Call for Proposals – Systems Design Consultant

Project Title: South Etobicoke Coordinated Local Access to Services and Supports (SECLASS)
Location: South Etobicoke, Toronto, ON
Duration: Part time, 6 months from contract signing
Reports to: SE-CLASS Steering Committee

Background

The South Etobicoke Coordinated Local Access to Services and Supports (SE-CLASS) project aims to enhance the accessibility and coordination of services for unhoused and precariously housed community members in South Etobicoke. The SE-CLASS initiative is grounded in a community mobilization approach and seeks to address key barriers faced by marginalized populations, particularly seniors and refugee claimants, in accessing essential services such as housing, food security, health support, and employment.
In 2023, the SE Cluster agencies struggled with a surge in demand for collective response services, including challenges in the areas of homelessness and affordable housing. The lack of a dedicated systems navigation and design structure hindered the agencies’ capacity to respond to evolving community needs. SE-CLASS seeks to establish a coordinated, sustainable response plan that will streamline service delivery, improve collaboration across sectors, and ensure cultural relevance and timeliness of services.

Objective

The primary objective of the consultancy is to design a Coordinated Response System (CRS) that minimizes client effort, strengthens collaboration between agencies, and enhances access to critical services for unhoused and precariously housed individuals in South Etobicoke. This involves working with the SE CLASS team to design the internal process as well as outwardfacing client journey, taking into consideration physical and digital client resources, data management and privacy issues, etc. This resource person will also train the team on the system once it is designed and will produce a process guide with all documents and a simplified infographic of the journey with the help of the digital designer and partner agency staff.

Scope of Work:
The Systems Design Consultant will be responsible for the following:

Phase 1: Systems Mapping and Design

  • Conduct a system mapping: Engage with SE Cluster agencies and stakeholders to map existing service pathways, client needs, and available resources.
  • Develop a coordinated response system (CRS): Design a service pathway that includes physical intake points, triage and referral processes, feedback loops, and client service timelines.
  • Support Internal tools development: in collaboration with the SE CLASS team and Steering Committee, support the creation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize partnerships among agencies, develop privacy and information-sharing protocols to facilitate smooth inter-agency collaboration, and design an outreach strategy to increase awareness of the available services and resources.

Phase 2: Resource Development

  • Support the creation of client resources: Support other SE CLASS staff with developing clear, accessible, and culturally sensitive materials, such as infographics outlining the service pathway, flyers and other printed materials for outreach, and a webpage and social media content to facilitate digital engagement and information access.

Phase 3: Implementation and Testing

  • Training of agency staff: Prepare agency staff to manage the CRS, including the System Navigation and Implementation Lead. • Oversee the initial piloting of the CRS: Support the implementation team in resolving challenges and bottlenecks.
  • Produce a process guide on the above.

Deliverables
The consultant is expected to deliver the following:

  1. A detailed services and systems mapping.
  2. A Coordinated Response System (CRS)
  3. A Process Guide, detailing the process of the CRS, and including internal tools developed with the SE CLASS team (MoU, privacy protocol, outreach strategy).

Consultant Profile
The ideal candidate will have:

  • Experience in systems design for social service delivery, particularly in housing, homelessness, or community service sectors.
  • Strong project management skills with the ability to manage complex multi-stakeholder processes.
  • Expertise in service pathway development, including client referral systems and interagency collaboration.
  • Knowledge of privacy legislation and experience developing information-sharing protocols.
  • Ability to develop culturally sensitive and accessible client resources.
  • Familiarity with the social services landscape in South Etobicoke or similar communities is an asset.

Application Process
Interested consultants are invited to submit:

  • A detailed resume highlighting relevant experience.
  • Portfolio or examples of previous similar work
  • A detailed workplan and financial proposal. The maximum budget for this CFP is $18,000.

Submission Deadline
Please submit your application by Tuesday 26 Nov 2024, 5 PM, to rasha.s@acctonline.ca.