Request for Proposals - msfhr.org

1 Request for Proposals Performance Evaluation of the Provincial Response to the Overdose Public Health Emergency Proposals must be received via email to: Zena Sharman Director, Strategy by August 15, 2018, 4:00 PT LAST UPDATED: JUNE 27, 2018 & Community Care Request for Proposals : Rapid Review of Jurisdictional Responses to Opioid Overdose Page 1 of 20 1. Purpose The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR), funded by the province of British Columbia (BC), is BC's health research funding agency. MSFHR provides the expert knowledge and resources to identify and support the best people and projects to serve British Columbians, as well as build capacity in the system for the use of research evidence to support policy, planning, and practice. Learn more at MSFHR is working to support the BC government with an evaluation of the province s response to the overdose emergency. The first phase of this work involved determining how other jurisdictions have responded to similar emergencies particularly those involving fentanyl and related analogues.

2 The findings of this rapid review, as well as preliminary epidemiological data on opioid overdoses in BC, were presented and discussed in early May 2017, at a provincial dialogue meeting involving policy makers and topic experts in BC s health research community. Themes emerging from this dialogue informed the design of an evaluation framework for the response strategy. MSFHR is now launching a new funding opportunity, covered by this Request for Proposals (RFP), to conduct the evaluation. 2. Background On April 14, 2016, BC s Provincial Health Officer declared a public health emergency under the Public Health Act related to a significant increase in illegal drug overdose morbidity and mortality. The declaration of a public health emergency allows for real-time information to be collected, reported and analyzed across the health system, to identify immediately where risks are arising and take proactive action to warn and protect people who use drugs.

3 This declaration was the first time BC s Provincial Health Officer used the act to enact these emergency powers. In 2016, BC recorded 991 deaths from illicit drug overdose, the highest number in a single year recorded in the province up to that time, with illegal fentanyl detected in 60% of these fatalities1. This public health emergency continues to impact families and communities right across the province: in 2017, the number of deaths from illegal drug overdose rose dramatically to 1,449, with an additional 511 deaths in the first four months of 20182. 1 The BC Public Health Opioid Overdose Emergency, March 2017 Update, BC Centre for Disease Control, British Columbia Observatory Population & Public Health, 2 Illicit Drug Overdose Death in BC, Report, January 1, 2008 April 30, 2018, British Columbia Coroners Service, & Community Care Request for Proposals : Rapid Review of Jurisdictional Responses to Opioid Overdose Page 2 of 20 In 2017, the Government of British Columbia established North America s first Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions (MMHA) in part to lead an immediate and escalated response to the overdose public health emergency that includes investments and improvements to mental health and addictions services.

4 In September 2017, the provincial government allocated $322 million over the next three years to save lives, end stigma and improve access to services for people struggling with addiction. Led by the new MMHA, the government is taking cross-sector, all government, provincial approach to respond to the overdose emergency that includes crucial additional investments and improvements to mental health and addictions services. In December 2017, to escalate its response across all sectors and spearhead urgent, life-saving action, the Province launched the Overdose Emergency Response Centre (OERC). The centre is working provincially, regionally and locally to mobilize resources within communities to intervene quickly to save lives and fast track proactive treatment and support on the ground for people at risk from overdose. The OERC supports five Regional Response Teams to develop and implement comprehensive regional action plans. Community Action Teams were established in February 2018, through funding from OERC grants, in communities identified through overdose data as having the most urgent need.

5 The community action teams are spearheading local coordination and communication to mount a robust response to the needs of those most at risk of overdose. Evaluation of this provincial response to the overdose emergency will be critical to its success. MSFHR is supporting the MMHA to design, launch and manage the evaluation. 3. Evaluation Project Overview MSFHR is requesting Proposals to conduct a performance evaluation of BC s response strategy (hereafter referred to as the response ). The primary purposes of the evaluation are to inform the MMHA about the response s ongoing effectiveness and to provide guidance to MMHA and OERC on potential course corrections. The evaluation will be carried out over two years. The response is structured around a comprehensive package of essential services for overdose prevention that includes essential health sector interventions ( naloxone, overdose prevention services, acute overdose risk case management, and treatment and recovery services).

6 It also includes essential strategies for a supportive environment ( social stabilization, peer empowerment and employment, cultural safety and humility, and addressing stigma, discrimination, and human rights; for details, see Appendix A, Table 2). The evaluation project will consist of two components to be carried out in parallel. Component 1 will evaluate key health sector activities and interventions: naloxone; overdose prevention services; acute overdose risk case management; and treatment and recovery. Component 1 will also prioritize cultural safety and humility, as well as peer empowerment and employment as essential strategies for a supportive environment. & Community Care Request for Proposals : Rapid Review of Jurisdictional Responses to Opioid Overdose Page 3 of 20 Component 2 includes provision of a performance evaluation framework created in collaboration with cross-sector partners to guide how the Government of British Columbia can assess and demonstrate effectiveness with the remaining essential strategies for a supportive environment.

7 Please refer to Appendix A for details. 4. Award Amount and Duration The total funds available for this funding opportunity are $650,000 over two years. MSFHR will fund one proposal to carry out the performance evaluation project. 5. Eligibility Criteria Experienced evaluators or evaluation teams affiliated with a BC host institution that is eligible to hold MSFHR funds are invited to submit a grant or contract proposal for this evaluation project. (For a list of current eligible institutions, see ) Experienced BC-based private, for-profit or not for profit evaluators, evaluation teams and organizations are also eligible to submit a contract proposal for this research project. 6. Evaluation Oversight and Reporting MSFHR will act as contract manager for this project. In this role, MSFHR is responsible for funds administration for the successful tenderer, subject to satisfactory project progress, as well as all report monitoring and administration.

8 All matters pertaining to the contract can be directed to Zena Sharman, Director, Strategy Day-to-day project management and oversight will be provided by Darlene Seto, MMHA Senior Policy Analyst, Monitoring and Evaluation. Miranda Compton, Director, OERC, and Mark Gilbert, Surveillance Lead, OERC, will act as key contacts to the OERC. The successful tenderer will be required to meet the deliverables outlined in Section Additionally, they will be required to: Engage regularly with the MMHA and OERC, as described in the Stakeholder Engagement section of the Evaluation Framework (see Appendix A). Provide quarterly updates to MSFHR for accountability purposes. The updates will outline progress against the agreed implementation plan, and identify any key risks or issues and how they are being mitigated. The exact nature of this quarterly reporting will be negotiated upon commencement of the contract. & Community Care Request for Proposals : Rapid Review of Jurisdictional Responses to Opioid Overdose Page 4 of 20 Complete a performance review at the mid-point of the project (the end of year 1 of funding).

9 At this time, the successful tenderer will provide information on their progress to-date and an outline of the work that will be undertaken to meet the project deliverables. MSFHR will provide information on the requirements of this performance review at least one (1) month before the due date. Provide a financial statement three (3) months following the end date of funding. Additionally, to inform evaluation and continued improvement of our funding opportunities, the successful tenderer will be invited to provide feedback to MSFHR staff to determine areas of improvement. 7. Scope of Work Activities MSFHR seeks an evaluation team that will conduct appropriate activities to complete the project as described in the Evaluation Project Overview (Section 3) using the Evaluation Framework (Appendix A). Deliverables Subject to ongoing discussion and agreement with the tenderer, the following deliverables are anticipated: Deliverable Target Date Evaluation implementation plan December 31, 2018 Year 1 evaluation report July 31, 2019 Draft/Advance Final report July 31, 2020 Final Report Sept 30, 2020 Quarterly reporting Ongoing 8.

10 Key Competition Dates The RFP timeline is summarized as follows: & Community Care Request for Proposals : Rapid Review of Jurisdictional Responses to Opioid Overdose Page 5 of 20 Action Target Date Release of RFP June 27, 2018 proposal deadline August 15, 2018 Applicants notified of funding decision Late September 2018 Project begins October 1, 2018 9. proposal Content proposal Cover and Signatory Form The attached proposal Cover and Signatory Form must be completed and signed by the project lead as well as the lead applicant s (host) organization to demonstrate agreement with and willingness to adhere to Appendices B, C and D of this RFP. Contact Information Include all information necessary to contact the designated contact person and a back-up person in case MSFHR cannot reach the designate. Either contact must be available during business hours throughout the review period. (Host) Organization Financial Administration Provide the name, title, department and full address of the financial administrator who will be responsible for administering the funds.