2024 Prairie Conservation Forum RFP_GVI (F)
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
Business Case to Update Grassland Vegetation Inventory (GVI)
Prairie Conservation Forum
Release date: November 12, 2024
Questions by: November 25, 2024
Closing Date: December 1, 2024
Contact:
Katheryn Taylor – Coordinator, Prairie Conservation Forum; info@albertapcf.org
Organization Overview:
The Prairie Conservation Forum (PCF) is a collaborative initiative focused on the conservation and sustainable management of Alberta’s native prairie ecosystems. Established to address the alarming loss and degradation of grasslands, the PCF unites diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, conservation organizations, academic institutions, and landowners, to promote effective prairie conservation strategies. Its mission encompasses preserving biological diversity, promoting sustainable land use practices, enhancing public awareness, and facilitating research on prairie ecosystems.
The PCF prioritizes habitat conservation, sustainable land use, protection of species at risk, research and monitoring, and education and outreach. By aligning with the PCF’s objectives, any Request for Proposal (RFP) can effectively address the critical needs of prairie conservation, ensuring a comprehensive approach that integrates ecological, economic, and social considerations while fostering stakeholder collaboration.
Project Overview:
The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals from qualified organizations or individuals to develop a comprehensive business case for updating Alberta’s Grassland Vegetation Inventory(GVI). The GVI is a critical tool for land-use planning and management in Alberta, providing a detailed geospatial representation of land cover in the Grassland Natural Region. This update aims to significantly enhance the accuracy and utility of the GVI while demonstrating the loss of native grasslands to human activity, thereby supporting more effective conservation efforts and better land management decisions.
Requirements of Project:
Overall, the scope and requirements of the project would be as follows:
- Identify and engage critical stakeholders interested in updating the GVI starting with the PCF membership.
- Determine, with stakeholder consultation, what aspects of the GVI they use and what areas are less useful in the current GVI model.
- After consulting with stakeholders, analyze what technologies are needed and available to complete the critical updates identified by stakeholders.
- Create a project management plan that includes
- Identification of project deliverables based on needs and wants.
- A cost analysis for each deliverable within the project, including:
- cost of the necessary technology to complete the deliverable.
- Identification of contributing agencies, available manpower, funding, and the materials they can provide for each deliverable.
- A clear breakdown of costs for each section of the project plan, including a total price for what needs to be updated and what stakeholders want to be updated.
- Identify the anticipated benefits of updating the GVI for the stakeholders and the government of Alberta.
- Add financial returns and savings, non-monetary benefits, improved efficiency, enhanced reputation, and the program’s social impact.
- Create a timeline for both the needs and wants deliverables.
- Create a business case that the PCF can present to the government of Alberta that includes the following
- Strong executive summary.
- Project definition, stakeholders consulted, and background information.
- Strategic context.
- Project plan with cost analysis.
- Benefits to completing upgrades.
- Conclusion that includes the key points, the feasibility of updating the GVI, and a call to action.
Summary of Scope of Project, Deliverables and Timelines:
Submission Process and Deadline:
An RFP briefing meeting will not be held. The deadline for submitting proposals is midnight, MST, December 1, 2024. Proposals should be submitted electronically to info@albertapcf.org. Please include “Business Case GVI – [Your Organization’s Name]” in the subject line.
Proposed Project Completion Deadlines:
Draft Business Case: February 23, 2025
Edits to draft business case by PCF State of the Prairie Committee: March 10, 2025
Final Business Case: March 31, 2025
Appendix 1: Prairie Conservation Forum (PCF) Request for Proposal (RFP) Process
This document provides terms of reference for potential PCF funding projects by individuals or groups that support the PCF vision and are relevant to the current PCAP (2021 to 2025) Outcomes, Approaches, and Actions.
- Request for Proposals: The PCF Board will periodically issue targeted calls for proposals for specific priorities as identified in the current PCAP. The board will ensure the deliverables are identified with associated completion and payment dates and consequences of non-delivery. The board will also identify the financial reporting requirements for grants and contracts. Contractors on specified larger projects will also be requested to provide a copy of their professional insurance.
- The criteria used to evaluate proposals will be conducted by the PCF Board or designates of the Board, and proposals will be merited based on the following components.
- Relevance to PCF: Applicant proposals will address the specific requests in the PCF RFP call and are relevant to the RFP and/or PCAP Strategies, Outcomes, Approaches and Actions.
- Credibility of Applicant(s): Identify the individuals and/or professional staff doing the work and document their professional credentials, expertise, and experience. The applicants may be asked to identify and provide specific examples of previous related work.
- Methods and Workplan: Identify and provide supporting evidence for the methodology.
- Cost: Provide information on the project cost and the individual components or tasks identified in the work plan. Each work plan task and the overall project may be evaluated based on time and resource management and in relation to the allocated budget.
- Further Information: Once proposals to the RFP call are received, the PCF Board will review the applications/proposals based on the above criteria. Proposals will be evaluated based on quality and should provide a well-thought-out document with applicable actions, a clear methodology, and itemized deliverables that are achievable within the timelines identified in the RFP call.
- Applicants that the board agrees to fund will receive a letter or email indicating their successful application.
- A contract will be prepared for signing between the successful applicant and the PCF, outlining and confirming the deliverables, deadlines for delivery and payment, consequences for late or non-delivery, and any related optional obligations.
- All successful applicants will be notified by email. Some applicants may be asked to provide amendments, such as clarification, and upon receipt of an amended proposal, the PCF board will re-evaluate it.
- In the event of a tie, identified applicants will be requested to give an in-person or remote online presentation to the board focusing on particular project components for further consideration and to answer any questions.
- The successful applicant will be provided with a comprehensive list of potential additions to the GVI to compare to the ideas provided by the stakeholders.
- The applicant is responsible for the cost of submissions and presentations for the RFP and will not be reimbursed by the PCF.
Alberta Prairie Conservation Forum