Advanced Contract Award Notice (ACAN)
Interfaith Committee Chaplaincy Services
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 of Canada (CSC) has a requirement for interfaith chaplaincy services to meet its legal obligations. The work will involve the following:
1.1 Objectives:
Provide interfaith consultation and advice nationwide on matters of religious policy and chaplaincy operations within CSC.
1.2 Tasks:
At the request of the Project Authority, the Contractor must provide advice on matters of religious policy and chaplaincy operations in CSC institutions and the community. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
1.2.1 At the request of the Project Authority, the Contractor must attend chaplaincy meetings and providing expertise on issues arising from the delivery of chaplaincy services to offenders.
1.2.2 The Contractor must also attend meetings at least twice per year with CSC senior managers, which may include, but are not limited to, the CSC Head of Chaplaincy and the Commissioner of CSC.
1.2.3 At the request of the Project Authority, the Contractor must provide advice on matters of religious and faith practices within CSC institutions and in the community.
1.2.4 The Contractor must provide liaison and linkage with faith communities and collaborating with the Project Authority in fostering interest in correctional chaplaincy services within the Contractor's member organizations by providing education and promoting awareness of the needs of offenders, victims, staff, and their respective families.
1.2.5 At the request of the Project Authority, the Contractor must contribute to CSC’s continuous improvement of chaplaincy services by participating in CSC Chaplaincy reviews of activities consistent with the reasonable provision of religious care and religious services.
1.3 Expected results:
- To support the mutual goal of ensuring the delivery and ongoing improvement of effective spiritual care and religious services to offenders.
- To serve as an advisory committee to the Commissioner of Corrections, the Assistant Commissioner, Correctional Operations & Programs, and the Head of Chaplaincy on matters related to the spiritual care and religious services provided to offenders.
- To assist in the development of chaplaincy policies and practices, and in the evaluation of chaplaincy services.
- To serve as the official forum for discussion between CSC and Canada’s faith communities.
1.4 Performance standards:
The Contractor must perform work in accordance with CSC policies and standards, including but not limited to:
a) Commissioner’s Directive 750 – Chaplaincy Services
b) Guideline 750-1, Inmate Religious Accommodations
c) Guideline 750-2, Management of Interfaith Sacred Space
d) the Chaplaincy Handbook; and
e) Guideline 880-3, Religious Diets.
CSC's policies and standards can be found on the CSC website at www.csc-scc.gc.ca.
1.5 Deliverables:
1.5.1 The Contractor must provide the following deliverables:
a) Monthly report;
b) Meeting minutes;
c) Statistical Record of Attendance;
d) Annual report; and
e) Annual audited or reviewed financial statement.
All deliverables must be provided in electronic format (Word).
1.5.2 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).
1.6 Constraints:
1.6.1 Location of work:
a. The Contractor must perform the work and attend meetings at locations across Canada, as specified by the Project Authority.
b. Travel
i. Travel to locations across Canada will be required for performance of the work under this contract.
1.6.2 Language of Work:
The Contractor must perform all work in English.
1.6.3 Security Requirements:
This contract includes the following security requirements:
SECURITY REQUIREMENT FOR CANADIAN SUPPLIER:
PWGSC FILE No. 21120-25-4849450
1. The Contractor must, at all times during the performance of the Contract, hold a valid Designated Organization Screening (DOS), issued by the Contract Security Program (CSP), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).
2. The Contractor personnel requiring access to PROTECTED information, assets or sensitive site(s) must EACH hold a valid RELIABILITY STATUS, granted or approved by the CSP, PWGSC.
3. The Contractor MUST NOT remove any PROTECTED information or assets from the identified site(s), and the Contractor must ensure that its personnel are made aware of and comply with this restriction.
4. Subcontracts which contain security requirements are NOT to be awarded without the prior written permission of the CSP, PWGSC.
5. The Contractor must comply with the provisions of the:
a. Security Requirements Check List and security guide (if applicable), attached at Annex A;
b. Contract Security Manual (Latest Edition).
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:
2.1 The Contractor must be an interfaith organization that is national in scope. An interfaith organization is defined as an organization that is dedicated to encouraging dialogue and cooperation among the global community’s diverse faiths and spiritualities. “National in scope” is defined as providing services across Canada.
2.2 The Contractor must include representatives from at least 17 of the following faith groups:
• The Anglican Church of Canada
• The Buddhist Faith Community
• Canadian Baptist Ministries
• The Christian Reformed Church
• The Canadian Council of Churches
• The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops - Atlantic Region
• The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops - Quebec Region
• The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops - Ontario Region
• The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops - Prairies Region
• The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops - Pacific Region
• The Center for Israel and Jewish affairs
• The Church of the Nazarene, Canada
• The Canadian Council of Imams
• The Hindu Federation
• The Lutheran Council, Canada
• The Mennonite Central Committee, Canada
• The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
• The Presbyterian Church in Canada
• The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada
• The Sikh Faith Community
• The United Church of Canada
2.3 The Contractor must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience in acting as an advisory body for the provision of chaplaincy services in an interfaith context. The experience must have been acquired within the last seven (7) years preceding the closing date of this 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 not subject to any set-asides for Indigenous Suppliers.
5. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement(s)
This procurement is not subject to a Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement.
6. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has legal obligations, under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA), Sections 75 and 83; the Correctional and Conditional Release Regulations, Sections 100 and 101; the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Sections 2 and 15; and the Canadian Human Rights Act, paragraph 3(1), to accommodate inmates’ religious and spiritual rights through facilitation of services offered by qualified professional official representatives (QPOR) and volunteers of Canadian faith communities and to affirm and support the role of spirituality in inmate rehabilitation and reintegration, ensuring that all inmates, regardless of faith background or beliefs, are offered support for issues of faith, purpose and meaning, as well as relationship with self and others.
To meet these obligations, CSC requires a national, independent, organization with broad representation of faith communities that function with a national mandate, or that represent traditions practiced across the country. The pre-identified supplier is the only national organization in Canada identified with such a broad-based, informed, representative and unique concern for the provision of effective chaplaincy services in both institutional and community-based correctional settings.
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 one (1) year, from April 01, 2025 to March 31, 2026, with an option to extend the contract for five (5) additional one (1)-year periods.
11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract
The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $781,450.00 (Taxes are not applicable).
12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
Name: The Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy
Address: 270 Export Blvd, Mississauga, ON, L5S 1Y9
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, January 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM EST.
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
