FITT_WMC_RFP

8/8/2019 FITT_WMC_RFP

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Request for Proposals (RFP)

For

Research, Writing and Teaching Services to address human resource

issues facing wood manufacturing businesses across Canada based

on FITT’s “Going Global” workshops

Issued: December 10, 2010Submission Deadline: January 7, 2011

Bid Awarded: By January 14, 2011

116 Lisgar Street, Suite 300 | Ottawa, Ontario K1P 0C2 | CANADA

Tel: +1.613.230.3553 | Fax: +1.613.230.6808 | [email protected]| www.fitt.ca





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1. Introduction

1.1 Project Summary

Goal: To customize four FITT “Going Global” introductory workshops for the WoodManufacturing Council (WMC), with the specific aim of addressing skills andknowledge gaps pertaining to international markets and commodities specific tothe advanced wood processing industry in Canada (see Section 1.3, “About theWMC”).

Objectives: The project will provide the following:

A report containing the recommendations for customizations of the existingFITT Going Global workshops for the wood manufacturing industry, includingthe exact steps that the consultant proposes to take in order to customize thematerials.

Four customized Going Global workshops, aimed at addressing knowledgegaps in markets and commodities specific to wood manufacturing. Allmaterials for the customized courseware will be developed in a print-readystate (including Participants Guide, Facilitators Guide and Instructor slides).

Pilot testing for each customized Going Global workshop (four in total).

1.2 About FITT

Established in 1992 as part of Canada’s Sector Council Program, FITT works to identify andaddress current and anticipated human resource skills and learning challenges whileimplementing long-term, human resources planning and development strategies for individualsand businesses involved in international trade. FITT is a not-for-profit organization governed by avolunteer Board of Directors that represents the industry we serve—businesses, individuals andeducators involved in international trade.

FITT equips individuals and businesses with the practical skills they need to succeed in today’scompetitive global marketplace. A non-profit organization established by industry andgovernment, FITT develops international business programs, sets competency standards, anddesigns the certification and accreditation programs for the Certified International TradeProfessional (CITP*) designation. Our programs and services address human resource issues byproviding employers with resources to build their international business capacity; assistingindividuals in developing their international business skills and knowledge; and providing

international business training support for educators and students. Centered on best practicesand developed by leading global business experts, FITT’s resources are the standard ofexcellence for trade practitioners.

Our MissionFITT is committed to developing and providing quality programs, services and professionalcertification in international trade designed to prepare businesses and individuals to competesuccessfully in world markets.



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FITT ActivitiesFITT programs and services benefit all individuals and businesses involved in international tradeincluding employers, practitioners, educators, and students. The activities undertaken by FITT insupport of international trade include the following:

• Identification of international trade knowledge and competency gaps that most commonlyimpede the success of business

•

Development of international trade curriculum, standards, and a certification system fortrade practitioners• Outreach to private, public and education sectors to build the skills and knowledge

required to successfully compete in international trade

1.3 About WMC

The Wood Manufacturing Council (WMC) is the industry sector council for the advanced woodmanufacturing industry. Since 2002 WMC has collaborated with employers, workers, educators,professional associations and government to help implement human resources solutions that willensure the success of the advanced wood manufacturing sector.

The Council's mandate is to plan, develop and implement human resources strategies that

support the long-term growth and competitiveness of Canada's advanced wood productsmanufacturing industry and meet the developmental needs of its workforce. The Council identifiesand examines the necessary skills and knowledge required to respond to changing industryneeds. The Council also develops an overall strategic plan to address key issues such as theshortage of skilled workers and the need for national standards for worker competencies.

Sector ProfileThe advanced wood manufacturing sector is a major contributor to Canada’s economy. It’s at thecutting edge of technology, using the latest practices and equipment to ensure efficientproduction that helps the sector, and the environment, thrive. Advanced engineering createswood products from fast-growing species, and produces high-strength products from smallertrees. At the same time, the industry is able to use more of each log harvested, which meansmore products with less waste.

The industry is made up of five sub-sectors:

• Furniture• Cabinets• Window and doors• Millwork• Building components, including structural engineered products and factory-built housing

1.4 RFP Objective

The objective of this RFP is for FITT to obtain research, writing and teaching services from aqualified provider to perform the project described in Section 2 of this RFP.



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1.5 Background – Wood manufacturing sector knowledge gaps

Canada’s wood manufacturing sector operates in a global economy. Businesses need the skillsand knowledge to market their products globally as well as locally. This project will providecustomized training that will enhance the skills and knowledge of wood manufacturing

entrepreneurs interested in taking their businesses globally, by providing:• Wood manufacturing industry-specific information that outlines the steps involved in

exporting products and services• information and resources to help wood manufacturing industry entrepreneurs identify the

challenges involved in international trade and how to overcome them, and to provideaccess to relevant and current sources of information

1.6 About Going Global workshops

Going Global Workshops, developed by FITT in partnership with the Government of Canada, are3-hour workshops designed to help individuals and organizations make crucial exporting and/orimporting decisions, avoid common pitfalls and increase their understanding of international tradeand foreign markets. Workshop attendees learn to identify market opportunities, leverage their

resources to secure financing, negotiate partnerships with foreign distributors, and more. GoingGlobal workshops are delivered by export service providers, educational institutions, industryassociations, and private companies.

FITT currently offers the following Going Global workshops:• Going Global: An Introduction to International Trade• Going Global: An Introduction to International Market Research• Going Global: An Introduction to International Marketing• Going Global: An Introduction to International Trade Finance• Going Global: An Introduction to the Cultural Aspects of International Trade• Going Global: Global Supply Chain Management• Going Global: Importing into Canada



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2. Details of Project

2.1 Project Components and Deliverables

The approach for this assignment includes four phases, each of which will produce deliverablesas illustrated below.

Figure A: Project Approach

Phase 1: Review and project planning

In this phase, the consultant will communicate with FITT, WMC, and the Steering Committeeassembled by WMC, in order to develop a formal project plan for the development of the

customized Going Global workshops.It is expected that the Consultant attend the formal Steering Committee meeting currentlyscheduled for January 19, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, and be prepared to present the plan tothe committee and record its feedback. All travel costs will be covered by FITT.

The end deliverable of this phase is a final, approved project plan that will guide the developmentof the customized material.

Phase 2: Review and report on existing workshops

In this phase, the consultant will review six (6) specific Going Global workshops (Importing intoCanada will not be included in this RFP) that have been provided as “source files” by FITT for

WMC. As part of the current partnership agreement, FITT will modify these existing Going Globalworkshops to better meet the project requirements for WMC. It is expected that the Consultantwill review the assembled materials, and make suggestions on the required changes to the basematerials.

Phase 1:Review and

projectplanning

Phase 2:Review ofexisting

workshops

Phase 3:Develop

customizedmaterials

Final projectplan

Report onrecommendationsfor customization

Four draft,customized

Going Globalworkshops

Phase 4: Pilottesting

Four updatedGoing Globalworkshops



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The six (6) Going Global workshops (source files) that will be customized as part of this projectare as follows:

• Going Global: An Introduction to International Trade• Going Global: An Introduction to International Market Research• Going Global: An Introduction to International Marketing• Going Global: An Introduction to International Trade Finance• Going Global: An Introduction to the Cultural Aspects of International Trade• Going Global: Global Supply Chain Management

The resulting four (4) WMC-specific workshops will be as follows:

• Going Global: An Introduction to International Trade Research and Marketing (acombination of the current FITT “Introduction to International Market Research” and“Introduction to International Marketing” workshops)

• Going Global: An Introduction to International Trade Finance• Going Global: An Introduction to Cultural Aspects of International Trade• Going Global: Global Supply Chain Management

Important: FITT will also identify and incorporate appropriate material from the “Introduction toInternational Trade” workshop as preface material in each of these workshops.

The end deliverable of this phase is a report that details the exact steps that the consultantproposes to take in order to customize the deliverables for the Wood Manufacturing industry (i.e.development of Case Studies, examples, etc). It is desirable that all opportunities to changegeneric industry references in the six “source files” to examples specific to the advanced woodmanufacturing industry be identified. Further, it is desirable to identify and document examples byregion, i.e., west, prairies, central, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic. This report will be reviewed byWMC, FITT and the Steering Committee.

Phase 3: Develop customized materials

This phase consists of developing the actual draft, customized workshop material, and having

those materials reviewed by WMC, FITT, and the Steering Committee. This phase also consistsof the consultant writing promotional materials for these workshops.

Each Going Global workshop materials consist of three resource modules:• Participant Guide (created in Microsoft Word)• Facilitator Guide (created in Microsoft Word)• Instructor slides (created in Microsoft PowerPoint)

The WMC, FITT and the Steering Committee will review all the draft customized workshopmaterials and suggest changes, if necessary. After approval by all parties, the suggestions will beincorporated by the consultant. FITT will be responsible for editing and proofreading theworkshops materials. The consultant will then incorporate any additional updates based on thoseactivities and provide the final materials in English to FITT, who will then arrange French

translation.

The first draft of the workshops is expected for June 2011, with any required updates to be madefor December 2011.

Also, as part of this phase the consultant will write and deliver text for promotional materials(short, medium, and long) for advertisements, brochures, etc. As with the workshop materials,WMC, FITT and the Steering Committee will review the promotional text and suggest changes, ifnecessary. After approval by all parties, the suggestions will be incorporated into the promotionaltext by the consultant. FITT will be responsible for editing and proofreading the promotional text.



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The consultant will then incorporate any additional updates based on those activities and providethe final materials in English to FITT, who will then arrange French translation.

The end deliverables of this phase are four customized print-ready Going Global workshops thathave been reviewed and approved by WMC, FITT and the Steering Committee, as well asapproved text for promotional materials.

Phase 4: Pilot testing

This phase consists of the consultant carrying out pilot testing for each Going Global workshopcreated in Phase 3, in collaboration with WMC and FITT. As there will be four customized GoingGlobal workshops created in Phase 3 of this project, there will be four (4) Pilot testing activities(one for each customized Going Global workshop).

WMC is responsible for selecting the venues, meetings room and A/V rental, hospitality,contacting participants, hotel accommodations, and all other logistical aspects for the delivery ofthe Pilots. FITT is responsible for the development of feedback forms to be provided to, andcompleted by, Pilot participants, as well as for the gathering and consolidation of the feedback.

The consultant will be responsible for the actual teaching of the workshops for the Pilot

participants, as well as for updating the Going Global workshops based on feedback receivedfrom Pilot participants. Consultants’ costs for travel are included in the phase 4 budget. However,only actual costs supported by receipts, boarding passes etc., will be paid and must be withinTreasury Board guidelines (available on request).

The four workshops will take place by July 31, 2012 in four different regions of Canada: West,Central, Ontario, and East.

The end deliverables of this phase are four customized print-ready Going Global workshops thathave been updated based on feedback received from Pilot participants.



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2.2 Project Timeline and Requirements

LANGUAGEThe consultant will provide all deliverables in English. FITT will be responsible for the translationof the Going Global workshop materials into French.

TIMELINE• Phase 1 Review and project planning – January, 2011. The end deliverable of this

phase is a final, approved project plan, due no later than January 31, 2011.

• Phase 2 Review and report on existing workshops – February to March, 2011. Theend deliverable of this phase is a report that details the exact steps that the consultantproposes to take in order to customize the deliverables for the Wood Manufacturingindustry, due no later than March 31, 2011.

• Phase 3 Develop customized materials – April to December, 2011. The enddeliverables of this phase are four approved, print-ready Going Global workshops, dueno later than December 31, 2011.

• Phase 4 Pilot testing – January, 2012 to February, 2013. The end deliverables of thisphase are four print-ready Going Global workshops that have been updated based onfeedback received from Pilot participants, due no later than July 31, 2012.

2.3 Budget

The budget for this research project is not to exceed $55,000, as per the breakdown below:• Phase 1 and 2 - $5,000• Phase 3 - $40,000 ($10,000 per Going Global workshop)• Phase 4 - $10,000 ($2,500 per Going Global workshop)

FITT will select the provider based on the best overall value in terms of rating and cost.



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3. Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Scoring - Proposals will be scored on the following criteria

Criteria PointsOverview/Capabilities

Company profile/history & primary contact information Key company/consultant strengths and differentiators from the competition (value

added)

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Experience, Expertise, and Client References Clear outline of knowledge, skills, and experience Thorough understanding of the work required Responses from three references for which the bidder has completed similar work Demonstrated ability to meet the project objectives stated in this RFP Brief bio on each team member followed by a short listing (bullet point) of their

qualifications related to this project. Roles and responsibilities of each member of the

proposed team must be clearly indicated.

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Description of Project Methodology and Work Plan Proposed methodology Outline of collection and analysis of raw input data Includes privacy policies and storage of confidential information Provides clear and detailed descriptions of the elements of the work and activity plans Identifies who will do the work Includes timelines, milestones, and reporting methods, in accordance of the schedule

proposed within the RFP Addresses expected outcomes and critical path Identifies project deliverables

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Financial Proposal Detail of all fees (fixed or variable) and other associated and itemized expenses, with

preferred payment schedule

Forecast a static cost of this project as incurred with project timeline Forecasts budget in accordance with Project Phases

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TOTAL: 100%



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4. Proposal Information & Requirements 4.1 Delivery

Questions, Letters of Intent, and Proposals must be submitted to FITT in electronic format(MSWord or .PDF) to the attention of Rob Gnaedinger, Director, International Trade Resources([email protected]). Submitting vendor acknowledges proposal is binding and terms are both committedand withstanding. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Bidders are invited to submit formal questions via email. Responses will be sent to all bidderswho have expressed interested in submitting. No questions will be taken by phone or in person.Please direct all emails to:

Rob GnaedingerFITTDirector, International Trade Resources

[email protected]

4.2 Timeline

The following table presents the dates for the completion of this project. Please keep these datesin mind when completing and submitting your proposal project timeline.

Milestone/Event/Activity DateRFP Release December 10, 2010Notice of Intent to Bid (via email only) December 17, 2010Question and Answer Deadline (via email only) January 4, 2011

Proposal Submission Deadline(“Closing Time”) January 7, 2011

Provider Selection By January 14, 2011

4.3 Proposal Submission

Vendors must direct their proposals to:

Rob GnaedingerFITTDirector, International Trade Resources116 Lisgar Street, Suite 300Ottawa, ON, K2P [email protected]



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5. Response Terms and Conditions

5.1 Questions & Clarifications

All questions regarding this RFP or requests for clarification of any item in this RFP must besubmitted in writing or via email to the [email protected]. A copy of the questions received and theresponses thereto will be sent to all vendors who have indicated their intent to provide a proposal.

5.2 Offering Period

All responses must provide that the terms of the response, including the pricing proposal andproject personnel, shall remain valid and binding on the proponent for a period of forty-five (45)days following the closing date to this Request for Proposal(s).

5.3 Proposal Confidentiality

All proposals submitted for consideration will be held in strict confidence.

5.4 Expenses Prior to Contract Execution

FITT is not liable for any costs incurred by a Bidder in the preparation and production of a bid orfor any work performed prior to Contract execution.

5.5 Advertising Bid Results

A Bidder in submitting a bid agrees not to use the results of this bidding process as a part of anycommercial or other advertising without FITT’s prior written approval.

5.6 Liability for Errors

While FITT has made considerable efforts to ensure an accurate representation of information inthis RFP, the information contained in this RFP is supplied solely as a guideline for respondents.The information is not guaranteed or warranted to be comprehensive or exhaustive. All responsesand related materials become the property of FITT and will not be returned. FITT will notreimburse the proponent for any work related to, or materials supplied in the preparation of theRFP response. All information regarding the terms and conditions, financial and/or technicalaspects of the respondent’s proposal, which, in their opinion, are of a proprietary or confidentialnature, must be clearly marked "PROPRIETARY" or "CONFIDENTIAL" on each item or at the topof each page. Respondents’ documents and information so marked will be treated accordingly byFITT.

5.7 Declaration of Gratuities

In submitting its proposal, the respondent certifies that no representative of the respondent hasoffered or given a gratuity (e.g. an entertainment or gift) to any FITT employee or Board member;and intended, by the gratuity, to obtain a contract or favorable treatment under a contract.

5.8 Conflict of Interest

The respondent and all team members are to declare any potential conflict of interest betweenthemselves and FITT or its employees.



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5.9 Acceptance of Proposal

FITT reserves the right not to accept any proposal. The RFP should not be construed as acontract to purchase services. FITT shall not be obligated in any manner until a writtenagreement relating to an approved proposal has been duly executed.

5.10 Acceptance of RFP Conditions

Receipt of a proposal will be considered acceptance of the RFP terms and conditions by therespondent, and will be incorporated in the respondent’s contract.

5.11 Notices to Potential Bidders

Receipt of these bid documents does not indicate that the Forum for International Trade Training(FITT) has pre-determined your company's qualifications to receive a contract award. Suchdetermination will be made after the bid opening and will be based on our evaluation of your bidsubmission compared to the specific requirements and qualifications contained in these biddocuments.

FITT reserves the right to:

Reject any or all portions of any offer, to negotiate terms and conditions consistent withthe solicitation, and to make an award for any or all remaining portions.

Request references and to contact any or all references. Waive requirements or amend this RFP upon notification to all Vendors who have

received an RFP. Mandatory requirements may be eliminated if unmet by all Vendorswho have bid on the RFP.

Adjust or correct cost or cost figures with the concurrence of the bidder if mathematical ortypographical errors exist.

Negotiate with bidders responding to this RFP within the requirements necessary toserve the best interests of FITT.

Begin contract negotiations with another bidder in order to serve the best interests of

FITT, should we be unsuccessful in negotiating a contract with the Vendor who wins theRFP bid within an acceptable time frame.

Request clarifications from bidders for purposes of assuring a full understanding ofresponsiveness, and further to permit revisions from all bidders determined to besusceptible to being selected for contract award, prior to award.

Documents

FITT_WMC_RFP