apologies for cross-postings - we want to be certain that this notice
reaches far and wide. Please pass it on to colleagues who may be interested.

Alison Stirling, health promotion consultant
OPC- Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]  Internet: http://www.opc.on.ca
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Ontario Health Promotion Resource System

Request for Proposals


The Ontario Health Promotion Resource System (OHPRS) is accepting proposals
for a two part project:
        *       the development of a detailed 6 year plan to evaluate the
OHPRS as a system
        *       and the development, implementation and analysis of impact
indicators at the community organizational level to evaluate the services of
the OHPRS.

Background Information

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care funds fourteen resource centres to
support health promotion in Ontario. These organizations share the goal of
empowering communities by enhancing knowledge and skills through training,
consultation, networking and referrals, and information and knowledge
exchange and diffusion.  Together, the resource centres form the Ontario
Health Promotion Resource System (OHPRS).  A group of representatives of the
OHPRS, known as the Planning and Coordinating Group (P&C), provide on-going
management to the system. A number of subcommittees of the P&C address
specific tasks for the OHPRS.

The Impact Evaluation Committee (IEC) of the P&C was formed to develop an
evaluation framework for the OHPRS as a system and to create a strategy to
measure the impact of the collective services of the fourteen resource
centres.

Evaluation of the OHPRS as a system

In the past, the fourteen resource centres tended to operate fairly
independently of one another. While some collaboration occurred between the
resource centres, it was not in a planned, strategic or mandated way.  In
May 2001, the members of the OHPRS will be meeting to strategically identify
areas of collaboration and joint initiatives between the resource centres.
The goal is to develop an effective and coordinated system both for the
members of the OHPRS and for the users of the services of the OHPRS. An
important component of the coordinated approach is a comprehensive plan to
evaluate the functioning of OHPRS as a system.


Evaluation of the Impact of the Services of the OHPRS

The IEC identified five possible levels of evaluation in the progression
from the "resource centre delivering services to health intermediaries" to
"the health of Ontarians". These levels are:
        1)      Resource centres:
                        a.      resource centres deliver services to health
intermediaries
                        b.      service delivery is coordinated and
efficient
        2)      capacity is increased at the community level (organizational
and individual)
        3)      a comprehensive intervention mix is delivered at the
community level
        4)      interventions change risk behaviour and/or risk conditions
among those who are reached
        5)      health of Ontarians is enhanced

This project will focus on levels (1) and (2). Specifically, the IEC
identified four key areas in which evaluation methods and tools are to be
developed:
i)      assessing the collective implementation of services by the resource
centres (Level 1a.)
ii)     assessing the extent to which the system is coordinated and
efficient (Level 1b)
iii)    assessing the changes in organizational capacity at the community
level (Level 2)
iv)     assessing the changes in individual capacity at the community level
(Level 2)

A full description of the five levels of evaluation and the initial set of
indicators is available.


Scope of the project:

The IEC is accepting proposals to develop the following:

        *       A 6 year detailed workplan and budget for the evaluation of
the OHPRS as a system. This plan would include:
                        o       Objectives for the evaluation
                        o       Key indicators for the evaluating the
functioning of the OHPRS as a system
                        o       Identification (but not necessarily
development of) collection tools and data sources for the evaluation
information necessary
                        o       Timelines for the evaluation to ensure that
baseline data is available and the most appropriate timing for repetitions
of the evaluation

        *       Implementation and analysis of the organizational impact
indicators. This would involve:
                        o       Refining the current preliminary set of
indicators jointly with the IEC
                        o       Defining the sample and creating contact
list (with support from OHPRS members)
                        o       Developing measurement instruments and tools
for the indicators
                        o       Implementing the data collection
                        o       Analyzing the data and preparing a report
complete with recommendations for future measurement of the organizational
indicators

The consultant will work closely with the IEC Chair and Committee in
completing this project.  The Committee will review all materials prior to
usage and/or distribution. Time should be allotted to attending committee
meetings and consulting with the Chair.

Deliverables

The contract for this project will be awarded by June 8, 2001. The
deliverables for the project are:

On or before July 13, 2001
        *       First draft of the detailed 6 year workplan for the
evaluation of the OHPRS
        *       Final list of organizational impact indicators to assess the
impact of the services of the OHPRS at the community organizational level

On or before September 7, 2001
        *       Final 6 year workplan and budget for the evaluation of the
OHPRS
        *       Measurement tools completed for the organizational impact
indicators (Level 2)
        *       Sample to survey for the organizational impact indicators
identified and contact information collated

On or before October 25, 2001
        *       Data collection for the organizational impact indicators
completed

On or before November 8, 2001
        *       Preliminary results of the impact of the services of the
OHPRS on the organizational capacity at the community level

On or before November 30, 2001
        *       Final report and recommendations for the impact of the
services of the OHPRS on the organizational capacity at the community level


Budget for Project

All proposals should be inclusive of all costs related to developing,
implementing and analyzing and report writing for the entire project. A
maximum of $35,000 is available for this work.

Payment will be contingent on approval of deliverables. The consultant will
be paid on a scheduled invoice basis by the Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse
(OPC) on behalf of the OHPRS.

Applicants must have experience and a proven track record in evaluation
(including survey design, indicator development, and data collection and
analysis). Preference will be given to those who have an understanding of
the health promotion system in Ontario.



Proposals should be submitted on or before May 21, 2001 at 4:30pm by mail or
email to (in Word or PDF formats only):

Robyn Kalda
OHPRS Facilitator
180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1900
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1Z8
(416) 408-2249 ext. 242
[log in to unmask]

For further information, please call:
Josie D'Avernas
Chair, IEC
(519) 571-9870
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