Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada Request for Proposals: Innusunni Aqqusaaqtara My Journey – Communications Plan

Aug 15, 2018

Cancer is a leading cause of death among Inuit living in Canada. The rate is nearly twice as high as the rest of the country. There is a need to provide Inuit with more information about cancer. Since 2012, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada has been increasing Inuit knowledge about cancer and providing tools for cancer patients, cancer survivors, families and health care providers working with Inuit. With financial support from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Pauktuutit initially developed the Kaggutiq Inuit Cancer Glossary. Pauktuutit then partnered with the Canadian Cancer Society though funding from Jaguar Land Rover Canada to continue the dissemination of the glossary and to develop new tools and resources to support patients, cancer survivors, family members and health care professionals. The entire body of work on cancer is called Inuusinni Aqqusaaqtara – My Journey.

Background

Phase 1: Kaggutiq Inuit Cancer Glossary

From 2012 – 2014, Pauktuutit obtained funding through the Public Health Agency of Canada and held focus groups to engage the Inuit community and reach out to community health representatives and health care providers working with Inuit cancer patients. The project included a cancer terminology forum where Inuit medical translators and cancer experts collaborated on region-specific terminology that then contributed to the Inuktitut cancer glossary.

The Kaggutiq Inuit Cancer Glossary is the cancer resource for Inuit regarding cancer terminology and definitions. It is intended to provide Inuit patients and caregivers, as well as health care professionals, plain language information in English along with five dialects of Inuktitut about cancer.

The cancer glossary inspired a strategic partnership that brought together organizations with complementary experience and expertise through recognizing that a lack of commonly understood and used Inuktitut vocabulary was a barrier to communicating effectively about cancer.

Phase 2: Inuit Cancer Project

Pauktuutit is now working in collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Society and the project advisory committee through funding provided by Jaguar Land Rover Canada. This phase focusses on collaboratively developing and providing accurate information and culturally-appropriate resources to support recently diagnosed Inuit cancer patients through their cancer journey, and improving communication among Inuit patients and their medical interpreters, and health care providers. The patient resource, “Inuusinni Aqqusaaqtara” (My Journey) has been successfully launched throughout the regions of Nunangat. Enhanced outreach and dissemination to the cancer healthcare community serving Inuit patients remains a steady focus.

Goals of the Project

The purpose of these resources is to provide information to Inuit recently diagnosed with cancer to better support them throughout their journey and facilitate culturally appropriate engagement with healthcare professionals. A better understanding of cancer can reduce fear and empower Inuit to seek healthcare services sooner and more frequently. Often, early diagnosis and treatment means a better chance of survival. Building knowledge will help to empower not only patients, but their families and friends who want to offer support. Improved health literacy – for patients and healthcare providers – results in fewer misunderstandings and better quality of care.

As a result of this project we hope Inuit will be more knowledgeable and less fearful about cancer so they will be more likely to see their healthcare providers. Ultimately, reducing cancer incidence and mortality rates and improving the quality of life of Inuit living with cancer.

For ease of reference, the Project Logic Model, created in collaboration with Pauktuutit and the Project Advisory Committee at the outset of the project, is provided on the following page. It illustrates the project’s goals and objectives, activities and outputs, and expected outcomes. It serves as a “road map” for the project and its evaluation.

Scope

This is an open call to individuals, firms, or organizations to provide a comprehensive proposal for the development of a communications strategy and plan for the cancer project. With the development of new cancer resources, Pauktuutit would like to see these and existing resources highlighted as an important tool for patients and their families or caregivers and can provide valuable support and information when going through the cancer journey. The communications strategy should focus on care that is a strengths-based, wholistic approach to healing and re-centers Inuit culture and community as a key element for improving the quality of life of Inuit living with cancer. The strategy will be designed with input from both the Pauktuutit Health Department and the Cancer Advisory Committee.

Specifications:

• Design an innovative and culturally relevant communications strategy and plan that is consistent with current My Journey branding and all previously created project tools and resources. A brand style guide will be provided.
• Social media plan aligned with our partners and funders (Canadian Cancer Society and Jaguar Land Rover Canada) that includes Facebook and Twitter.
• Special events/dates calendar related to Cancer or Health to take into consideration for our project’s awareness campaigns, social media posts, resource launches, etc. Must include a clear timeline until the end of the project (March 2020).
• Design of an innovative and culturally relevant awareness campaign to increase visibility of the new My Journey resources, e-learning modules, and regional resource launches.
• Engage patients and communities in a way that not only illustrates the value of the resources and captures how we are achieving our project goals and outcomes, but also encourages patients and communities to feel empowered. This could include creation of video. Please include specific costs if this is a recommendation.

In addition, the successful applicants will be required to:

• participate in project meetings and teleconferences as appropriate;
• provide progress updates as required; and,
• submit all final project documents upon completion.

Timeline

The duration of the contract will be August 30th, 2018 – March 31st, 2019.

• bids accepted until August 23rd, 2018;
• contract begins August 30th, 2018;
• delivery of final products by March 15, 2019; and
• contract ends March 31, 2019.

Pauktuutit’s Roles and Responsibilities

The primary contact at Pauktuutit for this project is Savanah Ashton, Manager of Health (sashton@pauktuuit.ca). Pauktuutit commits to provide the information and materials necessary to complete the work, and will respond to requests for information in a timely fashion.

Pauktuutit will provide a decision within three business days.

Confidentiality, Privacy and Copyright

The successful applicant shall not disclose to any party any confidential information gained or resulting from activities undertaken under this project, nor shall the applicant disclose any information concerning Pauktuutit or their affairs where such information is obtained through this Project.

Pauktuutit and the successful applicant will agree to publicly and mutually acknowledge and accord appropriate credit for each other’s contribution in this project, including any products developed and disseminated as a result. Both parties will come to an agreement on how credit is attributed, depending on the nature and degree of each organization’s contribution.

It is understood that Pauktuutit retains ownership of any and all materials and intellectual property created, designed, or produced as a result of activities undertaken by the successful applicant when awarded this project.

It is understood that the successful applicant will generate original work for this project.

Proposal Instructions

• Applicants must submit their company name, and confirm their incorporation, references, and/or portfolio;
• Submit by email to sashton@pauktuutit.ca;
• Word format or PDF;
• Estimates/budgets must remain firm until August 30th, 2018;
• No payment will be made for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal in response to this RFP;
• No costs incurred before receipt of a signed contract can be charged to the proposed contract;
• Travel that may be required will be separate from this scope of work budget and will be paid for by Pauktuutit; and,
• Pauktuutit reserves the right not to award a contract as a result of this RFP.

Budget

The proposal must:

• Include a detailed budget not to exceed $10,000-15,000 + HST and that demonstrates that the objectives and deliverables for the project can be met;
• Indicate the billing rate;
• List any other expenses that might be applicable; and
• Total bid MUST include 13% HST tax.

Rights of the Organization

Pauktuutit reserves the right to:

• Enter into negotiations with one or more bidders on any or all aspects of this proposal.
• Accept any proposal in whole or in part.
• Cancel and/or re-issue this requirement at any time.
• Award one or more contracts.
• Verify any or all information provided by the bidder with respect to this requirement.

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