REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 
Strategic Plan Development and Facilitation 
May 2023

ARCH Disability Law Centre (ARCH) is pleased to invite you to respond to this Request for Proposals (RFP).  The purpose of the RFP is to select a Consultant for the development of our Strategic Plan for 2024 to 2029.  As a recipient of this document, you have been identified as a potential consultant to satisfy ARCH’s requirements in developing its Strategic Plan.  

This RFP and the related information provided is confidential. We ask that recipients do not share any information related to this process with any party outside of their own consulting services. 
About ARCH
ARCH Disability Law Centre is a specialty legal clinic, located in Toronto, ON, that practices exclusively in disability rights law. ARCH is dedicated to defending and advancing the equality rights, entitlements, fundamental freedoms and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Ontario. 

ARCH is guided by a dedicated and committed volunteer Board of Directors. ARCH’s Board of Directors is consumer-controlled and more than half are people with disabilities.  Our Mission and Vision Statement is attached as Schedule A.

In order to carry out its mandate, ARCH provides a range of legal services directly to persons with disabilities in Ontario, including summary advice and referral services. ARCH also represents persons with disabilities and disability organizations in precedent setting cases at various provincial and federal tribunals, including the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, the Canadian Transportation Agency as well as appellate courts, including the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. ARCH has an extensive law reform practice, working on a variety of initiatives related to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. ARCH provides public legal education to disability communities, and conducts community development projects to support our law reform work. ARCH conducts and maintains a wide array of advocacy work, programming, and critical partnerships that range from local, grassroots, provincial, national, and international. More information about our work is available on our website: www.archdisabilitylaw.ca

ARCH is staffed by 14 full time staff:  7 lawyers, 2 community legal workers, 1 office manager, 1 litigation clerk, 1 administrative assistant, 1 law librarian and other short-term contract staff.  The Executive Director (who is also a lawyer) is responsible for achieving the overall operational, financial and legal goals of the agency, subject to the direction of the Board.  Our Organizational Chart is attached as Schedule B. 

ARCH is primarily funded by Legal Aid Ontario, as well as other funding sources.  Our annual budget from our primary funder is approximately $1.6 million. 
Scope of Services
In September of 2023, ARCH’s current five year Strategic Plan will be completed. ARCH is accepting proposals from qualified consultants to work closely with ARCH’s Strategic Planning Committee (composed of both staff and board members) who will oversee the process which includes the contracting of external expertise to facilitate the development of a new five-year strategic plan.  The current Strategic Plan is attached at Schedule C.  

The Board will be actively involved in discussing, reviewing, and ultimately approving the Strategic Plan to ensure that it is compatible with the organization’s mission, vision, and values. The Consultant and the Executive Director, with the assistance of staff, will be responsible for developing the written strategic plan for the Committee and ultimately board approval.
Project Outline
ARCH is currently budgeting $20,000.00 for this work. We request that interested consultants submit a comprehensive project plan that reflects this budget and the recommended approach. The plan can be informed by the following suggested elements: 

•	Review background information, including existing strategic plan and the Vision, Mission and Values and Principles;
•	Understand the issues that are important in our community which will allow us to target those areas in litigation and law reform;
•	Given the last several years and the pandemic, how can we best reconnect with our communities (clients, stakeholder groups, community partners)? Help us explore the following questions: 
o	Who can we be?
o	Who should we be?
o	Who should we become? 
o	How can we build on the last strategic plan?
Timeline
We expect to begin the process of developing our Strategic Plan by July 15th with the expectation that a draft Plan will be ready by November 30, 2023.  
Selection Criteria
ARCH will use multiple criteria to select the most appropriate consultant. In consideration of all the key objectives described in this document, the evaluation of proposals will be based on a set of criteria outlined below: 
•	Related experience in Strategic Planning exercises, including evidence of outcome based reports and measurement techniques.
•	Significant experience in similar work within the not-for-profit sector.
•	Experience within the disability and social justice sectors. 
•	Facilitation skills working with boards of directors, staff and key stakeholders
•	Fees & pricing
•	Quality and relevance of references
•	Perceived fit with ARCH 
•	Overall quality of the proposal
•	Demonstrated familiarity with ARCh and Ontario’s Legal Aid Clinic System.  

Note:  ARCH is not obligated to enter into an agreement with any consultant as a result of this RFP process.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals shall include (at a minimum) the following information:  

1.	A summarized background ensuring to include at least the following items:   Name and address; a brief history with relevant background; description of services offered;
2.	Name, title, and contact information of an individual with authority to commit the consultant (if different from above);
3.	Number of years of experience in consulting services;
4.	Comment on what differentiates your services from that of other providers;
5.	Relevant experience in Strategic Plan Development within the not-for-profit sector;
6.	Process for delivering services that are customized for, responsive to, and aligned with ARCH’s specific business needs;
7.	Evidence of outcome based strategic reports prepared; description of measurement techniques and approach to planning and developing a strategic plan;
8.	A detailed project plan identifying the approach and methodology being proposed.
9.	Fee quote to complete the Strategic Plan. Fees should be broken down into the various components of the scope of work to be completed.
10.	The schedule and timing of billings.
11.	Out of pocket disbursements or administrative fees should be clearly stated to be either part of the estimated fee or shown separately.  
12.	Three (3) significant, relevant, industry project references, with contact information, and a description of the scope of services provided to the reference. 

Notes:	ARCH reserves the right to limit the scope of the project based on budget.
  ARCH will not contact any references without providing you with advanced notification. There may be a request for discussion with one or more consultants for further clarification of proposal if required.
Due date and Contact Information
Please submit your proposal by May 31, 2023 to:  

Robert Lattanzio, Executive Director
ARCH Disability Law Centre 
Email: Robert.lattanzio@arch.clcj.ca

Please send any questions by email to Robert by May 15th.  All questions and answers will be circulated to all invited consultants.  We ask that you do not approach anyone at the organization for information other than Robert while the RFP process is ongoing.  

Schedule A
VISION
A society in which laws, policies and legal systems ensure full participation, inclusion, dignity, and equal rights without discrimination for persons with disabilities. 
MISSION STATEMENT
ARCH Disability Law Centre, as a specialty legal clinic with a provincial mandate, undertakes to achieve this Vision by: 

•	Advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities, including the removal of systemic barriers;
•	Promoting awareness and providing education on the rights of persons with disabilities;
•	Addressing issues that have a particular impact on low income persons with disabilities; 
•	Ensuring that ARCH’s work has Ontario-wide impact; 
•	Engaging in national disability rights work and influencing the realization of international disability rights norms in Canada and Ontario;  
•	Continuously developing and utilizing ARCH’s expertise in local, provincial, national and international law as it affects persons with disabilities; 
•	Addressing the heightened disadvantage and discrimination faced by persons with disabilities, including as a result of other intersecting grounds of discrimination, including gender, race, age, language, place of origin, economic status, sexual orientation, and others.  
VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
ARCH is guided by the following set of core values:

•	The dignity and worth of all persons with disabilities must be respected;
•	Persons with disabilities have the right to dignity, equality, self-determination, disability-related supports and full participation in a barrier-free inclusive society; 
•	Persons with disabilities themselves are in the best position to determine their own priorities;
•	All persons have a common responsibility to create inclusive communities accessible to all persons with disabilities.  

Additionally, ARCH is guided by the following set of core organizational principles:

•	ARCH operates in accordance with the above core values;
•	ARCH is a community-based organization, governed by a Board of Directors composed of a majority of persons with disabilities;
•	ARCH is accountable to persons with disabilities in Ontario, its members and its funders.

Schedule B
ARCH Disability Law Centre Organizational Chart

Schedule C
ARCH Disability Law Centre

Strategic Plan 2018- 2023

Strategic Planning Committee 
Teresa Daw, Laura Upans, Roxanne Mykitiuk, Douglas Waxman, Doreen Way, Kerri Joffe and Robert Lattanzio

In Consultation with Taylor Newberry Consulting 

INTRODUCTION

 ARCH Disability Law Centre commissioned Taylor Newberry Consulting to assist with the development of an updated Strategic Plan, in collaboration with ARCH’s Strategic Planning Committee. This work involved four facilitated discussions with board and staff members in May 2017 (2 meetings with Board members and 2 meetings with Staff members), a survey distributed to ARCH Disability Law Centre’s membership, community partners, and made available on ARCH’s website, and a strategic planning day attended by Staff and Board members together on September 25th, 2017. 
The purpose of the facilitated discussions with Board and Staff members in May 2017 was to gather feedback about the role of the previous Strategic Plan in ARCH’s work over the past three years, how the new Strategic Plan could be more useful, and the current landscape in which ARCH provides services. The survey sought input from stakeholders about the importance and relevance of the legal services that ARCH provides, satisfaction with those services provided, and interactions with various stakeholders. Data collected through the survey helped to inform an assessment of the current context in which ARCH provides services. 71% of respondents identified as a person with a disability. During the strategic planning process, the mission, vision and values statements were reviewed, modified and endorsed, and Staff and Board members worked together to identify strategic objectives that would guide the work of ARCH over the next 5 years. 
The Current Context
ARCH created its last Strategic Plan in 2014. Since that time, the organization has undergone significant growth and change. In facilitated discussions Staff and Board members indicated that the previous Strategic Plan covered strategic objectives that were largely inwardly focused. Such objectives were important at the time the previous plan was written, but since then ARCH has made significant progress toward those objectives and Staff and Board members reported a desire for a new Strategic Plan that would be more actionable, more accountable, and more focused on making lasting systemic change benefiting communities that ARCH serves. Additionally, Staff and Board members reported wanting a Strategic Plan that will help ARCH to measure the impact of their work more effectively, encouraging evaluation, learning and ongoing adaptation. Furthermore, they wanted a document that would help them to prioritize and focus their efforts in a complex environment.

ARCH Disability Law Centre has accomplished much to be celebrated. The vision and mission are strongly shared by Staff and Board members, and ARCH is already doing a great deal of diverse work that aligns with its mission. The work of ARCH consistently evolves to meet changing conditions, and the quality of services that ARCH provides is viewed positively by stakeholders. 

From 2014 to 2017, the period of ARCH’s previous Strategic Plan, ARCH responded to 6,589 requests for a range of legal services, made 308 law reform and policy submissions and conducted related work, delivered 467 legal education workshops and educational activities, and opened 356 Community Development files.  ARCH published 12 ARCH Alert newsletters containing over 117 articles. ARCH’s website was visited 300,870 times during that period and our Facebook page has grown from 77 visitors in 2015 to almost 4,000 in 2017.
 
On the recent survey, 100% of respondents said that they would refer a friend to ARCH. Furthermore, 100% of respondents agreed that the areas of law that ARCH provides legal information or advice on are important and relevant for persons with disabilities in Ontario. In addition, ARCH received a 100% score in its 2017 client satisfaction surveys (separate to the strategic planning surveys). 

Approximately 72% of respondents indicated that ARCH’s work in international disability rights advocacy, including work on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is important or very important if linked to the advancement for disability rights in Ontario. Staff and Board members, and survey respondents felt that there were areas where ARCH could improve. Staff and Board members noted that more work should be done to reach communities outside of the GTA, including those that are rural and remote, as well as Indigenous and Francophone communities.  76% of survey respondents felt ARCH is good or very good at providing information about ARCH.  However, when considering how ARCH provides information about its work and services, only 57% felt the same.   Board, staff and survey respondents indicated that there is room to improve on communicating information and developments in disability rights through more diverse media platforms such as social media. 

These important points were kept in mind as discussions proceeded during the strategic planning day and in the drafting of the Strategic Plan. 

VISION

A society in which laws, policies and legal systems ensure full participation, inclusion, dignity, and equal rights without discrimination for persons with disabilities.
MISSION STATEMENT

ARCH Disability Law Centre, as a specialty legal clinic with a provincial mandate, undertakes to achieve this Vision by: 

•	Advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities, including the removal of systemic barriers;
•	Promoting awareness and providing education on the rights of persons with disabilities;
•	Addressing issues that have a particular impact on low income persons with disabilities; 
•	Ensuring that ARCH’s work has Ontario-wide impact; 
•	Engaging in national disability rights work and influencing the realization of international disability rights norms in Canada and Ontario;  
•	Continuously developing and utilizing ARCH’s expertise in local, provincial, national and international law as it affects persons with disabilities; 
•	Addressing the heightened disadvantage and discrimination faced by persons with disabilities, including as a result of other intersecting grounds of discrimination, including gender, race, age, language, place of origin, economic status, sexual orientation, and others.  
VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

ARCH is guided by the following set of core values:

•	The dignity and worth of all persons with disabilities must be respected;
•	Persons with disabilities have the right to dignity, equality, self-determination, disability-related supports and full participation in a barrier-free inclusive society; 
•	Persons with disabilities themselves are in the best position to determine their own priorities;
•	All persons have a common responsibility to create inclusive communities accessible to all persons with disabilities.  

Additionally, ARCH is guided by the following set of core organizational principles:

•	ARCH operates in accordance with the above core values;
•	ARCH is a community-based organization, governed by a Board of Directors composed of a majority of persons with disabilities;
•	ARCH is accountable to persons with disabilities in Ontario, its members and its funders.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

During the Strategic Planning day, Staff and Board members identified 4 strategic objectives that will guide ARCH’s work over the next five years. These strategic objectives are presented below; the order in which they are presented should not be taken as an indication that some objectives are more important than others. 

Strategic Objective 1
To strengthen good governance of the Board of Directors and enhance and maximize its efficiencies and effectiveness. 
Impact
ARCH’s Board functions efficiently, effectively, with a renewed sense of engagement and appropriate governance structures in place.  
Goals 
1 – Review and update the Board’s governance model including its structure for Board and Board/Staff standing and ad hoc committees.
2 – Identify and implement effective approaches to deepen ARCH’s engagement with its Membership and Community Partners. 
3 - Explore opportunities for board development, leadership and succession planning.

Strategic Objective 2
To ensure that ARCH is best positioned to continue providing the highest quality professional legal services to persons with disabilities and to achieve impactful systemic outcomes in ARCH’s areas of practice.  
Impact
ARCH’s high quality legal work and advocacy will continue to be an important resource for persons with disabilities, disability rights communities and legal service providers.  
Goals 
1 – Review and optimize available resources, including human resources, financial resources and other resources, to best deliver and support ARCH’s legal services and programs.
2 -   Review and update internal policies, practices and procedures on how ARCH identifies and undertakes its work to ensure accountability, a focus on identified systemic legal issues, interconnectedness of work and transparency. 
3 – Identify and implement effective new strategies for providing resources and information in clear and accessible language to persons with disabilities, and to the legal profession, on new, complex and emerging issues related to disability rights.  

Strategic Objective 3 
To advance positive change in identified systemic legal issues of importance to disability communities across Ontario. 
Impact
ARCH maximizes its impact shaping positive legislative, policy and jurisprudential changes by proactively focusing its available resources. 
Goals 
1 – Proactively identify systemic legal issues that arise in ARCH’s areas of legal practice and develop legal strategies to address them.
2 – Achieve an appropriate balance of time and resources in order to enhance Staff’s capacity to conduct focused systemic work.
3 – Explore communication strategies for more effective use of media and social media to advance ARCH’s work and systemic change.  

Strategic Objective 4
To ensure that ARCH continues to be responsive to issues of greatest concern to disability communities, from a cross-disability perspective, from intersectional identities, and in under-represented communities.
Impact
ARCH is accountable to the disability communities it serves in fulfilling its mission, vision and values in response to those communities’ needs.
Goals 
1 – Continue outreach initiatives to Indigenous, racialized, Francophone, rural, isolated and vulnerable disability communities.	
2 – Ensure that ARCH’s work considers and addresses the impact of poverty, indigeneity and intersecting grounds of discrimination. 
3 – Ensure that ARCH considers the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in developing its positions on disability rights issues. 

Evaluation and Monitoring
Implementation plans and evaluation metrics will be developed to monitor the operationalization of this Strategic Plan and will be reviewed on an annual basis by the ARCH Board and Staff.