Invitation to Tender: An Organisational Review leading to a five year strategic Plan

Is it enough to say you are doing a good job?

Is it enough to look at yourself and your own organisation and think we can’t do anymore?

The simple answer from Right of Place Second Chance is – NO!

As a result Right of Place Second Chance, are inviting suitably qualified persons to tender to carry out an organisational review leading to a five year strategic plan for the organisation.

The purpose of this review is for a person with external expertise to come in and look at the services we offer, the systems we have in place and to make suggestions to improve them.

We also want this individual/organisation to talk with our staff, our members and our clients to find out what is important to them over the next number of years and what direction our charity should take to best meet the needs of Survivors.

This is yet another milestone in Right of Place Second Chance’s development. Despite the changes we have made in the last two years, we want to remain dynamic and proactive and it is, yet again, another first for Survivor Groups. We would also like to afford a special mention to the St. Stephen’s Green Trust for the assistance in carrying out this review.

So if you have an interest in carrying out this external review and you are suitably qualified / experienced, we would invite you to send your application to us. The Details of the review is listed below;

RIGHT OF PLACE / SECOND CHANCE

Invitation to Tender

An Organisational Review and Development of a

Strategic Plan for Right of Place Ltd for 2014-2018

Introduction:

Right of Place Second Chance (ROP/SC) was established in 2000 and is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. ROP/SC is governed by a Board elected from among the members of the organisation. The mission of ROP/SC is to support survivors of Institutional Child Abuse and their families on their journey to truth, justice and healing. “Right of Place Second Chance is a vision and values driven organization which offers a professional service to its members. We support their entitlements and rights by empowering them through the promotion of trust, respect and self confidence. We provide practical help and offer a forum for communication, information, validation, peer support and encouragement to all survivors who suffered as children in State and religious run institutions.”

ROP/SC furthers these aims by:

• Outreach Service to our clients

Visiting Clients in their homes – in 2012 Outreach and Office Appointments accounted for 40% (2,133 Contacts) of our overall contact from clients.

• Advocacy

Attending clinics, Courts, housing meetings, welfare meetings with the survivor/family member to speak on their behalf and demand a priority of services.

• Transitional Apartments

Housing homeless survivors and carrying out repatriation for those who want to move back from around the world to Ireland, within our 10 Apartments in our HQ in Cork city.

• Referral

Sending survivors onto counselling, rehabilitation programmes, housing, education courses, debt problems and general assistance.

• Information/advice in all aspects of their lives.

Have phone lines available to all survivors in Ireland and its diaspora. Also have offices available in Cork city, Waterford city and Galway city, which in 2012 was accessed by 3,260 Contacts

• Social Outings

Allowing survivors to form friendships and develop links with other survivors who have shared experiences.

We currently have 9 staff, which comprise of 2 full-time Outreach Officers, 4 part-time office staff, 1 part-time cleaner, 1 full-time Outreach Manager and 1 full-time National Administrator.

We have a membership base of 1,500 and the main pockets of membership are located in regions where we have offices.

ROP/SC now plans to undertake an organisational review and to develop a strategic plan for the period 2014-2018. ROP/SC is now inviting tenders from competent parties to assist us to complete this work.

Background: ROP/SC was initially set up in 2000, just after the Taoiseach historically apologised to survivors of institutional abuse. The reasoning for its creation was that many survivors left these institutions with limited life skills, little or no education, limited abilities for opportunities/job employment, poor health, little chance of holding long term relationships and years of ingrained abuses continued to scar and follow them into their adulthood. It was decided that the organisation needed to be a support mechanism to support survivors achieve and advance their lives and afford them opportunities that they missed out on as children due to their abuses by our state.

Over the intervening time from 2000 – 2010, the organisation’s direction followed a path of assisting survivors access the Residential Institutions Redress Board and receive compensation for their abuses. Unfortunately this ran contrary to the original goals and intended outcomes, and the shift in focus was not what our clients/members needed. Our members began to question the funding being received and the services being offered.

This culminated in 2010, with the members (supported by our funding partners the HSE) deciding they wanted a change in direction and focus. As a result the Previous Board of Directors were removed and a new Board democratically elected by the members. This ensured the members views were listened to and the focus switched firmly onto offering long term supports to ensure our clients had an avenue and support mechanism to remove them from the current cycle of victim-survivor.

Terms of Reference:

• To review the existing vision and mission of the organisation.
• To review existing work activities and structures and indicate areas for potential improvement to assist ROP/SC in carrying out our stated vision and mission, identifying: what have been the key outcomes, outputs and achievements from ROP/SC over time; what was successful, and why and what was not successful, and why not?
• To undertake a SWOT Analysis of ROP/SC.
• To identify potential strategically key internal and external issues for the Organisation in the coming 5 years.
• To identify good practice in governance and communication for ROP/SC as a membership organisation.
• To produce a plan indicating key strategic goals and organisational objectives for the coming 5 years, with timelines and performance indicators.
• To review the potential for alternative sources of funding.
• To set out the organisational and governance structure required to ensure implementation of the plan.

Process:

The organisational review and strategic planning process will be led by the Micheál Walsh.  He will be assisted in this work by a strategic planning sub-group, which will comprise of the Micheál Walsh (Outreach Manager), Edel Desmond (National Administrator) and one external person with experience in strategic review.

Methodology:

We expect the methodology to include a combination of desk research, interviews with key internal and external stakeholders and surveys/questionnaires, swot analysis and facilitated sessions with the ROP/SC Board, staff and members where possible and required.

• Report reviewing the internal work and activities of ROP/SC as a starting point for discussion on its future role.
• An analysis of the current external environment for ROP/SC as an organisation focused on meeting the needs of survivors of institutional abuse and their families
• Consultation with internal stakeholders such as the Council, staff and members of ROP/SC.
• Consultation with external stakeholders such as the HSE, Department of Education, other statutory and voluntary organisations working in this area, and key funders or potential funders and client focused non-governmental organisations and individuals.
• Submissions and/or answered questionnaires from key stakeholders.
• A number of facilitated sessions with the ROP/SC Board, staff and members.
• It is proposed that the successful applicant will work out of our Cork Office, as this is the main administration hub of activity.

Role of the Consultant:

The role of the consultant and the deliverables expected are outlined below;

• To work under the direction of the strategic planning sub-group in producing the organisational review and strategic plan.
• To attend meetings as agreed with the strategic planning sub-group.
• To produce the initial reports including the organisational review of ROP/SC, SWOT analysis and report on our external environment.
• To organise, facilitate and write up reports of the consultative sessions with the ROP/SC Board, staff and Members as agreed.
• To conduct interviews with internal and external stakeholders as agreed.
• To devise and conduct questionnaires as agreed with planning sub-group.
• To analyse the feedback and produce drafts of the strategic plan for discussion and deliberation of the ROP/SC Board and sub-group.
• To revise and redraft the plan following consultation with the ROP/SC Board and sub-group.
• To produce a final plan in consultation with the strategic planning sub-group for approval by ROP/SC Board who are representative of the members and in furtherance to this, to be fully voted at a later date at the next AGM of the membership.
• The final agreed plan to be delivered in soft copy format, as a Word document, for final editing and dissemination.

Timeframe

ROP/SC anticipates that the work of the consultant will consist of no more than 20 days to include the writing of all drafts and the final plan/report.

Work on the project should commence early June 2013 and be completed by the 30^th of July 2013.

Selection of Consultant:

The proposal from the Consultant must include;

• A detailed CV of the consultant, including details of other organisations for which consultancy work has been completed.
• A sample of previous research/evaluation work completed on behalf of client organisations.
• Two references.
• A detailed description of the methodology employed to deliver on the project.
• A description of proposed timeframe and key milestones for the project.
• Outline of proposed costs (costs of the basis of days or hours) and a suggested schedule for payment, all to be inclusive of VAT.
• One copy of full proposal to be posted/delivered in hard copy format, and a soft copy to be emailed.
• General information to be included:

1. Name, address, telephone and e-mail of applicant.
2. Name of persons within tenderer’s business who will be working on the project.
3. Name, address, telephone and e-mail of any third parties to be involved in the tender.
4. Description of role or elements of contract to be fulfilled by any third party.
5. Identification of party who will carry overall responsibility for the contract.
6. Confirmation of acceptance by the tenderer and any third party of the conditions of tender.
7. Details of the qualifications and experience of each person who will be working on the project.

Applicants may be requested to submit additional information and may be called for interview.

Terms and Conditions:

When tendering for this piece of work the following criteria should be adhered to:

• Proposals must include sufficient details to enable ROP/SC to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the proposal.
• Consultants intending to submit a proposal in response to this Invitation to Tender should ensure that their proposal addresses, in full, the requirements set out in this document and that all information requested is supplied.
• ROP/SC reserves the right not to award a contract in the event that no proposal is deemed suitable.
• ROP/SC will not be liable in respect of any costs incurred in the preparation or presentation of tenders.
• It is expected that the successful bidder will be in a position to commence work immediately after the contract is awarded and that the work will be completed within the agreed specific time frame.
• Tenders should clearly and individually time/cost each element of the work outlined in the proposal and the sum should include all costs including VAT.

Criteria for Selection and Award of Contract

Eligibility will be determined in accordance with the criteria set out below.

• Demonstrable and active understanding of the brief.
• Capacity and resources to deliver the study required, including relevant skills, expertise and experience.
• Independence of approach – capacity to ‘see beyond’ and operate independently and to understand the need to simultaneously work closely/liaise with the planning sub-group.
• Appropriate and rigorous research and evaluation methodologies to include understanding of the point and purpose of all elements of the process.
• Previous experience.
• Ability to deliver within the specified timeframe.
• Response of referees contacted by ROP/SC. The name and contact details of two referees able to vouch for Tenderer’s expertise and quality of service provided are required.
• Overall cost

Confidentiality and Ownership

All documents provided and research outcomes are strictly private and confidential and will remain at all times the property of Right of Place Second Chance Limited.

Application Deadline:

Proposals should be addressed “Tender for ROP/SC Strategic Plan” and marked “Private and Confidential – Addressee Only” and sent for the attention of Micheál Walsh, Director of Services by latest 5pm on Thursday 23^rd of May 2013. Preferably one hard copy and one soft copy.

The Postal address is;

Right of Place Second Chance

Offices and Apartments,

100-101, Lower Glanmire Road,

Cork City.

E-mail Address: micheal.j.walsh@rightofplace.com

Further Information:

Further information is available on our website at www.rightofplace.com or by contacting Micheál Walsh at 051 – 841819 or e-mail – micheal.j.walsh@rightofplace.com