

RFP Response
The Proposal must include the following information:

• Completion of the attached Cover Sheet which includes:
  • Responding company name, address, and contact information
• Cover Letter
• Proposal of Services with a preliminary project timeline
• Experience and number of years working with the women’s and settlement sector with a non-profit organization
• Proposal Fees. Proposals involving components should provide unit costs.
• Names of individuals who would be performing the work under this contract and credentials and Resume for these Individuals
• A minimum of 2 references, with one in the non-profit industry
• Consultant Services Contract, if available

RWC Rights and Assumptions

• All responses provided may, at RWC’s discretion, form part of any terms of acceptance with the successful consultant and be included in any future contracts with the consultant in relation to this RFP.
• RWC reserves the right to request and approach references.
• RWC reserves the right to reject any or all responses to this Request for Proposal.
• All costs for preparing and submitting your proposal are to be borne by consultant. RWC accepts no obligations to reimburse any consultant for any costs associated with preparing and/or submitting a proposal whether or not the consultant is selected.
• RWC reserves the right to ask for clarification in the proposal if the need arises.
• The decision to accept or reject your proposal shall be entirely at RWC’s sole discretion. Any decision to reject a bid shall be final.

Any consultant who is found to be breaking ethical standards at any time shall be disqualified.
Proposal Content:

• Cover Letter
• Proposal of Services
• Preliminary Project Timeline
• Summary of relevant experience in the women’s and settlement non-profit sector
• Proposal Fees
• Summary of Key Personnel performing the services – including resumes and credentials
• Contact information for References (minimum of 2)
• Consultant Services Contract, if available

Proposals should be addressed to:
Fatima Filippi

Executive Director
Rexdale Women’s Centre
E-mail: ffilippi@rexdalewomen.org
Subject Line to read: Rexdale Women’s Centre Strategic Planning RFP Submission.