Offender Wage Training – Alberta
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 (CSC) - CORCAN has a requirement for Work Placement Management Services (WPMS) to provide ongoing administrative management related to transitional employment and training, including training wage administration for individuals who are participating in the CORCAN program while under federal community supervision and on work release in the province of Alberta. The work will involve the following:
1.1 Objectives:
To provide Offenders with opportunities for additional employment and vocational training to contribute to their transition to the community (from incarceration).
1.2 Tasks:
The Contractor must provide the following workforce management for Offenders referred by CORCAN who CORCAN has selected to participate in identified transitional employment, or vocational training, or both in community locations under the direct responsibility of CORCAN:
a) Collection of all required information and onboarding of the offender to meet contract service delivery requirements and all other applicable provincial and federal laws.
b) Identification of any concerns or issues that arise while onboarding the specified offender or during their placement.
c) Administration of remuneration and benefits.
d) Administrative management of program participants and Workforce Management as per section 1.2.4.; and
e) Provision of invoices related to activities performed for the contract.
1.2.1 Collection of information, onboarding and service delivery to program participants
CORCAN will provide the Contractor with names and contact numbers for Offenders selected to participate in the CORCAN community-based program.
The Contractor must:
a) Within 3 working days (unless the CORCAN Manager has specified an otherwise longer period) of individual being identified by CORCAN for a specific need, collect all information required from the Offender and onboard them to commence employment in accordance with all applicable provincial and federal employment related laws;
b) Meet with the Offender when required to collect information and complete all required onboarding procedures. When the electronic or virtual options available to the Offender are not feasible, the Contractor must meet the Offender at the Contractor’s office or at a CSC site (with approval of the CORCAN Manager);
c) Advise the CORCAN Manager immediately of any concerns or issues that arise during any contact for the purposes of the contract or that may otherwise become known to the Contractor (for example offender not responding to contacts, not providing information required, behavioural concerns) during contacts;
d) Confirm the Offender is fully onboarded and provide the date they can commence participation in the CORCAN transitional employment and vocational training program in the community location;
e) Advise the Offender of reporting information and processes they must follow in relation to the Contractor’s requirements and the date, location and to who they are to report to commence participation in the CORCAN program;
f) Finalize and process any required documents as determined by the provincial authority (and other federal authorities as applicable) related to hiring of employees;
g) Remunerate program participants at a minimum hourly wage and ensure all other employer requirements associated with individuals on their payroll are completed, including payments and documentation submission to proper authorities, based on the provincial rate and as required by the provincial regulations, unless CORCAN indicates the participant must be paid at a higher rate; and
h) Provide and manage, on an ongoing basis, all provincially required documentation and insurance in accordance with provincial employee hiring requirements related to Offenders remunerated through the Contractor.
1.2.2 Orientation
The Contractor must provide each referred Offender with the following site orientations no later than the calendar day prior to commencement of the work placement:
a) Schedule, start date and contact information for the workplace where the Offender will be employed;
b) Information related to remuneration and benefits, including procedures specific to the Contractor; and
c) General expectations (i.e., attendance, punctuality, attitude, personal hygiene, and appearance).
1.2.3 Administration of Remuneration and Benefits
The Contractor must manage the administration of remuneration and benefits for Offenders participating in CORCAN community-based interventions as specified by CORCAN. This includes remuneration and benefits for hours approved by CORCAN for specific Offenders and any required submissions in accordance with provincial or territorial labour law. The Contractor must:
a) Establish an “Offender Pay Schedule” for payment of Offender wages on a bi-weekly basis;
b) Distribute pay by cheque or by direct deposit (note: while the majority are anticipated to have Direct Deposit available, the Contractor must be able to distribute payments to Offenders by cheque when CORCAN deems it necessary) issued from the Contractors bank account;
c) Provide pay stubs to Offenders under this contract;
d) Provide a copy of the form the Contractor requires for Offenders’ to submit their timesheets to the Contractor and establish the procedure for CORCAN to submit the timesheets to coincide with pay cycles;
e) Establish and maintain a financial control system for remuneration and benefits. The financial control system must adhere to generally acceptable accounting principles and be available for the Project Authority’s audit or investigation, CORCAN manager, its designate, or other investigative bodies upon request;
f) Ensure all legislated payroll deductions are calculated, withheld from the payee and forwarded to the appropriate payroll deduction office as per applicable employment legislation;
g) Ensure cheques are readily negotiable at time of payment.;
h) Remunerate the Offender in full for their hours of work on the day the pay is due;
i) In consultation with the CORCAN Manager, review program participant pay rates on an annual basis and in compliance with changes in the provincial minimum wage; and
j) Issue T4 slips, Record of Employment and any other required documentation in accordance with the applicable employment legislation.
1.2.4 Workforce Management
The Contractor must provide information as identified below related to Offender workplace management services to the CORCAN Manager and CORCAN staff responsible for the specific location CORCAN identifies where the Offender is participating in the program:
a) The Contractor must immediately report any issues or concerns to the CORCAN Manager responsible for the worksite and as appropriate in emergencies contact police, ambulance, or other community services. This includes, but is not limited to behavioural concerns, negative interactions, substance abuse, that the Contractor (or their staff) observe during interactions with the Offender, or become aware of; and
b) In the case of workplace accidents or injuries, the Contractor must prepare and submit the required documentation, in accordance with provincial regulations, to the provincial authority governing worker’s compensation, with a copy to the CORCAN Manager responsible for the worksite.
1.3 Expected results:
To administer training wages in a timely manner in accordance with all federal and provincial laws and policies based on location of participation to individuals CORCAN has identified as program participants.
1.4 Deliverables:
1.4.1 The Contractor must provide an invoice for each program participant or group of participants as requested by CORCAN that includes at least the following details:
- the applicable Offender name(s),
- time period of hours the Offenders participated in the program that are included on the invoice (start and end date of invoice period), and
- for each Offender the hours being paid reconciled with the hours of actual participation in the program for the period for each offender that were submitted by CORCAN, in addition to any other legislatively required hours to be paid to the Offender (for example statutory holidays as applicable).
The Contractor must submit the invoice with these details to CORCAN within five (5) working days of the end of the month (or at shorter frequency dictated by payment cycles).
1.4.2 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).
1.5 Constraints:
1.5.1 Location of work:
a. The Contractor must perform the work at the Contractor’s place of business.
b. Travel
No travel is anticipated for performance of the work under this contract.
1.5.2 Language of Work:
The Contractor must perform all work in English.
1.5.3 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:
1. The Supplier must have a minimum of two (2) years experience in payroll and wage administration in the province of Alberta for individuals who are working under the supervision of another party, as defined in Article 1. Definition of the requirement. The experience must have been acquired within the last four (4) years preceding the closing date of this Advanced Contract Award Notice (ACAN).
2. The Supplier must have a minimum of two (2) years experience in the provision of services related to employment for groups of individuals that are considered as having barriers to employment (such as individuals with criminal justice system involvement, women, Indigenous, individuals with mental health needs) in the workforce. The experience must have been acquired within the last four (4) years preceding the closing date of this Advanced Contract Award Notice (ACAN).
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 set-aside for an Indigenous Supplier in accordance with the government Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business (PSIB). Therefore, only suppliers who meet the definition of an Indigenous business, as defined in the PSIB, may submit a statement of capabilities.
5. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement(s)
This procurement is not subject to a Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement.
6. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
Spirit Staffing & Consulting Edmonton Inc. is the only Indigenous owned business that can provide this type of service in Alberta that has been identified as capable for this interim period, while awaiting upcoming bid solicitation for Standing Offers, in order to ensure continuity of employment status of program participants and ensure there are no negative impacts on the program participants (Offenders) that would arise from short duration changes to wage payments.
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
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 two (2) months, from date of contract award to January 31st, 2024, with an option to extend the contract for two (2) additional two (2) month periods.
11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract
The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $540,000.00 (GST/HST extra).
12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
Name: Spirit Staffing & Consulting Edmonton Inc.
Address: 134, 6325 Gateway Blvd., Edmonton, AB T6H 5H6
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 Wednesday, October 18th, 2023 at 2:00 PM (EDT).
15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities
Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:
Mbinwi Ghogomu
340 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON K1A 0P9
Telephone: 343-549-7179
E-mail: Mbinwi.Ghogomu@csc-scc.gc.ca
