Citizenship and Immigration Canada



Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Ontario Region

Call for Applications:

Additional Multicultural Settlement and Education Partnerships (MSEP) Service Providing Organization (SPO) in Peel Region

July 2006

Objective:

CIC wishes to fund a settlement service providing agency to deliver the MSEP program in designated Brampton schools within the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) and the Peel District School Board (PDSB). The objective of this call is to expand the Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) service delivery structure in Peel in order to increase access to settlement services for newcomer students in DPCDSB and PDSB schools, and their families.

Background:

MSEP is one of several Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) projects in Ontario.

SWIS allocates settlement workers, who are employed by community agencies, in elementary and secondary schools with high numbers of newcomer students. Settlement workers make the initial contact with newcomer students, to offer them assistance with their settlement needs, at the time of registration at school. The workers also provide referrals for the newcomer families to more specialized community resources as needed. Settlement workers also provide group information sessions, often in partnership with school staff, and present orientations on the settlement needs of newcomers for school staff.

SWIS is funded through the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP). Services funded by ISAP include:

Reception - meeting newcomers upon arrival in Canada and providing them with information in both official languages (and other languages, as required) on services and resources to help meet their immediate needs.

Initial Needs Assessment- improving and facilitating the alignment of services offered by the Service Provider to the needs of the newcomers. The output of the Initial Needs Assessment may be that only basic services are needed or a case management approach with a defined action plan for services.

Referral To Community Services - Providing links between eligible clients with specific settlement needs to available resources in the community. A referral may require an escort or the use of advocacy. This includes referrals to resources relating to the economic, social cultural, educational and recreational facilities in Canada that could contribute to the initial settlement of the client.

Information ( Orientation – Providing of practical guidance to assist the client in coping with the problem of everyday living, e.g. housing, transportation and access to social and health services. This includes an introduction to the local community, thereby providing the newcomer with a sense of belonging to the new community and at the same time providing information about their rights and obligations.

Interpretation ( Translation - Interpretation to facilitate interaction between the newcomer and the community and assist in the newcomer(s day to day survival prior to obtaining a basic knowledge of one of the official languages. Translation services to assist the newcomer(s access to other services, and limited to documents relating to employment, educational and legal matters that are necessary for immediate settlement.

Solution-Focused Counselling - Providing advice and support to clients encountering difficulties in adjusting to life in Canada and assisting them in the resolution of these difficulties. This service will generally be short term in nature, and will include the identification of client needs and determination of the appropriate type of service and resource for referral. This does not include in-depth social or psychological counselling of a kind normally provided by professional counsellors.

Employment Related Services- Preparing the clients to actively seek employment by assisting them in obtaining required certification of educational and(or trade documents that would facilitate job placement.

Service Bridging- Assisting providers of non-settlement services and the broader community to understand and serve newcomers through one-to-one or groups activities. This will not include legislative advocacy (lobbying) or any form of political activity. Agencies shall also strive to develop cooperative working relationships with local service providers to build an integrated service delivery system which ensures broad access to community services, maximizes the utilization of existing resources, avoids duplication of effort and gaps in services, and facilitates the ability of people who need services to easily find the most appropriate provider.

SWIS is designed to provide consistent service delivery across all designated schools,as well as all projects, and to provide accountability to all the partners. The project is guided by a Steering Committee that meets quarterly to address project issues and plan future service delivery. The steering committee has representation from the school boards, service providing organizations, the Provincial SWIS Coordinator, and CIC.

Since 2002, the SWIS project in Peel, known as MSEP, has been delivered by Intercultural Neighbourhood Social Services (ICNSS).

For more detail on the MSEP service delivery model and the role of the settlement service providing organization, please consult the MSEP Operational Guidelines attached to the end of this RFP.

The number of newcomers settling in Peel Region has increased dramatically since the inception of the MSEP program in 2002, although the number of MSEP workers has remained stable. CIC is anticipating an increase in available funding, and is planning for the expansion of MSEP in Peel to respond to the growth in the newcomer population in Peel.

CIC wishes to fund a second MSEP SPO to deliver the program in selected schools in Brampton. (ICNSS will continue to serve schools in Mississauga, including Malton.) The new MSEP SPO will be required to work cooperatively in partnership with the existing MSEP stakeholders: DPCDSB, PDSB, ICNSS, the Provincial SWIS Coordinator, and CIC. The new SPO will join the MSEP Steering Committee.

Scope:

This RFP is anticipatory, pending an expected increase in CIC contribution funding to the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP).

The selected service providing organization will be responsible for MSEP service delivery in selected Brampton schools in the DPCDSB and the PDSB. The exact number and location of participating schools will be determined by the MSEP Steering Committee.

Applications should budget for a 12-month period, covering September 1, 2006 to August 31, 2007, and should include 9 fte settlement workers, 1 fte coordinator, and 1 fte clerical assistant, 10 cellphones with airtime, 9 laptop computers with MS Office and Adobe Acrobat software, 2 desktop computers with MS Office and Adobe Acrobat software, 1 copy of MS MapPoint software, a digital camera for ID badge photos, 1 LCD projector, 1 wide-format colour inkjet printer, as well as other expenses anticipated by the applicant. Settlement worker office space, meeting space and furniture is contributed in-kind by school boards and therefore should not be included in the applicant budget.

In addition to initial training of settlement staff, which will be the responsibility of the successful applicant organization, additional training will be facilitated by the MSEP Steering Committee and the Provincial SWIS Coordinator.

The service provider will be required to maintain accurate financial records, as well as documentation and receipts for all expenses incurred in the course of this project. The service provider will be reimbursed by CIC, on a monthly basis, for actual expenses incurred only, and upon receipt of accurate service provider reports and payment claim forms, and will be subject to monitoring of financial records relating to this project.

The Successful Applicant Must:

• Have demonstrated experience in the delivery of settlement services for newcomers to Canada to a multi-ethnic clientele;

• Have demonstrated experience in the administration of government-funded projects;

• Have knowledge of newcomer communities within the Brampton area;

• Have a constitution and/or by-laws that allow for service provision for clients in Brampton;

• Demonstrate strong partnership skills;

• Demonstrate strong project management experience;

• Be committed to work constructively with the MSEP Steering Committee and the Provincial SWIS Coordinator;

• Be prepared to adapt the project to changing newcomer needs;

• Be able to demonstrate strong financial accountability

• Be prepared to maintain financial records, financial and service-delivery related documentation and statistics as required by CIC and the MSEP Steering Committee;

• Work in a computerized environment.

Funding Applications Must:

• Include the fully completed application for funding and all enclosures.

• Demonstrate clearly how the applicant will meet all the program requirements;

• Include a detailed budget describing how funds will be spent;

• Include a brief history of the applicant and the mandate;

• Include a list of funding references which are able to provide input on the applicant’s experience in developing and delivering effective settlement programs, as well as references which can substantiate the applicant’s track record in developing and nurturing partnerships.

Project Time Frame:

This project will begin on September 1, 2006 until August 31, 2007 with the possibility of further renewals.

Application Review Process:

Applications will be acknowledged with a letter outlining the results of a confidential review process. It may be necessary in some cases to contact the applicants for clarification regarding their submissions. Settlement/Intergovernmental Affairs, Ontario Region regrets that it is unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding the status of the proposal during the review process.

Deadline for Submission of Applications:

Applications must be received in hard copy in this office no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday August 18, 2006.

Address for Submissions:

Submit applications to:

Mr. Cliff Fast

Manager, Operations

Settlement and Intergovernmental Affairs

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Ontario Region

130 Adelaide Street West, Suite 1500

Toronto ON M5H 3P5

Questions:

Questions about this Request for Proposals should be directed via e-mail to:

Colette.Snyder@cic.gc.ca

The deadline for questions is Friday, August 4, 2006.

All questions and answers will be compiled and posted on on Wednesday, August 9, 2006.

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