Request for Proposals: Strategic Planning Services

About Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada (Pauktuutit)

Mission:

Grounded in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), Pauktuutit partners with Inuit women, communities, and organizations to advocate for and provide guidance to improve the health, economic, safety, justice, and ultimately empower Inuit women to have greater opportunities to thrive.

Vision:

Inuit women and our families live in safe, healthy and thriving communities and have access to social, cultural, economic and political advancement.

Values:

We are guided by Inuit Values and Principles
We are Collaborative
We are Inclusive
We are Innovative
We embrace ethics and integrity

Strategic Priorities

Amplify the voices of Inuit women and gender-diverse Inuit
Advance Pauktuutit’s Inuit-specific GBA+ Framework
Increase Representation of Inuit women in leadership
Invest in Our Team

How we Work

Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada (Pauktuutit) is the national representative organization of Inuit women in Canada and is governed by a 15-member Board of Directors from across Canada. Our mandate is to foster a greater awareness of the needs of Inuit women, and to encourage their participation in community, regional and national concerns in relation to social, cultural and economic development. Pauktuutit’s work, grounded in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Principles and our Inuit-specific gender-based analysis (GBA+) framework, spans the following key portfolios: social and economic development, violence and abuse prevention, justice, health and wellbeing.

Our Needs

Following a period of significant growth, Pauktuutit has come to appreciate the need for strong strategic planning to focus our programmatic and financial priorities and increase our impact. The organization is already undergoing a full review of our policies and procedures with the goal of scaling our operations to meet the opportunities and challenges that this growth presents. We are additionally working with a government relations firm to assess opportunities and stabilize the organization by strengthening key relationships. Recognizing that growth does not necessarily result in increased impact, we anticipate that a 5-year strategic plan will help us to clarify, differentiate, and communicate our unique role in the Inuit advocacy space, as well as provide the organization with a basis for the creation of strong benchmarks and indicators to meaningfully increase and measure our impact.

Invitation to Vendors

This Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is a targeted invitation to select suppliers to submit proposals to provide strategic planning services as described in Schedule A (the “Deliverables”). This RFP is issued by Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, a not-for-profit corporation funded by the federal government. Pauktuutit reserves the right to reject any and all submissions.

Instructions to Vendors

Proponents should submit their proposals in a single PDF electronic file to Sarah Kastner, Chief Operating Officer, at skastner@pauktuutit.ca , and Amanda Fletcher, Manager of Business Development, at afletcher@pauktuutit.ca. Subject line should indicate “Strategic Planning Proposal”. Proposals submitted in any other manner will not be accepted.

RFP Timeline and Process

Issue Date: February 23, 2024
Deadline for Inquiries: March 6, 2024
Proposal Submission Deadline: March 15, 2024
Virtual Interviews: March 18 – 22, 2024
Anticipated decision date: March 29, 2024

Mandatory Requirements

The proposal must include:

An executive summary;
A summary of the qualifications and experience of the proponent organization;
A summary of your approach, including proposed tactics and deliverables;
A summary of your experience in non-profit and Indigenous/Inuit led organizations, including three relevant case studies;
References for three clients for whom the Proponent has provided strategic planning within the past three years;
Proposed team members (name, title, biography, relevant qualifications/experience);
Proposed team structure specific to this account;
Sample budget and timelines for each activity.

Evaluation Process

Pauktuutit will evaluate and score proposals based on the following rating criteria:

Evaluation Criteria	Weighting
Qualifications and experience of the Proponent Proposal shows recent and relevant evidence of strategic planning experience for national non-profit organizations Proposed team and structure is adequate; team roles are well considered Strong relevant qualifications and experience on team, with expertise in Inuit policy and politics Experience working with Inuit/Indigenous non-profit and women’s sector organizations at national and/or international level References are recent and relevant and demonstrate a range and depth of experience and success Case studies demonstrate the following: Strong strategic planning and counsel offered Strong knowledge of Inuit policy and politics, Indigenous and women’s sector nonprofit organizations Strategic results and value for money Ability to customize approach to fit organizational objectives	35%
Organization of Proposal Proposal content illustrates a clear knowledge of Pauktuutit’s needs and aligns strongly with requirements outlined in this RFP Proposal is written clearly and is effectively organized	25%
Virtual Interviews Thoughtful and high-quality discussion that demonstrates a strong understanding of Pauktuutit’s needs as articulated in the RFP Positive interpersonal dynamics and good chemistry with Pauktuutit’s team	25%
Pricing Fairness of price in relation to market value Value of services described relative to our needs	15%
Total	100%

Confidentiality

All information received by the Proponent provided by or obtained from Pauktuutit in any form or connection with this RFP is the sole property of Pauktuutit and must be treated as confidential.

SCHEDULE A – Services and Deliverables

Objective/Purpose

Pauktuutit is seeking strategic planning services to support the creation of a 5-year strategic plan that clarify, differentiate, and communicate our unique role in the Inuit advocacy space and meet the opportunities and challenges presented by the evolving political and policy landscape. The Strategic Plan will:

Identify key priorities and objectives across our portfolios: socio-economic development, violence and abuse prevention, justice, health and wellbeing
Leverage our Inuit-Specific Gender Based Analysis (GBA+) framework internally and externally
Align our board of directors and staff and build consensus about future directions
Provide a focus for evidence-based decision-making
Enable the establishment of benchmarks and indicators to measure our impact and success
Enable the creation of annual plans that advance the strategic plan in specific and measurable ways
Communicate our strategic direction and priorities to internal and external partners

Project Scope

As Pauktuutit celebrates our 40th anniversary this year, we are embarking on a 5-year strategic plan to help focus our work across our key portfolios and guide decision-making in the organization. The strategic plan will include pathways, objectives, and actions that will enable the organization to foster a proactive business culture and respond to opportunities and challenges more deliberately.

Research and Discovery (April 2024) – the proponent will review all relevant documents provided by Pauktuutit, including past strategies, board resolutions, leadership retreat minutes, and other internal research, to assess our current state and environment.
Engagement with Partners (May 2024) – the proponent will engage our staff and board through virtual and in-person consultations to identify issues and opportunities.
Strategic Planning Retreat (June 2024) – the proponent will meet with our board and senior management at our in-person board meeting in June to align and assess SWOT.
Strategic Plan Drafting (July 2024) – the proponent will draft an actionable strategic plan and collaborate on final, high-quality internal and external documents that outline pathways, objectives, actions and deliverables to advance our mandate.

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