EXTENDED: RFP, VIPIRG Strategic Planning, June 1, 2015

Contract filled! Thanks to all who submitted.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP):

STRATEGIC PLANNING

ISSUED: MAY 10, 2014
CLOSING (EXTENDED): Monday, June 1st, 2015, 4:30pm

Introduction
The Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group (VIPIRG) is a not-for-profit, student-funded, volunteer-driven community research and organizing group. VIPIRG is independent from the University of Victoria (UVic) and student society.

VIPIRG’s volunteer Coordinating Collective (known as the “coord,” to rhyme with “board”) works by consensus. The Coord has the same responsibilities as a Board of Directors, including management of funds, supervision of staff, and long-term planning. The Coord is elected annually. There are up to eleven seats on the Coord, with eight seats reserved for UVic students and up to three seats for community members.

Purpose
VIPIRG is seeking an individual or team to conduct strategic planning with the VIPIRG Coord and staff, and develop a 3-year strategic plan for VIPIRG.

Background
VIPIRG occupies space on the territories of the Lekwungen people and is committed to decolonization. We strive to raise awareness and support and engage in grassroots activism around social and environmental justice issues. We root our work in an anti-oppression analysis and practice. VIPIRG seeks to make connections between campus and community and inspire social change through engaging, inclusive, and non-hierarchical approaches.

VIPIRG is committed to struggling against all forms of discrimination and oppression, and working through the ways we are implicated in them. We are also committed to being open and accessible to all who aspire to these principles. Ultimately, we aim to more deeply practice the lessons of political movements around how to relate to each other and the earth.

Our current areas of focus are poverty, decolonization, and student engagement. We work to politicize the systems of power that influence poverty and strive to assist community empowerment to resist and transform them. We attempt to practice settler responsibility to decolonize through solidarity with indigenous struggles to defend people and the land. Finally, as a campus-based group, we continually work to engage with, and learn from, students to build capacity to organize together.

Scope
This strategic planning process entails the implementation of a process that is informed by VIPIRG’s values and results in the development of a 3-year strategic plan. Anticipated activities include:

1. Research and report – Design and implement a strategic planning process to engage VIPIRG’s external stakeholders, including past Coord members and staff, as well as students and community members involved in VIPIRG’s projects, campaigns and research.
Result: a report identifying issues that should inform the strategic planning process, as well as ideas, concerns and tensions identified and reported for future discussions by the Coord, as part of the implementation of the Strategic Plan.
2. Workshop facilitation – Informed by the research and report (#1 above), design and implement a strategic planning process to engage VIPIRG’s internal stakeholders (present coord members and staff) that reflects VIPIRG’s values. To accommodate all abilities, the consultant will have experience using graphic facilitation tools that enable all participants to fully engage in active discussion (such as PPT, scribing, visual mapping, and other forms of graphic recording of the discussion in real time). This strategic planning process will result in:
• Review of VIPIRG’s current mandate, principles and values
o Note: this is not a visioning exercise but a means of developing a shared understanding among coord members. Ideas, concerns and tensions will be identified and recorded for future discussion by the Coord, as part of the implementation of the Strategic Plan.
• Review/discussion of key areas of focus
Result: consensus on key areas of focus for the 3-Year plan.
• Discussion of goals and desired outcomes for each area of focus
Result: consensus on these for the short-term (Year 1), medium-term (year 2) and long-term (year 3 of the Plan).
• Discussion of key activities to be undertaken under each area of focus
Result: consensus on these for the short, medium and long-term that form the foundation for future activity-based planning and implementation.
• Discussion of the surplus:
Result: consensus on how resources will be used to achieve outcomes over the 3-year term of the Strategic Plan
• A review of VIPIRG’s current organizational structure This will include a discussion of organizational relationships that reflect VIPIRG’s values, including accountability, transparency, engagement and continuity.
Result: consensus on roles and responsibilities, as well as relationships between the coord, sub-committees, staff, and student/community members.
Result: consensus on key management processes needed to operationalize these values.
Result: consensus on the organizational structure needed to operationalize VIPIR’sG values and support implementation of the 3-Year Strategic Plan.

3. Strategic Plan Development and Report – Development of a draft Strategic Plan for presentation and review with the Coord at its July meeting (July 29, 2015).
Result: A final draft of the Strategic Plan based on feedback received.

Deliverables and Timeline
1. Research and Report: Completed and submitted by June 30, 2015
2. Workshop Facilitation: Within the time period of July 6 to July 28
3. Draft Strategic Plan: Sent to the Coord by August 11
4. Presentation of Draft Strategic Plan: To the Coord at its meeting on August 18
5. Final Strategic Plan: Submitted by August 31, 2015.

Project Reporting
The consultant will be required to work collaboratively with the designated VIPIRG staff member and the coord sub-committee responsible for overseeing this project.

Project Duration
The project will commence on June 8, 2015 and end with submission of the final document on August 31, 2015.

Budget
A maximum of $5,000 is available to research, facilitate discussion, and develop this Strategic Plan, including all applicable taxes.

Proposal
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following components:
• Demonstrated understanding of the project and issues in all areas of the application
• Proposed methodology/approach and work plan
• Relevant experience in similar work and overall qualifications
• Demonstrated ability to work within designated timelines
• Proposed budget.
Short listed proponents may be invited for an interview or requested to provide references.

Application Process
Proposals are due to VIPIRG by 4:30pm Pacific Time on Monday, June 1st, 2015. To be considered for this Service Contract, please complete the proposal template below (maximum of 7 pages). Combine this form with all appendices into one PDF file and submit electronically to:

Meghan Jezewski, Internal Coordinator
Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group

Email: info@vipirg.ca
Phone: 250-472-4386
Office: UVic student union building room B122

The successful applicant will be notified on or before by June 5, 2015.