Social Welfare: Support Expert

Transcription

1 Social Welfare: Support Expert Request for Tenders for an individual to work as a Support Expert for One Year for the Advocacy Support Worker (ASW) Programme in the network of Citizens Information Services (CISs) in the area of Social Welfare The latest date for receipt of tenders is Monday 22 nd February, 2016 Citizens Information Board Ground Floor George s Quay House 43 Townsend Street Dublin 2 1

2 Request for Tender from the Citizens Information Board 1. Summary of Request for Tender (RFT) The Advocacy Support Worker (ASW) role is to offer support, advice and assistance with difficult cases to Information Providers who are working on advocacy issues. Sometimes the assistance sought from the ASW is beyond the knowledge or experience of the ASW. In those cases the ASW needs to call on outside support, advice and assistance. This call for tender is to set an expert support for the five ASWs in the area of Social Welfare. This support will be provided as outlined in the process below. 2. The Citizens Information Board The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice and advocacy services to members of the public on a wide range of public and social services. 3. The Advocacy Support Worker (ASW) Programme The Advocacy Support Worker (ASW) Programme was set up in 2010, and five ASWs each with a regional brief, were appointed in It is funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board (CIB). The purpose of the Advocacy Support Worker Programme is to enhance the capacity of Citizens Information Services (CIS) across Ireland to deliver advocacy as part of an integrated information, advice and advocacy service to the general public and particularly to marginalised citizens including people with disabilities. The ASW Programme works with the Citizens Information Board to support the capacity development of all CISs with the aim of ensuring a consistent level of advocacy across all services. Five ASWs coach and mentor CIS personnel across their region in the processes and skills of advocacy case work including interview skills, case recording, negotiation, representation and preparation for third party complaints, hearings and appeals. 4. Structure of the Advocacy Support Worker Programme The ASW Programme is managed by five lead CISs in Dublin, Clondalkin CIS, Longford CIS, Offaly CIS, West Cork CIS and Clare CIS. While being employed by the lead CIS in each of the five regions, ASWs work with all CIS staff in their designated area to improve advocacy services to the public. The ASW is a resource to these CISs, and to their Boards, in developing advocacy as set out in their individual advocacy work plans. 5. Area in which Expert Support for ASWs is required. Social Welfare 2

3 6. External Support, Advice and Assistance for ASWs in relation to Advocacy Matters Part of the Advocacy Support Worker (ASW) role is to offer support, advice and assistance with difficult cases to Information Providers who are working on advocacy issues. Sometimes the assistance sought from the ASW is beyond the knowledge or experience of the ASW. In those cases the ASW needs to call on outside support, advice and assistance. This call for tender is to set up a support for the five ASWs in Social Welfare. How this will work is described below. It is anticipated that the expert would be called on to respond to queries approximately 5 to 10 times per month across all five ASWs in the areas of Social Welfare. 6.1 Description of Support Required The following are examples of the types of assistance that may be needed by ASWs in the area of Social Welfare advocacy work: a) Social Welfare Help in identifying the relevant piece of legislation that applies Assistance in interpreting that legislation Explaining how EU law applies Providing details and copies of previous relevant cases Advising, from experience, on how to manage a case b) Other Issues Help in using the Freedom of Information and Data Protection legislation Assistance in dealing with matters before the various Ombudsman bodies in particular with procedural matters Other relevant issues as they arise 6.2 Description of the skills needed for those providing the Support a) Social Welfare Knowledge of relevant legislation and an ability to interpret same Solid understanding of how the Social Welfare system works Experience of dealing with reviews and appeals of Social Welfare decisions Familiarity with relevant up to date Irish and European case law b) Other Issues A good working practical knowledge of procedural matters when dealing with State Bodies and Freedom of Information and Data Protection legislation 3

4 6.3 Description of how support will be provided When the individual expert is selected there will be an initial meeting with representatives of the ASW programme to discuss the details of the process and the specific support needs of the ASWs. Subsequent to this introductory meeting contact will be by and, if necessary, by telephone. If an organisation or business submits a tender, there must be one named individual who will provide required support. 6.4 Request Process: 1. An ASW submits the query to the Expert referencing an assigned job number. 2. If the Expert requires further information they will request directly from the ASW within 2 working days. This can do be done by or phone call. 3. The Expert Support responds in writing to the ASW as soon as possible (within 7 working days) with the response to the ASW query and a statement of the time involved in dealing with the query. 7. Deliverables You are invited to submit a proposal for the above work for consideration. The proposal should include: 1. A detailed outline of the proposed approach. 2. A detailed outline of fully inclusive fixed costs (vat inclusive) and agreement to the terms and conditions of the tender. 3. The names, contact information, qualifications and experience of the personnel who will be working on the project. 4. The names of referees in respect of previous work. 8. Timing of award Tender Queries should be directed by to Caroline Mitchell at caroline.mitchell@ciboard.ie Tenders must be received by 4:00pm Monday 22 nd February Tenders should be provided by with the subject heading Tenders for Social Welfare Support Expert to stephanie.coleman@ciboard.ie The tender s name and postal address should be stated within the tender. Tuesday 23 rd February: Tenders will be opened. Tenders that are delivered late will be returned unopened. Successful and unsuccessful tenderers will be notified. 4

5 9. Award Criteria The contract will be awarded from the qualifying tenders on the basis of the quality of tender and the most economically advantageous tender applying the following award criteria: 1. How well proposals meet the needs as specified in this document (40%) 2. Demonstrated evidence of capacity and track record of delivering similar services (25%) 3. Cost and overall value for money (35%). 10. Conditions of tender All information provided by the tenderer will be treated in strict confidence. Similarly, the CIB requires that all information provided pursuant to this Request for Tenders will be treated in strict confidence by the tenderer. Information supplied by tenderers will be treated as contractually binding. However, the CIB reserves the right to seek clarification or verification of any such information. Prices and rates quoted should be expressed in Euro ( ) and inclusive of VAT. The CIB reserves the right to withhold payment where a tenderer has failed to meet contractual obligations in relation to the delivery of goods / services to an acceptable level of quality. Tenders that are received late will not be considered. The work of the tenderers shall be deemed to be carried out in Ireland and shall be governed by the Laws of Ireland. Before a contract is awarded, and where required the successful tenderer (and agent where appropriate) will be required to promptly produce a valid Tax Clearance Certificate. The Certificate must remain valid for the duration of the contract. Payment for all services covered by the RFT will be on the foot of appropriate invoices. Invoicing arrangements will be agreed with the successful tenderer following the award of the contract. The successful tenderer will be required to comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act in relation to the processing of any personal information that may be necessary in the context of service delivery. This will require the tenderer to sign a form of undertaking to comply with the provisions of the Act. Any registerable interest involving the tenderer and the Minister for Social Protection members of the Government, members of the Oireachtas or employees of the Citizens Information Board or their relatives must be fully disclosed in the response to this RFT, or should be communicated to Citizens Information Board immediately upon such information becoming known to the tenderer, in the event of this information only coming to their notice after the submission of a bid and prior to the award of the contract. The terms 'registerable interest' and 'relative' shall be interpreted as per section 2 of the Ethics in Public Office Act,

6 Citizens Information Board will remain the sole and exclusive owner of all end products and of all intellectual property rights in the products supplied to and from the Citizens Information Board in the course of the contract, irrespective of whether or not the contract is terminated prior to its completion. The Citizens Information Board (CIB) does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender. It reserves the right to reject in whole or in part any or all tenders received and to source the requirement from more than one supplier. The CIB will not be liable in respect of any costs incurred by tenderers in the preparation of their tender in response to the Request for Tenders, nor for costs incurred in preparing subsequent presentations or for attendance at same. The successful tenderer shall be responsible for the delivery of all requirements provided for within the contract on the basis of a fixed price agreement set at the beginning of the contract. Prices quoted in the tender cannot be increased during the currency of the tender. Similarly, terms and conditions cannot be altered. 11. Extension The contract is for an initial set period of one year. Any extension to the contract will be in accordance with Department of Social Protection regulations. 6